# Why are the stars on the Republican elephant upside-down? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 22, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083 "2010-06-22T02:10:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/21 "2011-07-05T14:29:29Z")
\*\*naita Why they did that, I can’t say, but I expect people just liked it better that way. \*\* I saw what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/22 "2011-07-05T14:30:33Z")
Is anyone else having trouble with “quote”? It disappears when I start to type. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/23 "2011-07-05T15:14:12Z")
> [@Ca3799](#): > > \*\*naita > > Why they did that, I can’t say, but I expect people just liked it better that way. \*\* > > I saw what you did there. Istanbul song, right? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/24 "2011-07-05T15:20:29Z")
[Yes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vankaSlfSr0) ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/25 "2011-07-05T15:37:09Z")
Also an honest answer to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/26 "2011-07-05T21:32:55Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > The OP’s Wikipedia link to the logo image no longer works. It looked like [this](http://images2.dailykos.com/images/user/3/Republican_elephant.gif). I see they’ve updated the Wikipedia page to use a newer logo since I wrote that OP last year. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/27 "2011-07-06T02:27:17Z")
Whatever the reason for the upside down stars, it definitely predates George Bush. From [here](http://www.greatreality.com/Stars.htm): > [@](#): > > A recent flap about [the Republican National Committee defending its trademark](http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/11834.html) for the logo led The Muser to the [U.S. Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval database for Trademark No. 1908397](http://tarr.uspto.gov/tarr?regser=registration&entry=1908397&action=Request+Status). It appears that the current trademark registration was filed in 1993, and registered in 1995. The application cites a first use date in 1969 and includes the [rule booklet from the 1972 Republican Convention](http://tdr.uspto.gov/search.action?sn=74426459), complete with upside-down logo stars. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/28 "2011-07-06T02:30:31Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Obviously it is because Republicans hate America (but don’t want to be too obvious about it). 😃 I say some Democrat did it during the Nixon administration, and someone _finally_ noticed. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/29 "2011-07-06T03:21:19Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:26, topic:544083”] It looked like [this](http://images2.dailykos.com/images/user/3/Republican_elephant.gif). I see they’ve updated the Wikipedia page to use a newer logo since I wrote that OP last year. [/QUOTE] The stars in it still [point down](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GOP_Logo1.svg), though. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/30 "2011-07-06T04:16:40Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > The stars in it still [point down](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GOP_Logo1.svg), though. Aye. That they do. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/31 "2011-07-06T04:40:02Z")
They don’t point down. They are rotated 72 degrees counterclockwise. ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/32 "2011-07-06T11:46:17Z")
The stars on the GOP Elephant are dancing around like politicians! ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/33 "2011-07-06T12:14:31Z")
Well, what’s in the down position of a clock face? The number 6. So…6…6…and I dunno, if you flip the “p”, it looks a bit like a 6. Maybe the elephant sits on it to bend it to the right shape? Is anyone surprised? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/34 "2011-07-06T14:09:58Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > They don’t point down. They are rotated 72 degrees counterclockwise. I was going to quibble over the left/right nature of “counterclockwise,” but I think given how the word “conservative” now means “reactionary,” you’ve got it exactly right. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/35 "2011-07-06T15:38:32Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I was going to quibble over the left/right nature of “counterclockwise,” but I think given how the word “conservative” now means “reactionary,” you’ve got it exactly right. I guess you could also say that they tilt 72 degrees to the right 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/36 "2011-07-06T21:39:49Z")
[moderating] As much as I hate to moderate my own thread, zombie though it may be, everyone needs to remember that this is GQ, and we don’t allow political jabs here. Please stick to the question. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/37 "2011-07-06T22:10:04Z")
> [@](#): > > They don’t point down. They are rotated 72 degrees counterclockwise. Was the math error a deliberate joke? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/38 "2011-07-07T00:58:39Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was the math error a deliberate joke? I took it as a joke, since rotating a 5-pointed star 72 degrees leaves it looking the same. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/39 "2011-07-07T01:01:35Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was the math error a deliberate joke? Uh, no :smack: 36.5 degrees :o ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083/40 "2011-07-07T01:36:46Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Uh, no :smack: > > 36.5 degrees :o It’s just not my day. 36 degrees. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-stars-on-the-republican-elephant-upside-down/544083.md?page=3)