White text on a blue background with an illustration of a bow tie with stars and stripes

Paul Simon served in the United States Senate from 1984-1996.  In 1988, he sought to become the Democratic nominee for President. Easily recognized for his horned-rimmed glasses and bow tie, Simon was largely unknown outside his home state of Illinois.  He appeared on Saturday Night Live with musician Paul Simon (no relation), in an attempt to spur his campaign forward.  After the Wisconsin primary, where he finished behind Al Gore, Jesse Jackson, and Michael Dukakis, Simon dropped out of the race.  He then endorsed Michael Dukakis, who won the nomination.  An early supporter of Barack Obama, Simon passed away in late 2003.  An ad his daughter made for television was later deemed to be a major factor in Obama’s 2004 Illinois Senate Democratic primary victory.

White button with red and white text. A black and white photo of the Nixon's is in the center. 

Richard Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969-1974. Prior to serving as president, he was a U.S. Representative, a Senator from California, and he was the 36th Vice President of the United States under President Dwight Eisenhower. 

Nixon ran for the U.S. presidency for the first time in 1960 but was narrowly defeated by John F. Kennedy. During the 1960 campaign, his wife, Pat Nixon was featured in campaign advertisements, and she is known for being involved and assisting in her husbands subsequent political campaigns, as well. Nixon was successful in his second presidential run in 1968, defeating Hubert Humphrey. He won a reelection bid in 1972 but resigned two years later in 1974, becoming the only President to resign from office.

White button with blue text and the red and blue elephant of the Republican party.

A pachyderm is a large mammal with thick skin such as an elephant or rhino. The elephant now symbolizes the Republican Party in American politics. The elephant appeared in political cartoons as early as the American Civil War (1861-1865,) as “seeing the elephant” a phrase meaning to be engaged in combat. In 1874, the symbol became widely popular as cartoonist Thomas Nast began depicting political parties and politicians as animals in a Harper’s Weekly cartoon.

white button with black and orange text around an orange circle behind a caricature of Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United States (1981-89). This button comes from the 1984 election where Reagan defeated Walter Mondale and won his second term. Reagan was famous for his supply-side economics, which led him to cut social programs and lower taxes. Critics argued that his economic programs were more favorable to the rich than to poor Americans. He also escalated the Cold War in the hopes of destroying the Soviet Union. Part of his escalation of the Cold War involved aiding anti-communist movements in Central America. During the 1984 election, opponents (like the people who made this button) protested Reagan's economic policies, including the growth of the deficit, his military involvement in Central America, his nuclear policy, and his environmental policies.

Black text on a white background with a red circle with a line across.

This button advocates against four of the Republican political candidates in the state of New York during the 1992 elections. These candidates include incumbent President of the United States George H.W. Bush and his running mate Vice-President Dan Quayle, New York Senator Al D’Amato, and Congressman S. William Green from New York’s 15^th District. The wearer of this button would be happy with most of the results of this election, as all but D’Amato were unsuccessful in their reelection campaigns.

black and white photo of Jimmy Carter's smiling face with white text on a green border

This button was made for the 1976 election to support the campaign of Jimmy Carter, who ran as a Democrat. When he ran for President Carter was unknown outside of Georgia. This button features his signature grin and was meant to introduce him to voters. Carter was a Southern Baptist, peanut farmer, and Governor of Georgia who cultivated an image of a Washington outsider and promised never to lie to the American people. He won the election against President Gerald Ford and was the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. As President he pardoned draft resistors, worked for the Camp David Accords which helped relations between Israel and Egypt, and created a Department of Education and Department of Energy. He was seen as a weak President who struggled to work with Congress, although he got a surprising amount done behind the scenes. He got very little credit for his achievements, including the Camp David Accords.

white button with green text above a black and white photo of Barry Commoner and LaDonna Harris

The Citizens' Party was formed in 1980 as a more liberal alternative to the Democratic Party, led by President Jimmy Carter. Environmental science professor Barry Commoner ran for President that year and his running mate was La Donna Harris, a feminist and Comanche Indian woman married to Democratic Senator Fred Harris. Their slogan was "move over" because in his acceptance speech Commoner said if corporations would not deal with the problems the country was facing "our answer is to them to move over, we'll do it." The Citizens Party was remarkably successful for a third party, but won less than 1% of the vote in any state where they were on the ballot. 

Their platform covered a diverse group of left-wing issues including environmentalism and social justice. They wanted to end the use of nuclear power and encourage the use of renewable energy sources over coal and oil. The party also argued that the minimum wage should be raised and workers should be protected in the work place. They also campaigned for more government regulation of corporations, including price controls on necessities, such as food and healthcare. The party argued that government should ensure access to birth control, abortion, and mental health services for all Americans. They wanted to punish criminals with fines based on their wealth rather than imprisonment, to end the death penalty, and address and change the social causes of crime. Their foreign policy called for world peace, disarmament, and human rights all over the world.

White button with red text.

Lyndon Baines Johnson became the 36th President of the United States on November 22, 1963 after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Johnson was a Democrat from Texas who served as a U.S. Representative and Senator before becoming the Vice President under Kennedy. Johnson successfully ran for reelection in 1964 and was eligible to run for another term in 1968, but he decided not to seek another term. His decision was likely based on his failing health and his low approval ratings, which were largely due to his controversial Vietnam policies and the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

black and white picture of Johnson on a white button with white text on red

This button was made for the 1964 election where Lyndon Baines Johnson won a landslide victory over Barry Goldwater. Johnson was sometimes known as LBJ, and the slogan on this button shares these initials. Johnson was the 36th President of the United States from 1963, when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, until 1969 when he declined to run for reelection. As President, Johnson was sometimes abrasive, but effectively convinced Congress to pass the bills he supported. He was famous for his "Great Society" and "War on Poverty" which helped poor Americans and people of color. He pushed through the Civil Rights Act of 1964, created the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and increased spending on public education. Johnson also escalated the Vietnam War, which increased criticism from liberals, at the same time that riots in major cities increased opposition to his policies from conservatives.

Red and blue button with white lettering. A white stripe divides the red and blue halves with red writing and a photo of LBJ is in the middle on top of a white United States. 

A year after succeeding John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democrat, ran for President during the 1964 U.S. election, defeating Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater and becoming the 37th President of the United States. Under his presidency, Johnson developed the Great Society, a series of governmental programming dedicated to promoting equality, education, rural and urban development, healthcare, and the fight against poverty. The Voting Rights Act and Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 are two notable legislation that Johnson passed during his term.