White text on red, white, and blue background. White band with blue stars separates the upper and lower portions of the button.

After George McGovern won the Democratic nomination for president in 1972, nearly every single high-profile Democrat McGovern approached to be his running mate declined, including Ted Kennedy, Walter Mondale, Hubert Humphrey, Edmund Muskie, and Birch Baye. Senator Gaylord Nelson, after refusing McGovern's offer to run on the ticket, suggested Tom Eagleton as his running mate. With little thought, nor any background check, McGovern chose Eagleton. Unbeknownst to McGovern, between 1960 and 1966, Eagleton had suffered from severe depression, checking himself into hospitals for "physical and nervous exhaustion." Furthermore, before Eagleton was selected as McGovern's running mate, he told conservative journalist Robert Novak that George McGovern had stood for "amnesty, abortion, and [the] legalization of pot." Until the day of the election, McGovern was popularly referred to as the "amnesty, abortion, and acid" candidate. Not until a Meet the Press interview in 2007 did Novak say it was indeed Eagleton who he had quoted in the ubiquitous article.

Once it was leaked to the press that Eagleton had undergone electro-convulsive therapy and had checked himself into the hospital twice, Nixon's campaign team had a field day. Although McGovern dropped Eagleton soon afterward and recruited Kennedy in-law Sargent Shriver as his running mate, the campaign could not recover from the Eagleton fiasco. Nixon won the 1972 election in a landslide victory. 

Blue text on a white background, centered over an illustration of an American flag.

This button was distributed by the Citizen's for Reagan Committee, a political action committee founded by United States Senator Paul Laxalt of Nevada in July, 1976. Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United States, serving two terms from 1981-1989. After gaining fame as an actor—he appeared in 53 films—Reagan, a conservative, left Hollywood and began a career in politics in the 1960s. He was elected Governor of California in 1966; campaigned for the Republican Party's presidential candidate in the 1976 election; and won the 1980 presidential election. President Reagan and his running-mate, George H. W. Bush, beat sitting president Jimmy Carter in a landslide victory. Running as the incumbents in 1984, Reagan and Bush won 49 out of 50 states against former Vice President Walter Mondale. Reagan is remembered for his fiscal policies, also known as  “Reaganomics,” and is often referenced as a hero-figure by the Republican Party.  

Bold white text printed on a blue background

 Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United States, serving two terms from 1981-1989. After gaining fame as an actor—he appeared in 53 films—Reagan, a conservative, left Hollywood and began a career in politics in the 1960s. He was elected Governor of California in 1966; campaigned for the Republican Party's presidential candidate in the 1976 election; and won the 1980 presidential election. President Reagan and his running-mate, George H. W. Bush, beat sitting president Jimmy Carter in a landslide victory. Running as the incumbents in 1984, Reagan and Bush won 49 out of 50 states against former Vice President Walter Mondale. Reagan is remembered for his fiscal policies, also known as  “Reaganomics,” and is often referenced as a hero-figure by the Republican Party.  

Black and white text printed over a photograph of Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale.

President Jimmy Carter and Vice President Walter Mondale successfully ran for office in 1976 and served one term together. They lost in a landslide to President Ronald Regan in 1980. President Carter is remembered for his negotiations at Camp David, which helped bring peace between Israel and Egypt. Unfortunately, the Carter administration was a victim of the nation’s near record-high interest and inflation rates that preceded a short economic recession.  

A photograph of Alabama Governor George Wallace is surrounded by a split red and blue border with white text and two white stars.  

Alabama Governor George Wallace is remembered for his resistance to the 1960s civil rights movement.  He ran for U.S. President in 1968 on an independent ticket and won nearly 13% of the ballots cast, or about 10 million votes.  Wallace is famous for saying, "I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny, and I say, segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."

A photograph of Geraldine Ferraro on a white background is surrounded by a red and blue border with white text and white stars.  

Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro was the first woman to appear on a major party ticket in a presidential election. Ferraro, a New York native, began her career in politics in 1978 when she was elected to the US House of Representatives. She served in Congress for three two-year terms. In 1984, Ferraro was the Democratic nominee for Vice President alongside presidential candidate Walter Mondale. Following Mondale's failed presidential campaign, Ferraro ran for a seat in the US Senate in both 1992 and 1998, however she lost both campaigns. She served as an ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights from 1993 to 1996, and also worked on Hilary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. Ferraro died in 2011 after a long battle with multiple myeloma.

White  and blue text on a red, white, and blue striped background. 

Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson was the 36th First Lady of the United States, married to Democratic president Lyndon B. Johnson. This button was most likely created during the 1968 presidential election by a supporter of the Republican challenger, Richard Nixon. The implication of the button is that Nixon—the eventual winner—would capture the election, forcing the Johnson's to move out. 

A photograph of President Reagan in front, and to the right of a photograph of the White House.  Above the White House is an illustration of a yellow ribbon with orange text.  Below the White House is white text.  The button has a light blue background.  

The inauguration of the President of the United States takes place every 4 years on January 20 to commence a new term for the president. Since Reagan's 1981 inauguration, the ceremony has been held at the Capitol's West Front.

President Ronald Reagan served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981-1989. After becoming famous by acting in 53 Hollywood films, Reagan entered politics as a conservative in the 1960s. He was first elected to Governor of California in 1966 and then later campaigned for the 1980 presidential election. President Reagan and his running-mate, Vice President George H. W. Bush, beat President Jimmy Carter in a landslide victory. Reagan is remembered for his fiscal policies, also known as  “Reaganomics,” and is often referenced as a hero-figure by today’s Republican party.  

An illustration of a big toothed grinning peanut in yellow with white lettering on green background.

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr was the 39th U.S. President from 1977-1981. Prior to entering politics, Carter was a successful peanut farmer. This button dates from the 1976 presidential campaign and uses the popular peanut image to promote Carter.  The peanut image was pervasive during the campaign, and was used both for and against him. In 2002, he became the first president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Black and white picture of Bill Clinton smiling with his black and white cat on his shoulders. His hand is reaching up to rub the cat. Clinton is wearing a Clinton and Gore cap. The words "SOCKS APPEAL" are in pink capital letters at the bottom of the button.

With his adorable looks and fun personality, Socks the cat quickly became the most famous cat in the world when President Bill Clinton took office in January, 1993. Though presidential pets are common, cats as the First Pet are not. There were only 5 presidential cats in the preceding 14 administrations, dating back to Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921). A stray, Socks was adopted by the Clinton family in 1991, becoming the family pet. When the Clintons relocated to Washington D.C they brought Socks with them, and the black and white cat had free reign over the White House, often photographed in the Oval Office and even the Briefing Room.

Top dog, as it were, Socks' rule as the sole First Pet ended when the Clinton family adopted a Labrador Retriever named Buddy. It was hate at first sight, with President Clinton even saying "You know, I did better with the Arabs, the Palestinians and the Israelis than I've done with Socks and Buddy" when asked how the two pets got along. When President Clinton left the White House in 2001, Socks was given to his secretary Betty Currie because the cat and dog could not get along. Socks lived out the rest of his days with Ms. Currie until his death in 2009 at the age of 20 from cancer.

This button is taken form this photograph taken on 12/20/1993 by an unnamed White House Photographer.