Black and white photographs of two men's heads on a white background with blue and red text

In 1964, Republican Barry Goldwater ran for president against incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson. Goldwater's main goal for America was to shift the power and control coming from Washington D.C. into the hands of the citizens. He also wanted to crack down on communism. Due to his conservative views, which were mostly in line with his party, his opponents made him look like an extremist.

William E. Miller was Goldwater's pick for Vice President. Miller was a former district attorney from New York who served in the House of Representatives from 1951-1965. He was also the chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1961-1964.

Goldwater and Miller lost to Johnson, only winning six states and 38% of the popular vote.

White button with white text on the top with a red background and white text on the bottom with a blue background. The center features a black and white photograph of Carter and Mondale. 

This button was made for the 1976 election to support the campaign of Jimmy Carter, who ran as a Democrat. 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 text on a red and blue outer edge and a black and white photograph on a white background

This button may have been produced for the Committee to Re-Elect the President, a fundraising organization for President Richard Nixon's administration . The acronym for the organization is CRP, but was mocked with the use of CREEP. CRP was known for its involvement with the Watergate scandal in addition to its fundraising activities. 

Richard Nixon was the Vice-President under President Dwight Eisenhower from 1953 to 1961. He was elected as President in 1968. In 1972, the Democratic Party nominated South Dakota Senator George McGovern as their candidate to run against the incumbent Nixon. This was the first election in which the 26th Constitutional Amendment was in effect, allowing citizens to vote at the age of 18. McGovern ran on an anti-war platform, but Nixon was re-elected in a landslide. The break-in at the Watergate Hotel happened during July of the election year, but the resulting investigation did not lead Nixon to resign until 1974. 

Yellow text on a blue background

Robert Dole had the unwavering support of Farmers and Ranchers at the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego. Dole was a longtime supporter of agriculture, and the ranking Republican on the Agriculture Committee from 1975-1978. Dole represented Kansas in the House of Representatives and then the Senate from 1961-1996. Dole secured the Republican nomination and in an October 24, 1996 Press Release, Dole and his running mate, Jack Kemp issued a 14-point pledge outlining their commitment to America's farmers, ranchers and rural voters. Dole/Kemp lost the Presidential election to incumbent Bill Clinton.

The American Farm Bureau Federation was organized in 1919 to protect the rights of farmers and ranchers, and has continually lobbied for government measures to create legislature to promote and secure the success of America’s agriculture workers. 

Blue and white photographs of two men's heads on a red, white and blue background with white text

Lyndon B. Johnson was the 37th President of the United States and Hubert Humphrey was his Vice President. In 1964, Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson ran for president against Republican Barry Goldwater. Johnson was already the incumbent president following the assassination of John F. Kennedy and ended up winning both the electoral college vote and popular vote in landslide. His popular vote percentage was. 61% - the highest since James Monroe's 1820 re-election. 

Johnson's presidency is mainly known for the "War on Poverty," civil rights movement and increased involvement in the Vietnam War, for which he garnered much criticism.

Black and white photos of McGovern and Shriver on a white button with white text on red and blue around the outside

This button was made for the 1972 election. The words "Come Home America" reference McGovern's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. In this speech he called for America to "come home" to its earlier promise by ending prejudice and inequality and reducing defense spending. This acceptance speech was delayed until 3 a.m. by the Vice Presidential nominating process, which drastically reduced viewership. George McGovern was an early opponent of the Vietnam War and campaigned for an end to U.S. involvement in Vietnam in exchange for the release of American prisoners of war. After McGovern's first Vice Presidential candidate, Thomas Eagleton, was forced to resign when his history of psychiatric problems was revealed, McGovern selected Sargent Shriver, the U.S. ambassador to France, founder of the Peace Corp and Head Start, and a brother in law of John F. Kennedy. Nixon beat McGovern by a very large margin after southern Democrats and labor unions refused to endorse him.

Green button with white text. 

Jimmy Carter was the 39th President of the United States, and he served one term from 1977-1981. Carter was a Democrat who was born and raised in rural Georgia. He was a peanut farmer who served two terms as Georgia State Senator before serving as the Governor of Georgia from 1971-1975. At the end of his term as Governor, he declared his candidacy for President of the United States. Carter selected Walter Mondale, a U.S. Senator from Minnesota, as his running mate, and in the 1976 election, he defeated incumbent president Gerald Ford. Carter ran for reelection in 1980 but was defeated by Ronald Reagan.

Jimmy Carter campaign buttons are known for their distinctive green and white coloring. While red, white, and blue are traditionally seen on election campaign materials, green was used by Carter to draw attention to his background as a farmer.

Green button with white text. 

Jimmy Carter was the 39th President of the United States, and he served one term from 1977-1981. Carter was a Democrat who was born and raised in rural Georgia. He was a peanut farmer who served two terms as Georgia State Senator before serving as the Governor of Georgia from 1971-1975. At the end of his term as Governor, he declared his candidacy for President of the United States. Carter selected Walter Mondale, a U.S. Senator from Minnesota, as his running mate, and in the 1976 election, he defeated incumbent president Gerald Ford.

Jimmy Carter campaign buttons are known for their distinctive green and white coloring. While red, white, and blue are traditionally seen on election campaign materials, green was used by Carter to draw attention to his background as a farmer.

Red and blue text on a white background

The 1976 House of Representatives elections coincided with Democrat Jimmy Carter's election as United States President. Carter's victory over incumbent President Gerald Ford was by a narrow margin, and the Democratic Party only gained one seat in the House. Merlin Karlock, a real estate developer and entrepreneur, ran for the position of representative for Illinois District 17 as a Democrat, against incumbent Republican George O'Brien. Karlock's campaign theme was "Common Sense around the Clock" and he refused to accept any donation over $10. Karlock lost to O'Brien on Election Day, but still received over 80,000 votes. While he did not run for public office again, Karlock continued to advocate for education and local development in Illinois. 

White button with the illustration of red lips and red text on them.

When George H. W. Bush accepted the Republican presidential nomination in August 1988, he infamously stated, “Read my lips, no new taxes.” Though this phrase was believed to have helped Bush secure the presidency that year, it later backfired when he compromised with the Democratic-controlled Congress and increased existing taxes in 1990. The pledge was subsequently viewed as a broken promise, and the electorate began to question Bush’s trustworthiness. Making a nod to the notorious quote, the lips image reflects President Bush’s declining popularity in the aftermath of the tax hike. President Bush went on to run for reelection in 1992, but was defeated by Democratic nominee Bill Clinton.