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.”

Blue-tined photographs of Hubert Humphrey and Edmund Muskie with red text on a white background.

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. 

Illustration of raised fist inside a circle on a white background.  Black text above and below on outer edge of button.

“Right on,” is a shortened form of, “Right on time,” a phrase used to signify that something is correct or right. Many believe the phrase began as an African American phrase that was first coined in 1925 and recorded in Odum and Johnson’s The Negro and his Songs. The raised, clinched fist has been used to illustrate the plight of marginalized classes unifying against an oppressive power. The Black Panther Party [BPP] adopted and popularized this symbol in 1966. For them, it promoted black liberation and the plight of police brutality against the black community. It gained global recognition during the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games when American sprinters, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, donned black leather gloves and raised their fists while the national anthem played at the awards ceremony in what many consider one of the most overtly political statements in Olympic history. Smith later stated in his autobiography, Silent Gesture, that the salute was not necessarily a “Black Power” salute but one for “Human rights.” The BPP propagated its message through many different literary, political, and artistic means including pins, t-shirts, posters, slogans, symbols (i.e. the clenched fist), mass demonstrations, protests, leaflets, and a newspaper, The Black Panther.

Illustration of a rainbow with red, yellow and blue stripes and red text on a white background.

 The Rainbow Coalition was founded by Fred Hampton, a former member of the Black Panther party, in Chicago, Illinois. The foundation operated throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s to advocate for civil and human rights, especially for social, ethnic, and other minorities. Although bearing similar names and missions, it should not be confused with the National Rainbow Coalition, founded by Reverand Jesse Jackson.