We're for the Birds

Illustration of a a bird's head with black text above on a yellow background with a blue feather sticking ouf of the pin on the back of the button

The 1964 U.S. presidential election saw a contentious battle play out between incumbent Lyndon B. Johnson and his Republican challenger Barry Goldwater. Johnson championed his passage of the 24th Amendment, which outlawed poll taxes, as well as the Civil Rights Act. Lyndon and his wife Claudia were sometimes referred to as the “Birds” due to the First Lady’s nickname. Born Claudia Alta Taylor, she was called “Lady Bird” from a young age when her nursemaid remarked that she was as “purty as a ladybird.” To show their support, Johnson’s defenders donned pro-Johnson buttons that read “We're for the Birds” and “Welcome Lady Bird”.

On the other hand, Goldwater ran on the promise of lower taxes and states’ rights. He was also a fierce opponent of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and believed that the Johnson administration was overreaching its powers. In the end, Johnson carried 44 states along with the District of Columbia and won in a landslide. He served his first full-term presidency from 1964 to 1968.