Blue and red text on a white background

This is a button in support of Jim Thompson, and was produced during one of his campaigns for Governor of Illinois. Thompson, a Republican who was colloquially known as Big Jim Thompson, was the longest serving Governor of Illinois—occupying the office from 1977 to 1991. Prior to serving as Governor, Thompson worked in the Cook County (Illinois) State’s Attorney’s Office and was appointed by then-President Richard Nixon as U.S. Attorney for the Northern district of Illinois. Thompson was a well-known crusader against Chicago’s infamous political corruption and organized crime, and his reputation garnered him a record number of votes in the 1976 gubernatorial election. Throughout his fourteen years in office, he was known for his charismatic personality and his successful handling of the state’s budget.

Blue text with blue stripes above and below on a white background

This button is most likely from Barack Obama’s 2012 U.S. Presidential re-election campaign. In 2011, Obama launched a policy initiative called We Can’t Wait—referenced by the slogan on this button—which was a series of executive orders put forth to “support middle class Americans” during a period of long-standing Congressional gridlock. Some Republicans disapproved of the We Can’t Wait initiative because they viewed it as a threat to the balance of power and Congress’s oversight. 

Democrat Obama, the 44th President of the United States, successfully won re-election in 2012 over his Republican contender Mitt Romney, winning 51.06% of the popular vote to Romney’s 47.21%. Obama’s win marked the first time since 1944 that a president had won two successive contests with both a win in the electoral college and over 51% of the popular vote.

Red text on a white background with a red stripe through the middle with white text on it

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Blue text on a yellow background with an illustration of North Carolina

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Red white and blue striped background with white and blue text

The Democratic nominee for U.S. president in 1928, Al Smith was the Governor of New York and also the first Catholic nominated on a major-party ticket. His running mate in the 1928 election was Senator Joseph Robinson of Arkansas. As an anti-Prohibition candidate, Smith got support from those opposed to the measure, which was enacted in 1920. Yet many also feared that as a Catholic, Smith's policies would be unduly influenced by the Pope. Due to those fears, Smith's association with the corrupt Tammany Hall political machine and the continuing economic prosperity of the 1920s until that point, Smith lost the 1928 election to Republican Herbert Hoover in a landslide, 444 electoral votes to 87. A progressive, Smith served as Governor of New York from 1919-1920 and 1923-1928.

Bluish-purple text on a silver background

This button was for the re-election campaign of U.S. Senator George McGovern in 1974. McGovern won that election, but lost to James Adnor in a third-term bid in 1980. McGovern served as U.S. Senator from South Dakota from 1963 until 1981, having previously served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1957-1961. In 1972, McGovern was the Democratic nominee for U.S. President, but lost the election to Richard Nixon, 520 electoral votes to 17.

McGovern volunteered for the U.S Army Air Corps in World War II, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. As a senator, he was known for his opposition to the Vietnam War, and throughout his career worked on programs related to agriculture, nutrition, and fighting hunger for national and international organizations, including the United Nations.

Red and blue text on a white background

Despite a failed presidential campaign in 1960, Nixon successfully ran again in 1968, becoming the 37th President of the United States. Prior to his presidency, Nixon served as a Republican representative in the House and a Senate. This button was used to promote Nixon among America’s Scandinavian population during his 1972 re-election campaign. Nixon won re-election by a record landslide, beating Democratic opponent George McGovern. 

Although Nixon initially escalated America's involvement in the Vietnam War, he did manage to bring home the majority of US troops by 1973. As the Watergate scandal erupted in mid-1973, Nixon—facing certain impeachment, lack of support from his own party, and criminal charges—had no choice but to resign. On August 9th, 1974, Nixon became the only president in American history to resign from office. Nixon's vice president, Gerald Ford, pardoned Nixon from criminal charges once he assumed the presidency. Nixon died at the age of eighty-four from a severe stroke in 1994. 

Red and blue text on a white background

This button was used by The Committee to Re-Elect the President (CRP), a fundraising organization for President Richard Nixon's 1972 election campaign. Though Nixon would go on to win the 1972 election, his presidency would end with his resignation in August 1974 when he and his administration were found to be involved in the Watergate Scandal. The Watergate Incident refers to the June 17, 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate Office complex in Washington, DC. Members of CRP had attempted to break into the headquarters in a means to steal sensitive information from their political opponents. When the incident came to public knowledge, many in the CRP would later be charged and/or resign from their post within the committee. This includes the organizations treasurer, Hugh Sloan Jr., whose name appears on the back of this campaign pin. 

Black and white photograph of a woman's head and shoulders with white text on a blue background

The button, featuring First Lady Michelle Obama, is from President Barack Obama’s 2012 U.S. Presidential re-election campaign. Michelle Obama, a lawyer, is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. She met her husband, also a lawyer, early in her career at the Chicago-based corporate law firm Sidley Austin. 

Michelle Obama played a large role in both the 2008 and 2012 U.S. presidential election campaigns—giving keynote addresses at both the Democratic National Convention both years—though prior to 2008 she was nearly unknown to most of the American public. Her image in popular culture has grown significantly since then, and by the 2012 election was viewed by many as the most popular member of her husband’s administration. With the help of Michelle, President Obama successfully won re-election in 2012 over his Republican contender Mitt Romney, winning 51.06% of the popular vote to Romney’s 47.21%.

Black text on a flourescent pink background

Teeny boppers are young teenagers, mostly girls, who are often trendy and listen to pop music. This button most likely refers to the support that Bill Clinton and Al Gore (and their wives Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore) received from young people during the 1992 presidential election when Clinton defeated the incumbent George H. W. Bush.