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First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt has been considered by many historians as having dramatically changed the role of the first lady. Rather than stay in the background, Eleanor Roosevelt was an active participant in her husbands administration.  When her husband suffered a polio attack in 1921, Eleanor stepped up to help her husband by taking a more active role in his political career. In addition, she gave numerous press conferences, speaking out on a number of issues, including human rights, racial discrimination, and women's rights. The First Lady's high profile attracted public ridicule by her families political opponents. In his campaign for President, Wendell Willkie personally attacked the first lady, criticizing the fact that both the President and his wife were seeking a third term in office.

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Typically, dictators avoid genuine political debate with the opposition, as dictatorship, by definition, concentrates power and suppresses dissent. The phrase "Dictators Don’t Debate" originated during the 1940 U.S. presidential election between incumbent Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Republican challenger Wendell Willkie. At that time, Roosevelt was seeking an unprecedented third term, raising concerns among Republicans who feared he was gaining excessive power. This break from tradition sparked accusations of authoritarianism, as critics called Roosevelt’s extended tenure undemocratic. His refusal to accept Willkie’s invitation for a live radio debate intensified these criticisms and inspired slogans like this one.

The button with this slogan was made by independent manufacturers not officially linked to the Willkie campaign, yet it quickly became popular among Willkie’s supporters. Its direct message criticized Roosevelt for refusing to debate his opponent publicly, effectively labeling him as dictatorial. Throughout the 1940 campaign, many buttons mocked both Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, highlighting the tense and confrontational political environment of the time. Today, this button remains a powerful reminder of a pivotal election, demonstrating the power of rhetoric and the changing media strategies in American presidential history.

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For Wendell Willkie's 1940 campaign for President, an unprecedented amount of merchandise was created to support his cause. Willkie, who had never held political office prior to the election was seen as an unlikely candidate. This may be why Willkie's campaign was particularly aggressive with merchandise. As described in an August 1940 issue of the New Yorker, the  campaign had plans of promoting itself on things such as neckties, chewing gum, and cowbells. But the most active way of promoting Willkie was through buttons. For the campaign, Willkie made an estimated thirty million buttons in total. These buttons were made with numerous messages that appealed to a large spectrum of voters. For example, this button was created for Willkie's younger supporters who weren't yet at the age to officially vote in the election.

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Wendell Willkie ran as the Republican candidate in the 1940 presidential election. He seemingly came out of nowhere, having switched political parties in 1939. Willkie was against isolationism, an issue dividing the party. He was too progressive for conservative Republicans, but he gathered the support of many disaffected Republicans who wanted someone with a chance of defeating Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He also modeled his image as an “everyman” with a Midwestern accent, rumpled suit, and “country” haircut. He also pledged to not reduce New Deal welfare programs and expand Social Security. Although this attracted middle class voters, Willkie had difficulty attracting the working class. Roosevelt was able to keep his popularity with working class, minority, and Southern voters, winning the 1940 election by 5 million votes and an electoral landslide.

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Joseph McCarthy was a Republican Senator from Wisconsin from 1947 to 1957. During the Cold War with the Soviet Union when the U.S. feared the spread of communism, McCarthy became known for his smear tactics against Americans who were under suspicion of communist ties. His practice of making allegations against people without evidence has become known as "McCarthyism".

"Joe Must Go" was a movement to recall Senator McCarthy in the early 1950s. It was financed by a book of the same title by Leroy Gore. The movement was initiated because McCarthy was seen as disrespectful of Wisconsin's General Ralph Wise Zwicker whom he was investigating, undermining President Eisenhower's authority, and ignoring the dilemma that dairy farmers were facing with price-slashing surpluses.

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Joseph McCarthy was a Republican Senator from Wisconsin from 1947 to 1957. During the Cold War with the Soviet Union when the U.S. feared the spread of communism, McCarthy became known for his smear tactics against Americans who were under suspicion of communist ties. His practice of making allegations against people without evidence has become known as "McCarthyism".

"Joe Must Go" was a movement to recall Senator McCarthy in the early 1950s. It was financed by a book of the same title by Leroy Gore. The movement was initiated because McCarthy was seen as disrespectful of Wisconsin's General Ralph Wise Zwicker whom he was investigating, undermining President Eisenhower's authority, and ignoring the dilemma that dairy farmers were facing with price-slashing surpluses.

Blue and red text on a white background.

Joseph McCarthy was a Republican Senator from Wisconsin from 1947 to 1957. During the Cold War with the Soviet Union when the U.S. feared the spread of communism, McCarthy became known for his smear tactics against Americans who were under suspicion of communist ties. His practice of making allegations against people without evidence has become known as "McCarthyism".

"Joe Must Go" was a movement to recall Senator McCarthy in the early 1950s. It was financed by a book of the same title by Leroy Gore. The movement was initiated because McCarthy was seen as disrespectful of Wisconsin's General Ralph Wise Zwicker whom he was investigating, undermining President Eisenhower's authority, and ignoring the dilemma that dairy farmers were facing with price-slashing surpluses.

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George McGovern ran in the 1972 presidential election against incumbent candidate Richard Nixon. During his campaign, he pledged to withdraw American troops from Vietnam, end the United States' involvement in the war, and bring about a time of peace to the country. With a lower military budget, McGovern promised to redistribute the money into education, health care, housing, and the creation of thousands of public service jobs. McGovern ultimately did not win the election, gaining only 17 electoral votes to Nixon's 520.

Jimmy Carter's face in black ink in the center of a thin white outline of the state of Illinois. White text surrounding the outer edge of the button on a green background. 

Jimmy Carter was the Democratic nominee for the United States Presidency in 1976. He won the popular vote at 50.1 percent and took 297 electoral votes over Republican Gerald Ford. In Illinois, Ford won the popular vote with 50.1 percent, taking 26 electoral votes. Carter served as the 39th president from 1977 to 1981. He lost the 1980 race to President Ronald Reagan. Prior to his first run for president, Carter grew up in Plains, Georgia. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1953. He was a Georgia State Senator from 1963 to 1967 and the Governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. Following their time in the White House, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, returned to Plains.