My Rady Ike

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Text on Button MY RADY IKE
Image Description

Black and white photograph of a man's head and shoulders on a white background with a blue ribbon illustration above with white text and an outer red edge

Curl Text J. M. CZECH union bug
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"My Rady Ike" is Czech for "I Like Ike," Dwight D. Eisenhower's slogan for his successful 1952 presidential campaign. Eisenhower was initially approached by both the Democrat and Republican parties to run in the 1948 election, but he turned them both down. In 1952, however, the retired general embraced the task as the Republican's nominee.

Despite being a national war hero for his role as a World War II general, Eisenhower's team crafted the slogan to portray him as down-to-earth. The simple phrase worked and it, along with the candidate, became incredibly popular. "I Like Ike" was used in the nation's first televised campaign ads, including one animated by Walt Disney Studios. Additionally, campaign merchandise reproduced the slogan in at least ten different languages. America proved to be receptive to the message, as Eisenhower defeated the Democrat Adlai Stevenson in a landslide victory.  

Sources

"Battle on the Ballot: Political Outsiders in US Presidential Elections." Digital Public Library of America. Retrieved at https://dp.la/exhibitions/exhibits/show/outsiders-president-elections/m…;

Pach, Jr., Chester J. "Dwight D. Eisenhower: Campaigns and Elections." University of Virginia Miller Center. Retrieved at https://millercenter.org/president/eisenhower/campaigns-and-elections.

(2016). "Top 10 Campaign Ads." Time. Retrieved at http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1842516_….

Catalog ID PO0882