Illustration of the state of Wisconsin above a photograph of Al Gore with red and blue text on a white background.  Blue outer border with red ring and white 5-pointed stars.

The 2000 Presidential election is known for being a very close election. The deciding electoral vote came down to Florida, which the U.S. Supreme Court was involved to ensure election security. Despite winning the popular vote, Gore lost the electoral vote and the election.

Gore is also known for his environmental activism starring in a documentary, An Inconvenient Truth (2006). He was vice president under Bill Clinton, U.S. Senator for Tennessee from 1985 to 1993, and a U.S. Representative for Tennessee from 1977 to 1985.

While he did push environmental policies during his campaign, his main concern was the economy. The economy was seen by the people as progressing, so his campaign pushed that Gore wanted to continue the work Clinton was already doing. Gore believed that low-interest rates would stir the economy and wanted to keep it that way. He wanted to expand Medicare and find a way to integrate a universal health care system.

Blue-tinted photographs of Lyndon B. Johnson and Hubert Humphrey with blue text in center of button.  White text on illustration of red ribbon along top of button.  White text on blue portion of button on bottom of button.

Lyndon Baines Johnson or LBJ was sworn in as president following the assassination of John F. Kennedy in November of 1963. When he ran with Hubert Humphrey against Senator Barry Goldwater a year later he won in a landslide victory. Barry Goldwater and William (Bill) Edward Miller ran together and lost the presidential election of 1964, representing the Republican ticket.

Goldwater, an Arizona Senator at the time, picked Miller as his vice presidential candidate and the two ran on a campaign of staunch conservatism and anti-communism. Johnson on the other hand fought for an increase in social programs and was seen as a moderate while Goldwater was portrayed as an extremist. This was really highlighted in the Johnson campaign ad "Daisy Girl" which shows a little girl picking petals off a daisy and counting them. Her countdown segues into a launch countdown and nuclear explosion. The ad was in reference to Goldwater's nonchalance of nuclear weaponry and his advocacy of nuclear weapons as standardized tactic in Vietnam.

Button divided half brown, half orange with brown and orange text.

Ronald Reagan’s history with unions is complicated. In 1981, shortly after taking office for his first term, Reagan fired around 12,000 air traffic controllers. The employees were skilled and did not believe that the government would be able to replace them. Reagan found them in violation of a law that bars federal workers from striking, and the government gradually replaced them with retirees and controllers from the military and other sources. Reagan is also accused of appointing anti-union members to the National Labor Relations Board. On the other hand, Regan was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1947 to 1952, and later in 1959.

Whether his actions hastened the decline of unions or signaled the changing times is a matter that historians and commentators still debate. Some historians and other experts contend that corporations were already challenging unions before Reagan’s decision during the PATCO strike, and that union membership had been declining since the 1950s. Others argue that Reagan emboldened efforts to weaken unions.

Photograph of Ralph Nader on a background consisting of the American flag and a photograph of the White House.  Yellow text.

Ralph Nader ran for president in the 2000 election as a representative of the Green Party and his running mate was Winona LaDuke of the Ojibwe tribe in Minnesota. Nader was a lawyer, author, political activist, and lecturer who decided to run as a third-party candidate against Republican candidate George W. Bush and Democratic candidate Al Gore. Some of his campaign issues included universal healthcare, workers' rights, free education, affordable housing, and environmental justice. Ralph Nader was on the ballot in 43 states and he received 2.74 percent of the popular vote.

White text on a red background.

In 1980 Ted Kennedy, younger brother to John F. and Robert Kennedy, announced his campaign for president of the United States, seeking the Democratic Party nomination over the incumbent Jimmy Carter. A reelection for Carter was in jeopardy due to national crises, and Kennedy seemed to be the obvious choice of a candidate for the party. 

However, in a televised interview with Roger Mudd of CBS, his unfortunate response to the question, “Why do you want to be president?” shattered that advantage. Kennedy was unable to answer the question with a direct and honest answer, but rambled without giving a straight reply. 

His head start fell away, and the expected easy win instead became a battle.

Light blue background with dark blue text on top while the word "Carter" is spelled out in red letters to resemble a bunny.

In an interview that was published in November 1976 for Playboy Magazine, then-Governor Jimmy Carter sat down with interviewer, Robert Sheer and discussed how religion factored into his life and beliefs. When the topic of lust came up, Carter famously replied by stating that:

"I've looked on a lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times. This is something that God recognizes I will do-and I have done it-and God forgives me for it."

The comments were highly controversial at the time, threatening Carter's campaign for the presidency. Though Carter would go on to win the presidential election, his Playboy interview has been hailed as an infamous aspect of Carter's overall political career.

Photograph of Al Gore with a red macaw parrot on his shoulder.  Yellow text with black drop-shadow on a background photograph of a beach and palm trees.

“Parrot Head” is a nickname for fans of Jimmy Buffet, an American musician who, with his Coral Reefer Band, is known for playing songs that celebrate a tropical island lifestyle. The term “Parrot Head” was coined in 1985, by Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band-mate Timothy B. Schmit, during a concert at the Timberwolf Amphitheater in Cincinnati, Ohio. Schmit came up with the term “Parrot Head” after Buffett made comments during the show about his fans being “just like Dead Heads”, a reference to the community of fans devoted to American rock band The Grateful Dead.

The first Parrot Head club formed in Atlanta in 1989. Parrot Head clubs often get together for live concerts, happy hours, and events supporting various charitable organizations. Many Parrot Heads saw Jimmy Buffett perform at fundraisers held in New York City and Miami, Florida supporting the Democratic National Committee and Al Gore’s 2000 presidential run.

Pink background with blue text, while the word "Carter" is spelled out in red letters to resemble a rabbit.

In an interview that was published in November 1976 for Playboy Magazine, then-Governor Jimmy Carter sat down with interviewer, Robert Sheer and discussed how religion factored into his life and beliefs. When the topic of lust came up, Carter famously replied by stating that:

"I've looked on a lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times. This is something that God recognizes I will do-and I have done it-and God forgives me for it."

The comments were highly controversial at the time, threatening Carter's campaign for the presidency. Though Carter would go on to win the presidential election, his Playboy interview has been hailed as an infamous aspect of Carter's overall political career.

White text on a blue background.

Plains, Georgia, with a population of about 700 people is located in the southwestern region of the state surrounded by peanut fields. Its most famous resident is the 39th United States President and 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter. Carter was born in Plains in 1924 and was elected president in 1976. Carter worked on his family’s peanut farm in Plains after serving 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. A Democrat, he served as president from 1977 to 1981. Following their time in the White House, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, returned to Plains, where they have participated in the annual Plains Peanut Festival. 

Cartoon-style illustration of blue elephant with small flower in its mouth.  Blue text on a white background.

Although elephants are often stereotyped as loving peanuts, they do not eat them in the wild. Elephants are herbivores, and peanuts are too high in protein for their normal diet. This misconception most likely began in circuses and zoos during the 19th century. Many of these attractions allowed visitors to feed the animals, and bags of peanuts were the most convenient option. 

To work or to do something "for peanuts" means to receive little or no pay. This expression also dates back to the 19th century, attributed to Mr. Harry Mozley Stevens. Considered the father of sports food service, Mr. Stevens started off his career selling peanuts during games. He would often joke that he was “working for peanuts.”