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An American historian and author, George McGovern was elected to the Senate in 1962 after a previous failed bid in 1960. As one of the first politicians to speak out publicly against America's growing involvement in Vietnam, McGovern would become most known in the Senate for his outspoken opposition to the Vietnam War. McGovern's platform during his 1972 presidential campaign included a comprehensive plan to end the war in Vietnam, a substantial cut in federal defense spending, and a "demogrant" program—which sought to replace inflated welfare bureaucracies with a pledge to give every American citizen $1,000. McGovern's "demogrant" program was dropped from his platform in August of that year after it was severely criticized as a "liberal giveaway." Although McGovern captured the votes of activists and reform liberals, his opponent, Republican incumbent Richard Nixon, managed to defeat McGovern in one of the biggest landslides in American history.

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Teresa Schooley ran for and was elected as a member of the Delaware House of Representatives in 2004. She represented District 23 and was reelected in 2008. She chose not to run for a third term in 2012.

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The American Lung Association is a public health organization located in Chicago that was created in 1904 originally to fight the tuberculosis outbreak. It is funded by individual donors, corporations, foundations and various government agency grants. The mission of this organization is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. A modified version of the Cross of Lorraine serves as the Lung Association's logo, which consists of a two-barred cross that has a vertical line crossed by two shorter horizontal bars.

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Russell W. Peterson served as the Governor of Delaware from 1969-1972, defeating incumbent Governor Charles L. Terry, Jr. in the 1968 gubernatorial election. Peterson was a notable environmentalist and the first person to appoint a person of color to the Board of Trustees at the University of Delaware. He also insisted on the hiring of Black Americans in the Delaware State Police department.

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Eugene McCarthy was an American politician from the state of Minnesota who unsuccessfully ran for president five times. As a 1968 Democratic presidential hopeful his nomination led President Lyndon B. Johnson to drop out for reelection. McCarthy ran again for president in the 1972 democratic primaries with a lackluster campaign. In 1976, he ran as an Independent in the United States presidential election before losing. His following two presidency attempts in 1988 and 1992 also ended in failure. McCarthy did successfully serve in the United States House of Representatives from 1949-1959 and the United States Senate from 1959-1971.

Click on https://buttonmuseum.org/buttons/mccarthy to see an additional variation of this button also held by the Button Museum.

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Jim Buckley was a Republican Senator from New York and served from 1971-1977. Buckley played a role in the passage of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which protects and governs the privacy and use of student records. He was also involved with the legislation of the Protection of Pupils’ Rights Act, which requires parent notification and consent when administering student surveys to minors.

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Gifts and novelties have been the specialty of Swib Co. since 1989. The company produced many buttons with a variety of colors and slogans for souvenirs and marketing purposes.

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A lenticular image that switches between a black and white photograph of Richard Nixon's head surrounded by gray text on a white background and a black and white photograph of Henry Cabot Lodge's head surrounded by white text on a gray background.

Richard Nixon and Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. ran as the Republican presidential ticket for the 1960 presidential election against John F. Kennedy. This was Nixon’s first run to become President after serving as Vice President under Dwight D. Eisenhower. As Nixon was a seasoned politician, the slogan seen here "Experience Matters" is likely a reference to Kennedy's relative youth and lack of experience.

The 1960 election was the first year the presidential debates were televised. For the first time, a candidate’s appearance was critically judged along with their policy. Those listening to the debates on the radio thought Nixon won because he was a great orator; however, those watching the television thought Kennedy won as Nixon looked sickly and pale compared to Kennedy’s youthful, photogenic appearance. 

Nixon and Lodge lost the election in a very close race. Kennedy won the Electoral College by a vote of 303-219 and won the popular vote by a slim 0.17% of (112,827 actual votes).