A friend of mine went on a date recently. It’s a really cute story, actually. He sat next to her in chemistry class one day, and, well, you know what they say about chemistry. She was wearing a campaign T-shirt, he had the corresponding button pinned to the strap of his messenger bag, and the sparks just flew.

Now, more than ever before, elections have become a fashion trend. Support for a candidate is easily spotted by buttons and bumper stickers, and several high-profile designers have named their alliances by creating T-shirt designs emblazoned with the faces of favored candidates: designer Marc Jacobs’ Hillary Clinton shirt was popular when the senator ran for re-election in 2004, and the design was revived during Clinton’s run in the primaries earlier this year.

As for my friend and her new guy? It didn’t last very long. It turns out he only had the button on his bag to pick up girls, a tactic which backfired spectacularly.

So, whether you’re sporting shirts urging us to “Rock the Vote,” pinning on buttons featuring Sen. McCain’s face or donning any number of other stylish election-themed outfits, make sure you’re doing so for the right reasons. There are plenty of reasons to support either candidate. Because the shirt with his face on it is the cutest or brings out your eyes is not a valid reason.