Bumper stickers
This on a Chevrolet Malibu on Interstate 55: Vote American. Vote Romney.
This on a Prius on the same road: Fuelled by corn, not Middle East oil.
And this on former Route 66: If you think politics is scarey, visit our haunted house.
Hall of fame for every cause
One of the unusual things about American culture is its fixation on halls of fame and museums. Sure the Smithsonian Museum is in Washington and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland, Ohio.
But there’s the Motor Home and Recreational Vehicle Hall of Fame just off Interstate 90 near Michigan City. Or put the US Cellular Phone Museum on your trip next time you’re passing through Bloomington-Normal, on Interstate 55 in Illinois.
Power plays and gas pains
As motorists in New Jersey queue for petrol due to a shortage after Hurricane Sandy, Democrats are crying foul. Someone sneakily put “Obama for President” stickers on the cars as they waited for hours.
Pausing for hoops
Barack Obama has paused his Election Day schedule for a moment for something he loves - basketball.
The president's motorcade made a 10 minute drive to Attack Athletics, a sports complex, to play hoops with friends and staff. Dozens of people lining the streets waved and cheered as Obama made his way to the complex.
Among those playing alongside the president: Mike Ramos, a childhood friend from Hawaii, and Marty Nesbitt, a friend from Chicago.
Biden's Cleveland visit
Vice President Joe Biden enjoyed lunch on Tuesday at Cleveland's Landmark restaurant, a greasy spoon that often attracts factory workers, municipal employees and regulars from a neighborhood of African Americans, eastern Europeans, Middle Eastern immigrants and Spanish speakers.
Biden, accompanied by his wife and other family members - including several grandchildren - stopped at the blue-collar lunch counter to eat and shake hands in the ethnic Cleveland neighbourhood.
Romney's lunch
For those of you wondering, this nugget just in from Romney's Wendy's visit: He ordered a quarter-pounder (no cheese), chili and a Frosty.
It's been a long few days for sure. "He's kind of operating on fumes," Romney's running mate, Paul Ryan, tells the AP, speaking about the presidential candidate and their hectic schedule.
Cookie poll
A Roseville, Minn., bakery is offering Obama and Romney cookies to test its customers' preference in the presidential race.
Roseville Bakery owner Amy Johnson says she's done her cookie poll in the past two elections, and it correctly predicted the winner both times.
It boosts cookie sales, too. Customer Muriel Sharpe read about the cookie poll online and when she heard Obama was behind, she drove in Tuesday morning and snatched up two dozen Obama cookies.
She passed some out to other customers. Then she bought eight more.
Despite her efforts, Romney still held an 830-to-731 lead over Obama in cookie sales.
Tarmac football
While Paul Ryan rode off in a motorcade with running mate Mitt Romney, Janna Ryan stayed behind on the Tarmac and tossed the football with her children, their cousins and her brother-in-law Tobin Ryan.
Even in a maroon shift dress and knee-high boots with heels, she has a tight spiral.
Voting for two
A pregnant suburban Chicago woman didn't let being in labor stop her from voting in her first presidential election.
Cook County Clerk David Orr reports that 21-year-old Galicia Malone's water had broken and her contractions were about five minutes apart. But Orr says she still made the detour en route to the hospital to vote this morning at the polls at New Life Celebration Church in Dolton, Illinois.
Politics on hold
A Republican state senator in Illinois is pretty red-faced at the moment. Senator Suzi Schmidt has been ordered by a judge to stop harassing voters and her neighbours for six more months. Her neighbours say she has been harassing them by leaving them nasty phone, text and email messages since last December.
Touchdown for Obama
Political commentators were keeping an eye on the sports scores during Sunday’s National Football League games. Only one president since 1980 has won re-election when the Washington Redskins lost the game before polling day. Well, Washington lost its third straight. Doesn’t seem like Barack Obama is too fazed. He’s a Chicago Bears fan, and Da Bears romped to their biggest win in the NFL ... since 1980.
The Second Amendment
Under the terms of the US Constitution, Americans have the right to bear arms. But after several high-profile shootings across the country, everyone is walking a fine line. Democrat congressman candidate Bill Foster: “I am a supporter of the Second Amendment rights, but we need sensible restrictions.”
And Republican candidate Robert Dold: ”I support reasonable restrictions on gun ownership. We shouldn’t allow these weapons into the hands of the mentally ill and ex-felons.”
Reds under the beds
Heard on a radio advertisement asking for votes in a rural Illinois area: “As coroner, I won’t support any particular funeral home. I believe in equal access to all funeral homes ....”
Looks like we got a Red Commie here.
With input from agencies
