Two ovals with color photographs of two men and white text with red text at the top and bottom of the button on and iage of the Capital building

This button is from the "Prosperity and Progress" tour for the 2000 presidential campaign of Al Gore and running mate Joe Lieberman. Gore and Lieberman, who were the Democratic Party's candidates, were running against Republican George Bush and Dick Cheney. The two week tour passed through states with no clear allegiance to either party in the East Coast and Midwest in an attempt to surpass Bush in the polls by discussing contentious issues like Medicare, social security, and debt.

The election is now remembered as one of the most controversial in American history. The Florida elections required multiple recounts, bringing about a series of lawsuits ending in a decision by the Supreme Court that Bush had won the state. Though Gore won the majority of the popular vote, Bush became President by winning the majority of the electoral vote, only the fourth time that it had happened in presidential history.

Seelye, Katharine Q. (2000, June 9). The 2000 Campaign: The Vice President; Gore Plans Tour on Prosperity Issues. The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/09/us/the-2000-campaign-the-vice-president-gore-plans-tour-on-prosperity-issues.html

Two blue ovals with photographs of men and white text on top of an illustration of an American flag 

Robert Dole, better known as Bob Dole, ran for the against incumbent Bill Clinton in the 1996 United States Presidential election. Dole, the oldest first-time nominee for US president at 73 years old, was a Republican Senator from Kansas. In the early days of the election, before running mates had been announced, there were rumors that Jim Edgar, the Governor of Illinois at the time, might become Dole's running mate. Dole and Edgar were considered a good match because of their complementary stances on political issues, and newspapers emphasized that if Dole were to fall ill or die while in office, Edgar would be healthy enough to step in. This button was made preemptively, since the Republican party nominated Jack Kemp as the vice-presidential candidate and Edgar never officially campaigned alongside Dole.

Hardy, Thomas and Rick Pearson. (1996, July 23). Edgar Definitely On List As Dole's Running Mate. The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-07-23/news/9607230125_1_dole-campaign-bob-dole-jim-edgar

White text on a blue background with an illustration of a flag at top and a red outer edge

John Kerry and John Edwards were the Democratic nominees for President and Vice President, respectively, in the 2004 United States Presidential election. They ran against Republican incumbent President George W. Bush and his Vice President, Dick Cheney. Both Kerry and Edwards were serving in the United States Senate at the time of the election, John Kerry for Massachusetts and John Edwards for North Carolina. Kerry and Edwards had previously competed against each other in the Democratic Presidential Primaries in 2004.

White and red text on a blue background 

Al Gore and Joe Lieberman were the Democratic President and Vice President nominees, respectively, for the 2000 United States Presidential election. Al Gore had previously served as Vice President under Clinton's administration, and Joe Lieberman had served as a United States Senator from Connecticut. Gore and Lieberman were defeated by the Republican nominees, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. The election was fraught with controversy, and led to the Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore. The case ruled against recounting ballots in the state of Florida due to its violation of the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, and the ruling resulted in Bush's victory—despite the fact that Gore had won the popular vote.

White text and a red heart on a black background

Lenovo is a computer technology company headquartered in both China and North Carolina.  Lenovo was found in 1984 in Beijing, China and purchased IBM's personal computer division in 2005 as well as their intel based server business in 2014.  In 2014, Lenovo became the largest seller of Smart Phones in China as well as the largest unit sale vendor for personal computers.  In 2014, Lenovo also acquired Motorola from Google.

This is a variation of the I heart NY logo that was created in 1977 by Milton Glaser for an ad campaign created by advertising agency Wells Rich Greene. The marketing campaign was sought by then-Deputy Commissioner William S. Doyle to increase tourism in the state of New York. The campaign was a wild success. The original sketch of the logo is permanently on display at the MOMA.

The logo has become iconic in pop-culture and has been imitated in many forms around the world.

Illustration of a character in a red hat and shirt with a tannish skin color and very large bumpy forhead

The Brow is a character in the Dick Tracy comic book series. As the head of a Nazi spy ring, The Brow first appeared as an antagonist to the titular detective in a 1944 story arc. Known for his distinctive ridged forehead and lack of ears, The Brow was also featured in the 1990 film adaptation of Dick Tracy. The character was portrayed by actor Chuck Hicks.

Blue text on a white background on the top of the button and an illustration of a scroll with blue text on it on a red background on the bottom of the button

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Illustration of a white tooth with arms and legs and a smiling face on a redish orange background.

This button features Murphy the Molar, a mascot created in the 1970s. Murphy was created by Dr. Samuel M. Green, DDS, director of dentistry in the Ontario Ministry of Health, to teach children how to properly brush and floss their teeth. Murphy the Molar was featured in videos, commercials, and buttons in part of a campaign for improved oral hygiene throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Dr. Green also created the Tooth Fairy Society of Canada in which children would mail out their baby teeth to the Tooth Fairy, and created the Smileathon, both of which were designed to encourage children to learn about dental health. Murphy the Molar was taken out of circulation in the 1980s, while Dr. Green retired from dentistry in 2000, but continues to be involved in public health movements.

(2005). From “Smileathons” to Rodeo: “Murphy the Molar” creator finds new creativity in retirement. Financial News & Views, 21. Retrieved from: http://www.algbrown.com/Newsletter21.pdf.

White button with a smirking smiley face and text on the left outer edge

Smirk and Dagger is a board game company that produces a variety of games centered around the fun of revenge and subterfuge between players. Some of the company’s most popular titles include Student Bodies, a zombie survival game set in a high school and Run for Your Life, Candyman!, a dark parody of the classic board game Candyland. Smirk and Dagger was launched on October 31, 2003 and was founded by Curt Covert, an art director and marketing professional with a long-time passion for board games and gaming culture. 

Blue and red text on a white background with a yellow outer edge and yellow stars on the white and a red smile under the red text

Ho Hos are a variety of chocolate frosted snack cakes made by Hostess, the same company that also produces Twinkies, Ding Dongs, and Sno Balls. The first Ho Ho was made by hand in a San Francisco bakery in 1967, and mass production quickly followed. Early advertising campaigns for Ho Hos featured the mascot "Happy Ho Ho,” a cartoon rendering of a Ho Ho dressed like Robin Hood. The snack also had its own jingle, which described Ho Hos  as "The chocolaty snack that gives you go! It's candy and cake, all in one. It's two great treats, and so much fun!"