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In the 1976 election Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter ran a hard fought campaign to unseat President Gerald Ford. One popular tactic utilized by Carter was to criticize Ford for his handling of the Watergate Scandal and Richard Nixon’s subsequent resignation. In 1972, after the fallout from the attempted coverup of the Watergate Scandal, President Richard Nixon was forced under public pressure to resign. His Vice President Gerald Ford quickly assumed office and used his executive power to pardon Nixon of any crimes. This move generated significant criticism towards Ford’s administration and accusations of backdoor deals even sprang up (Kutler). The 1976 election saw much of this anger captured on propaganda materials displaying criticism of President Ford.

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William Randolph Hearst Sr. (1863-1951) was an American politician, businessman, and newspaper publisher who built the media company, Hearst Communications in 1887. Recognized as the nation's largest newspaper chain, Hearst Communications owns numerous well-known publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Cosmopolitan, and Esquire. Outside of Hearst Communications, William Hearst was also involved in politics. Twice elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat, Hearst also launched campaigns for the position of President of the United States in 1904, Mayor of New York City in 1905, and for Governor of New York in 1906. However, none of these campaigns were successful. Furthermore, Hearst and his life also serve as the main inspiration behind the character of Charles Foster Kane, who served as the lead character in the film, Citizen Kane.

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Eleanor Rosalynn Carter served as the First Lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981, while her husband James "Jimmy" Earl Carter Jr. served as the 39th President of the United States. During her time as First Lady, she was an active part in her husband's social and public policies, represented him in meetings with domestic and foreign leaders, and advocated for equal rights. Jimmy Carter ran in the presidential election in 1980, but was defeated by Ronald Reagan. 

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Morris King “Mo” Udall was a U.S. Representative from Arizona who ran in the Democratic presidential primary in 1976. Udall’s platform concentrated on what he called “the three E’s”—energy, environment, and the economy. He advocated for the planned use of natural resources, a cut in the defense budget, and the federalization of the welfare system. He supported the Equal Rights Amendment and a national health insurance plan.

Unlike his Democratic rivals, Udall pivoted to the South in the hopes of gaining delegate votes below the Mason-Dixon line. He traveled throughout various Southern states, some of which showed favorability to Udall. This unusual strategy, however, did not pay off. Despite his early primary strength and support form the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, he was never able to win a primary victory. After losing the Ohio primary on June 9, 1976, Udall ended his campaign and the Democratic nomination eventually went to Jimmy Carter.

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Morris “Mo” K. Udall was a U.S. congressmen who ran for the Democratic nomination for the presidential election in 1976. Udall’s platform concentrated on what he would call “the three E’s” – energy, environment and the economy. He advocated for a planned use of natural resources and proposed a government guaranteed full employment program, a cut in the defense budget, and the federalization of the welfare system. He supported the Equal Rights Amendment and a national health insurance plan. Despite his early primary strength and support form the liberal wing of the Democratic party, he was never able to win a primary victory. After losing the Ohio primary on June 9, 1976, Udall ended his campaign and the Democratic nomination went to Jimmy Carter of Georgia, who later won the presidential election.

Udall’s campaign led him to become a national known political figure and he continued his work in Congress becoming the chair of the House Interior Committee in 1976, a post he held until 1991 when he resigned. One of his final achievements was to sponsor the 1990 Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act, which protects Indian burial grounds.

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In 1972, U.S. Senator George McGovern of South Dakota ran against the incumbent Richard Nixon in the United States presidential election. George McGovern won the Democratic nomination using a populist appeal on taxes and other reforms as well as a sharp antiwar stance. While Nixon ran on a campaign of strong economy and his success in foreign affairs, McGovern ran on a platform that called for end to the Vietnam war, the institution of a guaranteed minimum income, amnesty for Vietnam War resisters, and increased integration. These ideals gained strong favor among his supporters, but failed to stir enthusiasm among the larger population. McGovern’s campaign was damaged by the revelation that his running mate, Thomas Eagleton, had undergone electroconvulsive therapy as a treatment for depression. Eagleton was replaced on the ballot by Sargent Shriver. McGovern managed to get 37.5% of the popular vote, losing to Nixon in a landslide election.

The 1972 election was the first after the passage of the Twenty-sixth Amendment, which lowered the voting age from twenty-one to eighteen, allowing student volunteers who had aided Eugene McCarthy’s 1968 political crusade against the Vietnam War to back McGovern in the 1972 election.

McGovern’s emphasis on personal character and morality become central to presidential politics. After the events of Watergate, the next presidential election campaign from Jimmy Carter, Jr. echoed McGovern’s stance on morality and honesty in politics.

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Ted Kennedy campaigned for the 1980 presidential election against incumbent president Jimmy Carter. Kennedy was supported by several Democratic states but ultimately did not receive the official party nomination, partly due to negative press and interviews, but also due to the Chappaquiddick incident, an automobile accident that left his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, dead. After losing the official nomination, Kennedy withdrew from the race. 

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General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) was an American general who is most well-known for many attributes during his military service. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, MacArthur started his military career by helping to lead the 42nd Division in France during World War I. During World War II, MacArthur served as a commander in the Southwest Pacific. MacArthur famously returned to the Philippines in 1944  to assist in the liberation of the country after it had fallen to Japan. MacArthur also played a key role in the successful Allied occupation of Japan following the war. Noted for his outspoken and egotistical mannerisms, MacArthur was often perceived as a controversial figure. In 1951, MacArthur clashed with then-President Harry S. Truman over his policies in the Korean War, publicly ridiculing the president. For his supposed insubordination, MacArthur was removed from command. Though removed from command, MacArthur would serve as an advisor to both President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson during their times in office.​​

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The verb "to suck" became a slang term in the 1840s meaning to cheat or deceive. It first appeared in Frontier Life, which is a collection of sketches in 1842 by Caroline M. Kirkland. “I a’n’t bound to drive nobody in the middle of the night … so don’t you try to suck me in there.” 

A society is a group of people living together in an ordered community. To say that “Society Sucks” means it is in some way unfair or deceitful to outliers in the community. It is often an expression of disappointment or an exclamation of defiance.