Camelot meets the White House: The election of 1960

After the largely successful terms of Dwight D. Eisenhower, America would have to elect a new president in 1960. Eisenhower's Vice President, Richard M. Nixon, won the nomination for the Republicans, although he was opposed early on by Nelson Rockefeller and some of the more liberal wing of the party. Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. was chosen to run with Nixon as his vice president. As for the Democrats, Adlai Stevenson once again tried to get the nomination, but after losing twice, many felt it was time for a new face. That came in Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy, a young man of only 43 years of age with a beautiful family and wealthy background. With the family backing, Kennedy was able to win the nomination over Texas senator Lyndon B. Johnson, who was chosen to run with Kennedy on the ticket. Going into the campaign season of 1960, many believed the race to be neck and neck, with Nixon gaining a small advantage in August. Kennedy had accused the Eisenhower and Nixon administration of falling behind the Soviets, and Nixon accused Kennedy of being inexperienced. A few gaffs in Nixon's campaign severely hurt his chances at winning. One was when a reporter asked President Eisenhower to name something important that Nixon had contributed to the campaign, and Ike jokingly said, "If you give me a week, I might think of something." Kennedy supporters used this to show that Nixon was not as experienced as he said he was. Also, Nixon made the mistake of promising to campaign in all 50 states, spending time in states he had no chance of winning or states with few electoral votes, such as spending the last week of the campaign in Alaska, with only 3 electoral votes. Another important factor in this election was the debates, which were televised for the first time. Kennedy showed great composure on TV, while Nixon stumbles and made the mistake of wearing makeup. Much was also made about Kennedy being a Catholic, but he famously made a speech mentioning he was not the Catholic nominee for President but the Democratic candidate for president, helping his popularity. On election day, the results were very close, with Kennedy winning by .1% in the popular vote, a virtual tie, but in the electoral college, Kennedy carried a 303-219 margin, the closest election since 1916. Kennedy was able to carry several southern states, largely due to Lyndon Johnson, which helped him carry the victory. As for Nixon, the defeat did not deter him from still seeking politics. In 1962, he ran for Governor of the state of California, but lost, afterwards promising the media they wouldn't have Nixon to kick around anymore. However, by the time of the 1968 election, Nixon would make one of the greatest political comebacks in history. John F. Kennedy ushered in a new era of the presidency, being the first president born after 1900. On Inauguration Day, Kennedy made a great speech, promising to oppose any foe, and making the famous statement, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Kennedy's presidency was full of action, as he cut taxes, dealt with the Soviets, and worked on reform at home, such as the space race. The Bay of Pigs operation, a plan to overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba, failed, and made Kennedy look bad. Also, the Cuban Missile Crises in 1962 was the high point of the Cold War, the closest America and the Soviets came to war. Being very popular, Kennedy was in Texas in November of 1963 to start drumming up support for his re-election in 1964, but was gunned down by Lee Harvey Oswald. Lyndon Johnson then became president, and the nation was deeply mourned. As for campaign items, many Kennedy word pins and single picture buttons are very affordable, as are some smaller jugates or common jugate buttons. Some posters are more rare, but overall, most Kennedy items are easy to find. For Nixon, the same is true, as word pins, jugates, and posters are fairly easy to come across. This election is also very easy to define the items, since Kennedy only ran once, and Nixon ran with Henry Cabot Lodge. Even though Nixon ran again later, you can tell which election the item is from by his youthful appearance from 1960, as he often appears during his vice-presidency. I have pictured a group of Kennedy buttons and a group of Nixon buttons, as well as a Nixon poster and a matchbook from Nixon's campaign.

If at first you don't succeed, try again: Eisenhower v. Stevenson, Round 2

Dwight D. Eisenhower remained very popular throughout his first term, and heading into the 1956 election season, there was not much doubt that Republicans would re-nominate him for the presidency. However, there was a strong movement to replace Vice-President Richard Nixon, but eventually, Nixon won out and was renominated also. For the Democrats, it was once again Adlai Stevenson, running this time with Estes Keffauver. Heading into election day, Ike's popularity carried the day, and once again, Eisenhower won very easily, carrying 55% of the popular vote and almost the entire north and midwest. Eisenhower's second term was filled with some of the Cold War era problems, such as dealing with Khruschev and the Soviets. Ike also suffered a major heart attack during his second term, limiting his ability for a short while. There was also the problem of racial integration during Eisenhower's second term, with incidents like the Little Rock Nine shaking the foundations of the South. Eisenhower remained very popular though, and retired to Gettysburg after leaving office, passing away in 1969. Campaign items from this election are very similar to 1952 items, such as buttons, posters, and 3-D items. Most Eisenhower items either contain the phrases "I still Like Ike" or "Re-Elect Eisenhower." Some items can be very difficult to determine which election they are from, since Nixon once again ran. For Stevenson, it is more easy since he had two different VP nominees. Stevenson items from this election are fairly common and very affordable. Most Eisenhower items are also very common, especially word pins. I have pictured some paper items, like ribbons and brochures, a re-election poster, a plate showing him with his wife, Mamie, and an election day 1956 tab. Most of the Ike buttons I have were pictured with the previous blog. I also have some items not shown, like an Inauguration program, and some other paper items, like sheet music.

 

 

"I Like Ike" and so does most of the country

As the Korean War dragged on and a recession hit the United States in the early 1950's, Harry Truman's popularity had weakened, opening the door for a Republican to be elected for the first time since 1928 to the White House. Truman was still eligible to run, since he had only been elected to one term, but decided against it. Instead, the Democrats eventually decided on Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois. The Republicans had a good chance to win the White House if they could find the right candidate. On that note, it was not clear who would win the nomination for the GOP, as popular war hero Dwight D. Eisenhower faced off against Ohio Senator Robert Taft, William H. Taft's son. During the primaries, it was neck and neck, and heading to the convention, it was still unclear who would win. After some dealing and promises by Eisenhower to do things that Taft wanted, the Republicans settled on Eisenhower. Some of the campaign issues for the Republicans involved attacking the Truman administration for the lack of preparedness for the Korean War and lack of protection in Latin America. They also accused the Democrats of harboring communists. Stevenson and the Democrats warned of returning to the days of Hoover and for extremism as in the case of Joseph McCarthy. California senator Richard Nixon was chosen to run with Eisenhower. The slogan, "I Like Ike" was widely used and became very popular across the country. Shortly before the election, some financial irregularities appeared for Richard Nixon, but he made a speech on national television, latter dubbed the "Checkers" speech, and made Nixon very popular. On election day, the popular Eisenhower won 55% of the popular vote and carried 39 of the 48 states, winning a decisive electoral college victory. Ike's first term was full of action, starting with putting an end to the Korean War in mid 1953. Eisenhower also signed into law the Interstate Highway System, one of his greatest achievements. Campaign items for this election are some of the most popular and affordable of all elections. Any "I Like Ike" word pin can be very easy to find and often just for a few dollars, since so many were made. Even some common Eisenhower and Nixon jugate buttons can also be relatively cheap. Some of the more scarce buttons are Inauguration Day jugates or specific event or location buttons, and some buttons showing Ike smiling or a face image that's not common. There are many examples of Eisenhower items besides buttons, such as china, music, posters, cigarette packs, hats, brochures, umbrellas, clothing, and much more. For Adlai Stevenson items, the same is true, with word pins being very common and affordable, and most single picture buttons as well. Some of the Stevenson jugates are more rare, but other items like posters or other paper items are not real expensive. I have included a riker mount case of Ike buttons, a group of Stevenson buttons, a piece of sheet music for Eisenhower, and a pennant from Ike's 1953 Inauguration. I also have some other items like china and some more 3-D items, which I will include in a later blog on non-button items.

"Dewey Defeats Truman," or something like that....

After the sudden death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in April of 1945, shortly before the end of the European theater in World War II, vice president Harry S Truman had taken over the presidency. Truman's time in office filling out Roosevelt's term was very busy. Starting with Truman's first few weeks in office, Germany surrendered to end the European action in the war. Then by June, Truman traveled to Potsdam in Germany to meet with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin to discuss the terms for surrender for Japan and what to do with Eastern Europe and Germany. Then, in early August, Truman ordered the atomic bomb to be dropped on Japan, and after two successful bomb drops, Japan surrendered, ending World War II and setting off the Cold War. The economy at home struggled out of the gate after the war ended, with all the soldiers coming home looking for work. This is also the time period that the "baby boomers" were born, between 1946 and 1960. Heading into the 1948 presidential election, Truman was running against the "do-nothing" Republican congress that had been voted in during the 1946 mid term election, and trying to win the presidency in his own right. Opposing Truman was Thomas Dewey from New York, who had also run in the 1944 election. Coming up to election day, it was unclear who had the advantage, with Dewey campaigning that a Democrat had been president for too long and Truman promising to keep Roosevelt's policies in tact. On election day, it appeared that Dewey had pulled ahead and would win. The Chicago Tribune famously printed a newspaper headline for the next morning reading "Dewey Defeats Truman." However, by the time the west coast states were tallied, Truman had made a comeback, beating Dewey in the electoral college 303-189, with Strom Thurmond winning some southern states with the Dixiecrat party. Truman's second term would be dominated by the Korean War, beginning in 1950. Also, the Soviets successfully detonated an atomic bomb of their own in 1949. More bad news followed, when the entire eastern bloc of Europe fell to Communism, and China became communist in 1949 as well. For campaign items from this election, Dewey items are fairly common, especially word pins and single picture buttons. As for Truman, any jugate button is very rare and even single picture pins can be tough to find and expensive. About the cheapest of all Truman buttons is the one I have pictured, from his 1949 Inaugural. Some word pins are more reasonably priced. Truman items are rare and sought after by many collectors, which drives the price up. I have included a few Truman items, such as buttons and a 1949 inaugural program, as well as a couple Dewey buttons.

"Out Stealing Third:" Roosevelt, Willkie, and 1940

Most presidents were satisfied with two terms and ready to get out of Washington, D.C. and the stress and pressures of the Presidency, but in 1940, Franklin D. Roosevelt felt that it was no time for America to switch leaders during the crisis of war that had broken out in Europe. The Democrats surprisingly agreed with Roosevelt, and re-nominated him, although this time the vice-presidential candidate was different, with the more liberal Henry Wallace chosen to serve. Breaking the precedent set by George Washington, Roosevelt was determined to win a third term to remain in charge during the war that appeared might breach America's neutrality. As for Republicans, many could not believe a president was going to seek a third term, using this against Roosevelt in the hopes many Americans would agree with them and not allow him this third term. Much of the campaign revolved around Roosevelt's try for a third term, and some of the differences between Roosevelt and the Republican nominee, Wendell Willkie. Heading into the election, it was believed widely that Roosevelt could win again, and sure enough, that's what happened. Roosevelt won fairly easy, carrying 38 states and winning 4 million more popular votes than Willkie. Roosevelt's third term would be much involved in the war in Europe, especially after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the remainder of Roosevelt's third term would be focused on the war effort. As for the economy, with the thousands of soldiers going off to war, the unemployment numbers declined drastically. Many women were also employed to make items for the war effort. For campaign items from 1940, they are readily available and easy to find. There are many example of Wendell Willkie buttons that have slogans on them like, "Out Stealing Third," "We don't want Eleanor Either," "No Third Term," "I want to be Captain, too" and so forth, all poking at Roosevelt's attempt at a third term. For Roosevelt, the most common item is the Roosevelt/Wallace jugate button that I have included in a picture. Most other Roosevelt items from this election are rare. Some Willkie jugates are quite pricey, but some paper items are affordable. I have included a Willkie poster, a group of Willkie buttons, a Will-key button, and a Roosevelt/Wallace button.

The Largest Landslide in History: The 1936 election

Many of the citizens of the United States of America were still in a depression in 1936, and although the New Deal policies were working for some people, the overall unemployment rate was high. As for the election season, Republicans met and Kansas governor Alf Landon won the nomination, while Frank Knox was nominated as vice-president. Landon really had nothing to run on to defeat Roosevelt, as FDR remained highly popular among Americans. Roosevelt won unanimous re-nomination, along with John Garner for VP. On election day, Roosevelt won 46 out of the 48 states, all but Maine and Vermont. He won almost 61% of the popular vote, and remains in the top three of all landslide elections in history, along with 1964 and 1984. Some magazines, like Literary Digest, did a poll and predicted Landon would win, greatly embarrassing the magazine after election day. Roosevelt's second term involved more of the New Deal attempts to try to get the economy flowing again. Also, in 1937, Inauguration Day was moved to January 20 instead of March 4. Near the end of Roosevelt's second term, Germany invaded Poland, setting off World War II. America started the Lend-Lease program with Britain and Russia, supporting them with arms in the fight against Hitler. There was a popular isolationist movement in America during this time, headed by such famous people as Charles Lindbergh. It appeared for a while the isolationist and anti-war crowd would get there way, until Pearl Harbor. Campaign items from this election are very common and often less than $10, especially the Landon word pins. Lots of buttons reference sunflowers, since Landon was from Kansas. Some jugate Landon buttons are more rare, but there are a few common examples. As for Roosevelt, many single picture pins are affordable from this election, and so are some paper items. The items I have pictured include a Landon poster, a group of Landon buttons, and a group of Roosevelt buttons. Some FDR items are hard to tell which election it's from since he ran with John Garner in 1932 and 1936.

"A New Deal for the American people:" The 1932 election

The Great Depression had struck many Americans hard, and the incumbent Herbert Hoover was going to have a hard time convincing the American people that he should remain in office. Some events near the end of Hoover's term had drawn strong criticism, such as the fiasco with the Bonus Army in D.C. in 1931. Heading into election season in the summer of 1932, Hoover campaigned for re-election, hoping to finish out another term, although it was possible to assume Hoover ran out of honor and dignity for himself instead of allowing Republicans to nominate someone else. For the Democrats, they knew they had a good chance at winning the White House back, and turning to NY governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, their strategy worked. Roosevelt was popular with Americans and not tied in to anything dealing with Hoover. On election day, Roosevelt and his running mate, John N. Garner, won in a landslide, one of the worst popular vote defeats for an incumbent in history. Roosevelt promised a "New Deal" during his inaugural speech, and in the first few months in 1933, introduced many programs to try to jump start the economy and employ the near 25% of the workforce currently in unemployment lines. Roosevelt's policies had mixed results, and all the government programs did not work as well as many thought, as unemployment would largely remain the same until the start of World War II. F.D.R. was very popular though, and in every election that he was in after this would win by large margins. Roosevelt brought hope for many Americans, and people believed the country was on the right path. As for campaign items, many Hoover items are more rare, since it was highly thought there was no chance of him winning re-election. For buttons, it's hard to distinguish which election they are from because he ran again in 1932 with the same VP nominee, Charles Curtis, and many jugate buttons are from the 1928 election. There are items titled "Keep Him on the Job" and so forth, but there are not lots of Hoover items from this election. Roosevelt items are more popular, especially single picture buttons and paper items. Any button showing both Roosevelt and Garner are more rare and often worth hundreds of dollars. Some of the items I have pictured include a re-elect Hoover poster, a Roosevelt inauguration program from 1933, and a Roosevelt button, although this could be from another election.