White text over blue background. 

This button is most likely from the 1984 US Senate race in Illinois. The bowtie in the button was a trademark of candidate Paul Simon. Simon was elected, and served as a US Senator for Illinois until 1997. He was born in Eugene, Oregon but moved to Illinois in 1948. Simon served in the US Army during the Korean War from 1950-1953, and entered politics in 1955. He was in the Illinois State Congress until 1968 and became Illinois's Lieutenant Governor in 1969. He moved to federal politics in 1975 and served as an US Representative until 1985, when he took his seat in the Senate.

After Simon left office in 1997, he served as the director of The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale until his death in 2003.

Black text with photograph of Pat Nixon's headshot on pink background.

Vice President Richard Nixon's 1960 race for the presidency drew upon his wife Pat Nixon's public recognition. An entire ad campaign was built around the slogan of "Pat For First Lady," and the message—carried on buttons, bumper stickers and antenna—was marketed to housewives, a group that was courted by the Republican Party during the 1950's. The press even attempted to create a "race" for First Lady between Pat Nixon and Jacqueline Kennedy, who was the Democratic candidate and eventual winner, John F. Kenndy's, wife. 

Black and white photograph of Oliver North between blue and red text over American flag background. 

Oliver Laurence "Ollie" North (1943-) is a former lieutenant colonel of the United States Marine Corps. Currently he is a political commentator, military historian, television host, and best-selling author. At the time of this button's manufacture, 1987, North's reputation was severely under fire for his involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal. The incident involved the use of proceeds of a sale of arms to Iran to fund the initiatives of counter-revolutionaries against the Sandinistas in Central America. North was dismissed from the U.S. military by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 and convicted of 3 felony counts in 1989 but had his convictions vacated in 1990. He began his career as a television and print personality in 1991.

Orange text over blue background. 

Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich (born 1943) was Georgia's Sixth Congressional District Representative from 1979 to 1999. The dislike for Gingrich began when he became the Speaker of the House and was projected into the national political media. In 1994, he and Richard Armey authored the "Contract with America," which helped usher in the Republican Revolution. The contract dealt with conservative causes such as reducing the federal deficit and budget, welfare "reform," and job "creation." Interestingly, it did not include any conservative "moral" issues such as fidelity to one's spouse or ethical behavior. The omission was good for Gingrich, as he was encouraged by Republican leadership to step down as Speaker under ethics violations in January of 1999. In 2000, Gingrich divorced his second wife when she refused to enter into an open marriage with him. Within a few months, he legitimated his then seven-year relationship with a House staff member twenty-three years his younger by marrying her.

Black and white print of Napoleon-ified Nixon above red text over white background. 

This button compares the political defeats of former US President Richard Nixon to those of France's Napoleon Bonaparte. Richard M. Nixon's (1913-1994) second term was a difficult one. During his reelection campaign in 1972, the Nixon Administration was involved in the break-in at the Democratic National Committee's Washington, D. C. headquarters. By 1973, Nixon's staff had been brought to testify before Congress. During the testimonies, it was discovered that Nixon used tape recorders in the Oval Office. Nixon resigned his presidency in 1974, amidst impeachment proceeding in the House of Representatives.

In June 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) lost a military battle to Arthur Wellesley (1769-1852), the First Duke of Wellington, in Belgium at a place named Waterloo. It was a surprising victory. Napoleon seized power of France in 1799, claimed himself emperor in 1804, was exiled in 1812, and escaped only to return to again rule France for a short time before the battle of Waterloo. The defeat so shocked the French, that Napoleon abdicated within days and handed political power to his son.

Red outlined, peace sign wielding, streaking Nixon between blue text over white background. 

The years between 1972 and 1974 were difficult for US President Richard M. Nixon (1913-1994). In 1972, the Nixon Administration was involved in the break-in and bugging of the Democratic National Committee's Washington, D. C. headquarters. By 1973, Nixon's staff had been brought to testify about his involvement before Congress. During the testimonies, it was discovered that Nixon had tape recorders in the Oval Office. Nixon resigned his presidency in 1974, amidst impeachment proceeding in the House of Representatives.  

The years between 1972 and 1974, however, were good for streaking, the process of running naked in public. Streaking became a part of American popular culture in the aftermath of the free love youth movements in the 1960s. This button shows Nixon partaking in the fad, his hands in the V-sign.

The V-sign meant peace to the free love youth movements of the 1960s, but it also symbolized victory (among other things).  General Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) famously used the sign in 1945 to symbolize end of WWII.  Nixon, Eisenhower's Vice President for eight years, used it during his famous Vietnam War victory claim. 

Read more about the History of Streaking Buttons on the Busy Beaver blog.

Map of the U.S. in the shape of an elephant under black text over yellow background. 

The button is from the 1968 US Presidential campaign. The Republican Party ran Richard M. Nixon (1913-1994) and Spiro T. Agnew (1918-1996) against the Democrats, Hubert H. Humphrey, Jr. (1911-1978) and Edmund S. Muskie (1914-1996). The 1968 campaign was about international affairs—Nixon had a history of taking a hardline against communism and had a clear advantage with the general public. The Nixon-Agnew ticket soundly beat Humphrey-Muskie by a margin of 110 Electoral College votes.

During his first term, Nixon worked to deescalate the Vietnam War; became the first US President in office to visit China; attempted to stop the spread of communism in Latin America; advanced nuclear peace talks with the USSR; and began aiding US allies in the Middle East without direct military operations.

White text over blue background. Union bug. 

Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich, born in 1943, became the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1995. His popularity plummeted after orchestrating the 1995 Government Shut-downs. Support for him further dwindled in 1996, when his welfare reforms were vetoed by President Clinton.

Black text over white background. 

This button likely refers to Geraldine Ferraro who was Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale's running mate in the 1984 election against incumbent Ronald Reagan. Though not a presidential candidate in her own right, Ms. Ferraro was the first female vice-presidential candidate representing a major American political party. The Democratic duo lost to Reagan by a landslide.

Black and white portrait of George McGovern sandwiched between red and white stripes between white text over blue background. 

George McGovern was the Democratic nominee for President in 1972, losing to incumbent Richard Nixon in a landslide. Before running for president, McGovern represented South Dakota in the House of Representatives from 1957 to 1961 and served in the Senate from 1962 to 1968. McGovern vocally opposed the Vietnam war and his campaign primarily ran on the promotion of peace. McGovern, a self-described liberal, saw the human costs of war firsthand as a bomber pilot in World War II and continued to actively oppose foreign conflicts after his retirement from politics.