White and blue text on a red and blue background

George Wallace ran for President in 1968 under the banner of the American Independent Party. His campaign attempted to utilize a unique strategy, given that third party candidates in national elections don't usually gain much support, by focusing his attention on southern states to earn their electoral votes. The goal was to earn enough votes to force Congress to vote for the winner of the Presidential election. His opponents were Richard Nixon (Republican) and Hubert H. Humphrey (Democrat).

The image of an elephant is made up of white and red text on a red background. 

Bob Dole was a United States Representative from Kansas from 1961 to 1969, moving into the Senate in 1969. Dole served as the Senate Republican leader from 1985 until his resignation in 1996. After unsuccessfully running for Vice-President alongside Gerald Ford in 1976, and two failed bids for the Republican nomination for President in 1980 and 1988, Dole finally became the Republican Party's candidate for President in 1996, but was defeated by Democrat Bill Clinton in the general election. 

Dole is the only person to have been a party's nominee for both President and Vice President, but was never elected to either office, in the history of the two major U.S. political parties. On the other hand, his former running mate Gerald R. Ford served both as Vice President and as President without being elected to either office.

Pink triangle on a blue (top) and red (bottom) background with centered white text

In 1996, Bill Clinton and Al Gore ran on the Democratic national ticket for President and Vice President against Republican candidates Bob Dole and Jack Kemp, and Reform candidates Ross Perot and Pat Choate.  Clinton and Gore supported legislation for employment nondiscrimination and the removal of limited security clearances for gay civilians.  The pink triangle on the button is a symbol of gay pride.  After winning the election, the Clinton-Gore administration fought for hate crimes legislation and opposed anti-gay ballot initiatives.

The image of a donkey made up of white and red letters on a blue button. 

In 1996, Bill Clinton and Al Gore ran on the Democratic national ticket for President and Vice President against Republican candidates Bob Dole and Jack Kemp, and Reform candidates Ross Perot and Pat Choate.  The donkey has been the symbol of the Democratic party since 1828, when Andrew Jackson ran for President.  Called a jackass by his competition, Jackson put the animal’s image on his campaign posters.  The symbol was later made famous when Thomas Nast, a cartoonist, used the donkey in political illustrations for newspapers.

Black and white photograph of two men with blue and red text on a white background

This button was most likely commissioned to be used during Carter’s 1976 Presidential campaign. His previous political experience included being a member of his local board of education, a Georgia State Senator and later as Governor of Georgia. Carter first appeared on the cover of Time Magazine on the May 31, 1971 issue as a new, progressive governor. James Earl Carter Jr. served as the 39^th President of the United States from 1977-1981. African Americans supported Carter’s liberal ideals and were optimistic that Carter’s upbringing in a largely African American community would be to their advantage.

Black text on a yellow background

The button refers to Barry Goldwater's last name in terms of chemical elements; Au being gold, and H2O being water.  C5H4N4O3 is the chemical formula for uric acid, a common component found in human urine.

Barry Goldwater (1909 - 1998) was an American politician and businessman who was a five-term senator for Arizona.  He was also the Republican Party nominee for the 1964 presidential election against incumbent President Lyndon Johnson.  Goldwater's conservative campaign platform ultimately failed to gain the needed support and he lost the election.

A color photograph of George W. and Laura Bush is in the center of the button, which is framed by red, white and blue with white stars and a metalic pink rim.  Yellow text outlined in blue and white outlined in red text are in the center. 

Republican Governor George W. Bush, son of 41st President George H.W. Bush, ran for President of the United States in the 2000 election. He ran against Democrat, and former Vice President to Bill Clinton, Al Gore. The race was very close, but Bush won 271 electoral college votes, compared to Al Gore's 266, making him the 43rd President.

Laura, George's wife, is the 43rd First Lady. Her focus while in the White House was on education (especially literacy) and health.

Red and blue text on a white background with an illustration of part of a flag

This button was used to bolster Asian American support for the 1992 presidential campaign of Bush/Quayle. Time Magazine reported that nearly 60% of Asian Americans voted for Bush/Quayle in the 1992 election. Asian Americans traditionally voted conservatively. The campaign of 1992 was the first time that an Asian American was hired as a full-time, salaried staff member at a presidential headquarters. Dr. Lee was the national coordinator for the Asian and Pacific American Coalition (APAC) for Bush/Quayle 1992. Dr. Lee reached out to numerous Asian groups to organize them at both the state and national levels. Asian Americans were kept abreast of the campaign through articles published in Asian newspapers throughout the country.

Stylized purple text on top of an image of a man wearing purple clothes riding a motorcycle in an alleyway of a city.

Purple Rain is a 1984 film starring Prince in his first acting role. The film grossed major profits, and the studio album of the same name sold over 22 million copies worldwide, making it one of the most successful soundtrack albums. The album, featuring Prince’s backing band, The Revolution, is still considered a critically acclaimed album. Two singles, “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy”, both topped the US singles charts, while the title track went high as well. The film also has the unique honor of being the last winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Musical. The category still technically exists, but is unable to be awarded.

White text on a black rectangle separated from white text on a red rectangle by a row of gold stars on a white background

Australian rock band INXS formed in 1977. They started out playing covers in pubs, then released their self-titled debut album in 1980 and began achieving international recognition. In 1987, they released their sixth studio album, Kick. The album was certified platinum six times. After the death of lead singer Michael Hutchence in 1997, the band took a year off from public performances. They then toured and recorded with guest artists. In 2002, a remastered 25th anniversary edition of Kick was released. It included a DVD, three CDs, stickers, a hardback book, and other bonus materials. On November 11, 2012, INXS announced their performance at Perth Arena would be their last.