A black and white image of a close-up of an eagle crying facing sightly to the left. The word "VOTE" is in all capital white letters with the "O" in Vote as a symbol of the American flag. The entire background of the button is black.

The image on this button was designed by McQ Inc. of Indianapolis, Indiana. The company was founded by Robert McQuade who was an advertising agent who wanted to encourage a large voter turnout.  The company created many items with vote logos on them like this button and interestingly, a record by The Fourth Room titled Vote that uses the same image. "You Better Do Right" is the B-side instrumental song  written by the American jingle writer Ed Labunski and Jerry Friedman. The record was released on McQ Records in Indianapolis Indiana in 1971.

The image of the eagle with a tear represents the pain the country felt over the Vietnam War and to appeal to older patriotic Americans. While the image on the other button in the Button Museum’s collection of a butterfly represents peace and freedom and was meant to appeal to “free spirited youth”.

Olsen, J. (2006). Non-Partisan Get-Out-The-Vote Items. The Keynoter, 2006(3), 18-31.

White text on a blue background

Calvin Coolidge was the 30th president of the United States and served from 1923 to 1929. He became president on August 3, 1923, when 29th President Warren G. Harding died of a heart attack. Coolidge served only one full term. It is often stated that President Coolidge was known more for what he did not do for the country, than what he did. During his presidency, the nation was in the midst of the roaring twenties and the economy was booming; it was shortly after Coolidge retired that the Great Depression struck.

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This button attempted to raise awareness for Gerald Ford's WIN (Whip Inflation Now) campaign. In the last years of the Nixon presidency, and continuing on into the Ford administration, America's economy suffered three inflationary 'shocks'—rising food prices, rising energy prices, and the end of the Nixon wage-price controls program. Consequently, the US underwent double digit inflation between 1974 and 1976. 

The WIN campaign began in 1974, when Ford addressed to the National Commission on Inflation, urging both public and private action to curb supply and demand. In a speech to Congress on October 8th, 1974, Ford declared inflation "public enemy number one," and proceeded to argue for a series of proposals that would curb supply and demand, effectually bringing inflation under control. 

Unfortunately for Ford, the general public did not embrace the "WIN" campaign. Many skeptics wore the pin upside down, explaining that "NIM" stood for "No Immediate Miracles," or "Nonstop Inflation Merry-go-round," or "Need Immediate Money." 

Black and white photograph of Stevenson above white text printed on a black background.

Adlai Stevenson II was the 31st Governor of Illinois. He twice received the Democratic nomination for President of the United States—1952 and 1956—however he was defeated by President Dwight Eisenhower in both elections.  

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Blue text on grey background.

The White House is where the President of the United States of America lives and works. Public tours of the White House, which is located in Washington, D.C., are offered almost every day of the week and can be requested through members of Congress. This button is presumably a souvenir from one such tour.  

Black lettering with white drop shadows on an orange background.

Senator Robert Alphonso Taft, son of President William Howard Taft, was a three term Republican US Senator from Cincinnati, Ohio.  He was known for being financially conservative, but opposed prohibition, the Ku Klux Klan and World War II, which cost him political support. He sought the presidential office three times, but lost his final GOP presidential nomination to President Eisenhower in 1952. Taft became majority leader in the Senate in 1953 but, soon after, died from cancer.

The museum has two versions of this button, the 4 inch litho described above and a 3 1/2 inch cello version shown in the second set of images above.

Red, white, and blue background with an greyscale image of John F. Kennedy centered on the button. 

This button was made in support of John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign. Despite his youth, lack of foreign policy experience, and Catholic upbringing, Kennedy managed to capture the Democratic nomination. His opponent—Republican nominee Richard Nixon—campaigned on the success of the Eisenhower administration, to which he was vice president.

After the debates between Nixon and Kennedy—the first televised debates in US history—nearly all the criticism leveled at Kennedy for being either too 'young' or 'inexperienced' seemingly vanished overnight. His strong performance invariably helped Kennedy capture the remaining votes needed to catapult him to the White House. Kennedy narrowly won the election, but many historians cite his success in urban and industrial districts for the victory. 

Blue text on white background.  Top third of button with red background and white star. Bottom third of button alternating blue and white stripes.

This button was most likely made in support of Richard Nixon's re-election bid for president in 1972. 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. Nixon won re-election in 1972 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. 

Altered black and white image of LBJ in the center with black text below on white background.  LBJ appears to have large ears to look like Mad Magazine's Alfred E. Neuman.

This anti-Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) political button is styled after the mascot of Mad Magazine, Alfred E. Neuman.  Neuman often appears on the cover of Mad Magazine above his catch phrase, “what me worry?” and his image has been repeatedly used in political cartoons to invoke stupidity.  

LBJ became the 36th President of the United States after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.  He campaigned for President in 1964 and won with the 61% of the popular vote (the widest popular margin in American history) against Barry Goldwater.