Hoosiers for Carter

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Text on Button HOOSIERS FOR CARTER
Image Description

black and white picture of Carter's head above a green bar with green vertical text next to the image on a white button

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This button supports Jimmy Carter's presidential election campaign. "Hoosier" is a name for a resident of Indiana, which comes from the mid-19th century. 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.

Catalog ID PO0484

He's Good Enough for Me in '68

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Text on Button HE'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME IN '68 NIXON
Image Description

Illustration of "Uncle Sam" next to a black and photograph of Richard Nixon on a white background with an outer blue edge and red text

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"He's good enough for me in '68" refers to President Nixon's run for President against Democrat Hubert Humphrey and Independent George Wallace in the election of 1968. 

Nixon ran with Spiro Agnew as his Vice President. Nixon had already become famous due to serving as Vice President under Dwight D. Eisenhower and was preparing to run for President since losing the 1960 Presidential election to John F. Kennedy. Nixon ran as the leader of the "silent majority" and promised to help minorities start small businesses. He won by 43% against Humphrey's 42% and became the 37th President of the United States. 

Catalog ID PO0557

Gun Owners for Bob Dole

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Text on Button GUN OWNERS FOR BOB DOLE '96
Image Description

White text on red upper border and blue lower border, illustrated American flag and GOP elephant logo, black-and-white photograph of Bob Dole on white background in center. 

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After serving in the United States Army in World War II, Robert "Bob" Dole began his political career when he was elected to the Kansas state House of Representatives in 1950. Dole later represented Kansas in the United States House of Representatives from 1961 to 1969, and in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. Dole was the running mate on incumbent President Gerald Ford's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1976, and after losing the nomination in 1980 and 1988, Dole became the Republican Party's candidate in the 1996 presidential election. During his campaign, Dole attempted to straddle the divide on gun control issues, between Americans who supported the Brady Law (which required background checks on gun sales and a waiting period) and those who wanted the ban on assault weapons repealed and instant check system. Dole was defeated in the 1996 election by incumbent Bill Clinton. 

Dole is the only person in the history of the two major U.S. political parties to have been a party's nominee for both President and Vice President, but who was never elected to either office

Catalog ID PO0531

GOParty 1964

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Text on Button BARRY BILL GOParty 1964
Image Description

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

Curl Text A. G. TRIMPLE CO. PITTSBURGH, PA 15222
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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.

Catalog ID PO0558

Get America Moving Again

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Text on Button GET AMERICA MOVING AGAIN CARTER ~ MONDALE in '76
Image Description

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. 

Curl Text N.G. Slater Corp., N.Y.C. 11 (union bug)
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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.

Walter Mondale was chosen as Carter's running mate because he was a more established political figure and he and Carter got along well. During the Campaign he focused on economic issues and won the first Vice Presidential Debate in American history. As Vice President he was an adviser to Carter and established the practice of a weekly lunch between the President and Vice President. In group meetings Mondale deferred to Carter, but in private he voiced his own opinion and was involved in every decision, including the Camp David Accords. He also tried to smooth over Carter's problems working with Congress.
Catalog ID PO0474

Four More Years

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Text on Button FOUR MORE YEARS RE-ELECT the PRESIDENT
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White text on a red and blue outer edge and a black and white photograph on a white background

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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. 

Catalog ID PO0566

Farmers and Ranchers for Dole

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Text on Button FARMERS and RANCHERS for DOLE
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Yellow text on a blue background

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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. 

Catalog ID PO0564

Democrats Are We

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Text on Button DEMOCRATS ARE WE FOR JOHNSON & HUMPHREY
Image Description

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

Curl Text GREEN DUCK CO. CHICAGO
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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.

Catalog ID PO0559

Come Home America

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Text on Button COME HOME AMERICA McGovern - Shriver
Image Description

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

Curl Text N.G. SLATER CORP. N.Y.C. 11 (union bug)
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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.

Catalog ID PO0486

Carter President

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Text on Button Carter President
Image Description

Green button with white text. 

Curl Text Political Advertisement (illegible) Mike Dodge Treasurer 3608 Euclid Dallas, Texas 75205 (union bug)
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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.

Sources

Campaign Buttons etc. (2013). Jimmy Carter campaign button colors. Retrieved from http://www.campaignbuttons-etc.com/blog/20-jimmy-carter-campaign-button…​.

Catalog ID PO0473