What Does Car Ownership Tell Us about Voter Preferences?

Democrats and Republicans are typically symbolized by a donkey and an elephant, respectively, but there are much speedier beasts that also seem to represent the two major political parties in the United States. According to Stanford University researchers, if you live in a neighborhood with more pickup trucks than sedans, there is an 82 percent chance that your community votes with the GOP. Conversely, if there are more sedans parked nearby, there is an 88 percent chance that your neighborhood leans Democratic. The researchers relied on Google Street View images, computer algorithms, and actual data on demographics and voting to reach their conclusions.

When the President hits the road:

• Ever since John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963, U.S. presidents have not been allowed to drive a car while in office.
• Lyndon Johnson owned an amphibious car and used to terrify passengers by driving into a lake after exclaiming that his brakes had failed.
• The presidential limousine has 7-inch (18-cm) thick armor, Kevlar-reinforced tires, gas cannons, and night-vision cameras.