Blue background with yellow text with inset illustrations of Bob Dole and Leonard Arons inside yellow ovals.

In 1996, Robert "Bob" Joseph Dole ran for President of the United States as the official Republican candidate, but lost the election to Democrat William "Bill" Clinton. Concurrently, Leonard Arons sought election as a Missouri State Senator, but did not win. 

Photograph of Bill Clinton against a blue-tinted American Flag background with a smaller inset photograph of Hillary Clinton in the lower right hand corner.  Red and blue outlined white text.

Hillary Rodham Clinton provoked criticism as first lady for playing a key and public role in her husband’s 1992 presidential run and presidency. During the election, she made speeches, met voters, and advised her husband. She came under scrutiny for her law career and her work for liberal causes, and for her response to her critics (that she could have “stayed home and baked cookies”).

Bill Clinton implied during the campaign that Hillary would play an active role in his White House. Early on, she chose her own staff and established an office of her own in the West Wing, unheard of for a first lady at that time. Bill Clinton appointed Hillary to lead the Task Force on National Health Care. She appeared before congressional committees to present the task force’s findings, to largely favorable press, though Congress would reject the recommendations. Her prominent role in the proceedings may have handed Congress to Republicans in 1994.

During her husband’s re-election campaign in 1996, Hillary stepped back and acted more traditionally. She quickly began her own political career in the Senate. She later served as Barack Obama’s first secretary of state, and ran for president twice. Hillary Clinton remains a divisive but meaningful figure in American politics, almost overshadowing her husband at times.

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Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United States. He served two terms from the years 1981-1989. Prior to becoming president, Reagan worked in Hollywood appearing in 53 films. His Hollywood career was put on hold when he was drafted after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1942. His film skills were put to use during his active duty as he assisted making air force training videos and documentaries. His political views shifted from liberal to conservative after his time in active duty. He started campaigning for the Republican Party’s presidential candidate for the 1976 election.

Reagan’s time in office is defined by his economic policies, commonly known as Reaganomics. The major economic policy objectives were to reduce the growth of government spending, reduce the federal income tax and capital gains tax, reduce government regulations, and tighten the money supply to reduce inflation.

Opposition to Reagan’s policies and values was a constant throughout his presidency, particularly in liberal circles and by left-wing activists. The most lasting opposition to Reagan comes from the music, particularly punk and hardcore music, from the 1980s. Reagan and his policies inspired a myriad of songs, leading up to the “Rock Against Reagan” concerts in 1984.

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Illustration of donkey with green text on a white background.

In 1976, Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale were the Democratic nominees for President and Vice President respectively. Prior to running in the ’76 elections, Carter was the governor of Georgia and Walter represent Minnesota as a United States Senator. During their presidential campaign, they enlisted the help of thousands of volunteers to make phone calls, talk to voters, make campaign flyers, among other tasks. Volunteers could wear these buttons to distinguish who they were and who they were voting for.

Illustration of elephant and bear walking side by side on top of the state of California on a red and white striped background with blue text and 5-pointed stars.

The California Republican Party is based in Burbank, California and is an affiliate of the Republican Party. The bear is a well-known symbol for the state of California and is featured on the state flag. The elephant has been officially adopted as the Republican Party’s symbol.

Illustration of a bratwurst above a photograph of of Al Gore with red and blue text on a white background.  Blue outer border has red ring and white stars.

The term “Brat City” is one of the nicknames for Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Due to its popularity in the area, the city has also been called the “Bratwurst Capital of the World.” There is an annual fundraising festival that includes the Johnsonville World Bratwurst Eating Championship.

Sheboygan attorney and Democratic National Convention delegate, Angela Sutkiewicz, passed out memorabilia as a show of support for candidate Al Gore at the DNC. Sutkiewicz commented that if she knew they were going to be such a big hit, she would have sold them as a fundraiser.

Button is divided into three horizontal stripes, two red and one white.  Blue tinted photographs of Hubert Humphrey and Edmund Muskie inside white stripe.  White text on red stripes.

Hubert Humphrey and Edmund Muskie ran in the 1968 presidential election. Humphrey had previously served as Vice President under Lyndon B. Johnson and was encouraged to run when Johnson announced he would not seek reelection. Humphrey won the official nomination from the Democratic party and ran on a liberal platform that focused on civil rights and nuclear disarmament, although neither issues were popular at the time. They were ultimately defeated by Republicans Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew, who won 301 to 191 in the electoral college. 

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Norman Thomas (1884-1968), was a Presbyterian minister and leader of the Socialist Party, known for his strong oratory skills and pacifist beliefs. From 1928 to 1948, Thomas was the Socialist Party's nominee for President. Thomas also ran for the offices of governor, mayor, and senator of New York prior to his presidential bids.