Changing of the Guard: The Election of 1992

Ronald Reagan's legacy continued through the early 1990's, but by the time of the election in 1992, it seemed America was ready to give a Democrat another shot at the White House. George H.W. Bush's term had started well, and he remained popular throughout the Gulf War, but shortly after, a recession hit. Coupled with his promise to not raise taxes and doing so, and alienating conservatives, Bush lost much of his base. However, Bush and Quayle were re-nominated at the convention that year in Houston. As for the Democrats, the field was originally wide open, until Arkansas governor Bill Clinton managed to win several primaries in a row, securing the nomination. Senator Al Gore from Tennessee was chosen to run with Clinton on the ticket. During the campaign, Clinton tried to paint Bush with blame for the weakening economy. The tactic largely worked, as Bush's poll numbers took a hit during the summer of 1992. Clinton was branded as a Washington outsider and a youthful candidate who would be the first one born after World War II. Bush ran on his foreign policy accomplishments, such as the victorious Gulf War and the end of the Cold War, but now that those conflicts were over, America decided to choose another president. Running as an independent was Ross Perot, a business and oil man from Texas. On election day, Clinton pulled off the victory, with only 43% of the popular vote, but defeating Bush 370-168 in the Electoral College. Perot managed to carry 19% of the popular vote, but not enough to win a single state. With the election of Clinton, Democrats hoped to change the way things had been done during the Reagan and Bush years. Clinton went right to work, proposing a national health care overhaul and the North American Free Trade Agreement. The health care change was met with firm opposition, and ultimately failed to get through Congress. During the 1994 mid term elections, Republicans took back the House of Representatives, as Americans seemed to want to slow down Clinton's policies by giving him an opposition Congress. After the election, Clinton famously said the "era of big government" was over. Campaign items from this election are fairly easy to acquire, as Bush/Quayle and Clinton/Gore buttons are readily available and for a cheap price. Most Perot items are also fairly cheap. I have included in this blog a few items I have from this election, mostly buttons, and also a re-election poster for Bush.

Continuing the Reagan Revolution: The Election of 1988

Ronald Reagan was a very popular president, and even though he was almost 77 years old by the time he left office, America still loved him. Even though some negative things had happened near the end of his second term, like the Iran-Contra affair, Reagan was able to come through the tough times. The economy had turned around, and life seemed to be good. The Soviet Union was on the verge of collapse, and it appeared the Berlin Wall may fall soon. Heading into the 1988 election, Republicans decided to go with Reagan's vice president, George Herbert Walker Bush. Even though Bush was more moderate than Reagan, he managed to drum up a lot of support due to Reagan's popularity. A young Congressman from Indiana, Dan Quayle, was chosen to run with Bush on the ticket. The Democrats had suffered a huge defeat in 1984, with Walter Mondale only winning one state. Congress also saw a turn towards the Democrats in the 1986 mid term, as the party captured the Senate. When the convention met, the race was down to Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis and Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson. Dukakis eventually won the nomination, choosing Lloyd Bentsen from Texas to be his running mate. Some of the campaign issues for Dukakis involved trying to implicate Bush with Iran-Contra and for being a hawk with foreign policy. Bush tried to show Dukakis as being a far left liberal, freeing prisoners such as Willie Horton, who later murdered someone after being released temporarily. Bush also performed well in the debates and made Dukakis look relatively weak and inexperienced. On election day, Bush carried 40 states, with a little over 53% of the popular vote, continuing Reagan's legacy. In office, Bush drifted more towards the political center, raising taxes and going against some more conservative legislation. One of the most memorable events during Bush's presidency was the collapse of the Berlin Wall, a significant gesture in bringing an end to the Cold War. Berlin would be reunited. Also, the Gulf War started and ended in 1991 during Bush's term, when Iraq and Saddam Hussein invaded neighboring Kuwait. A UN force was sent in and freed Kuwait, and this was a very popular and decisive war in America's favor, briefly inflating Bush's poll numbers. One of the most memorable phrases from Bush's term was in the acceptance speech for the nomination in 1988, when he said "Read my lips: No new taxes." Ultimately, Bush signed into law new taxes, in part because of the deficit. Heading into the 1992 election, that phrase would come back to haunt Bush. Campaign items from this election are fairly easy to find and very affordable. Bush/Quayle word pins and most jugate buttons are less than $10. For Dukakis, the same holds true. The only rare Bush or Dukakis items involve single day events or buttons made in a limited quantity. I have included some of my most favorite items. Two posters, some buttons, and a large 6" Dukakis button.

"Morning in America:" The Election of 1984

After Ronald Reagan's largely successful first term, there was little doubt he and vice-president George H.W. Bush would be renominated in the 1984 election cycle. One of the issues with Reagan was his age, as he would be 74 years old on election day in 1984. However, Reagan had earned the trust of the American people, and the economy had turned around and unemployment was starting to drop. The Democrats decided to go with former vice president Walter Mondale, and making history, Geraldine Ferraro was chosen to be the vice-presidential nominee, the first woman in history to be nominated on a major ticket. One of the more famous incidents occurred during a debate between Reagan and Mondale, when Reagan was asked about his age and he answered that he was not going to exploit Mondale's youth and inexperience. On election day, Reagan won in a landslide, capturing every state except Minnesota and the District of Columbia. Americans showed they supported Reagan, and Republicans gained in Congress as well. Reagan's second term was packed with action, as he helped bring an end to the Cold War and Soviet communism, dealt with the Iran-Contra scandal, and had bouts with health issues, such as cancer. One of the faults of Reagan was the budget deficit, as high spending in the military had increased America's debt. However, America had re-gained the sense of pride in the country, and it seemed that better times laid ahead. Being a Reagan collector, I have several items relating to this campaign, but I have decided to picture a few of my most favorite things, including a poster and some buttons. I also included a large 6" Mondale/Ferraro button. Items from this election are pretty common, especially buttons saying "Reagan-Bush '84" on them, and you can find them for less than $5 normally. Most Reagan jugates are common as well. Mondale-Ferraro items are also fairly common, although some buttons dealing with specific events or local states supporting the candidates can be more rare. For a new collector, Reagan items are a great way to get started, because they are readily available and you won't break the bank buying them.

The High Tide of Conservatism: The Election of 1980 and the Reagan Revolution

The presidency of Jimmy Carter had greatly disappointed many Americans who had voted for Carter to end the era of corrupt government in Washington. While Carter's administration did bring back a sense of honesty to the federal government, the economy weakened and Carter's popularity dropped. In 1979, an oil shortage struck the country, driving gas prices high and creating a shortage, which lead many Americans to blame Carter. Also, some Americans were taken hostage in Iran, and Carter's inability to properly handle the crisis and bring the hostages home further drove the poll numbers down. As the election season of 1980 rolled around, Americans were ready for a change, and Republicans eventually nominated former California governor Ronald Reagan. After Reagan's strong showing the the 1976 primary, there was little doubt he would run again in 1980. One of Reagan's strongest contestants was former CIA director George H.W. Bush, who would eventually be chosen to run with Reagan on the ticket. As for the Democrats, it was no guarantee that Carter would win the nomination, as the more liberal base of the party decided to give Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy a shot at the nomination, and Kennedy had an active campaign against Carter, but as history has proven, it is very hard to upset the incumbent president for the nomination, and Carter was given the nomination again for 1980. As election day approached, many members of the media thought Carter still had a chance, but Reagan's approach and attacks of Carter's bad policies worked, and coupled with a weak economy, Reagan won easily. The new era in government began with Reagan's inaugural address, when he famously said, "In the present crisis, government is not the solution to the problem, government is the problem." However, before Reagan even had time to hardly begin his administration, gun shots went off after giving a speech one day in March of 1981, wounding the president and killing some others around him. While Reagan was recovering, he connected even more with the American people, famously asking the doctors if they were all Republicans and telling his wife Nancy he forgot to duck. After Reagan recovered, he set about to change the way government operated, and he wanted to cut taxes and get the economy growing again. By 1983, signs of positive change and employment started to show, and by the late 1980's unemployment had been drastically reduced. Reagan was also known for telling jokes to get his points across, and he is remembered for many of those stories and one liners. One of Reagan's other goals was dealing with the Soviet Union and bringing an end to the Cold War. At first, he did not succeed, but by the end of his first term, enormous gains had been made. Campaign items from the 1980 election are fairly easy to find, especially Reagan-Bush word pins and even many buttons with the candidates pictured can be found and bought for less than $5. Carter items are also very affordable and easy to find. I specialize in collection Ronald Reagan items, so a majority of my collection focuses on Reagan. I have included some of my Reagan items here, including a plate from the 1981 inaugural, 6 riker cases of buttons, and a couple Reagan buttons I really like, the Peanut Stomper and the Reagan eclipse Carter pin. I have included a North Carolina for Carter button from 1980 as well. I also have many interesting Reagan items that I will include in a later blog on non-button items.