"Hail to the Chief:" Music as a Campaign Item

Buttons and posters are probably the most common way to advertise a presidential candidate, but singing about them can also be a method to promote a person seeking the highest office in the land. Dating back to George Washington, music has been seen as an effective way to get out the word about your favorite candidate. Some of the most famous songs started with William H. Harrison's campaign in 1840. Words such as "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too" were put to music and became classics in American folklore. Copies of music were passed out at rallies and taken home with the voters. What better way to spend a cold, rainy night than singing about the man running for president? In the days when education was scarce and most people attended one room schoolhouses, if they went at all, music was a way for people to learn politics and what the candidate stood for. In more recent campaigns, music has seem to have lost it's touch, but from Washington through Reagan, music was made specifically for each candidate. Putting campaign slogans to music was also very popular, such as "I Like Ike" or "Keep Cool with Coolidge." Many titles of campaign songs indicated specific aspects of the man seeking office, such as "Lincoln and Liberty, too" or "Buckle Down with Lyndon" and even "Get on a Raft with Taft." A lot of songs from this era are still with us today, preserved through archives, political items collectors, and museums. The more rare sheet music examples are often ones from the pre-Civil War era, such as Jefferson, Madison, Jackson, Harrison, and Lincoln. Many copies of sheet music from the 20th century are fairly cheap and will not cost the buyer a ton of money. Most examples can be purchased for less than $50, with many in the $15-$25 range. Woodrow Wilson music is especially popular, as many different songs were made for World War I and often mentioned Wilson or featured him on the cover. Warren Harding music can be found in many different versions as well. Some of the most common music is from Dwight Eisenhower's campaign, as thousands of copies were distributed. I have pictured some of my sheet music examples I own. The oldest copy I have is a funeral march for James Garfield from 1881. I also have another funeral piece of music, from William McKinley. The rarest piece would be the Harding and Coolidge music from 1920, mostly because it pictures both candidates. The Coolidge/Dawes music from 1924 is also more rare for the same reason. Even as old as the McKinley piece is, it is not highly valuable. Woodrow Wilson music can often be found for less than $20, even though it is now pushing 100 years old. A lot of different examples exist of Wilson music, which makes the value more reasonable. The newest piece of music I own is of Ronald Reagan.

Dining with the President

Not all campaign items consist of buttons, posters, or brochures promoting the candidate. One popular way to show support for a candidate is by putting their images on dining items, such as plates, cups, and place mats. Presidential china has been around since the beginning, and almost every candidate has had their image placed on something that a person could use to eat or drink out of. Bowls, pitchers, cups, glasses, plates, and even silverware have at one point in history shown an image of one of our presidents. Most of the time, these items were meant for display and not to actually eat on or drink out of, but could certainly be used for that if the occasion presented itself. Some items that fit in this category were made for a specific fundraiser or produced in limited quantity as a gift. I have included almost every item here that I own in this category. I have a Reagan/Bush limited edition plate from the 1981 Inauguration. Also pictured is a plate from the 1950's showing Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife Mamie, a plate from the early 1970's showing Richard M. Nixon and his wife Pat, and the oldest plate I own, one showing James Garfield, made in either 1880 or 1881. Plates like this are still fairly common to run across and are mostly worth less than $40, although older items like the Garfield plate can require more than $60 to purchase. I have also included a few Reagan items I am proud of. One is a plastic cup from one of his Governor's races while he was in California. Another items is a place mat used for a BBQ fundraiser for his first campaign for Governor in 1966. This item is really neat to me and probably hard to find many in good condition like this one. The last item I have pictured is a napkin from the Eisenhower era, jokingly referred to as a crying towel. For time and space sake I have not included two more plates I own. One of George McGovern, and another from Eisenhower's term, showing all the presidents through Eisenhower. Items like China and other food ware can be fun to collect and helps diversify a collection.

"Yes we Can!" The election of 2008

The presidency of George W. Bush was quickly becoming unpopular to many Americans as he finished his second term, and Bush would play a major role in the voting booth in the 2008 election, although he was not running. Even though Saddam Hussein had been killed, the War on Terror dragged on and there seemed no definite end in site. Also, the Democrats made huge gains in Congress in the 2006 mid-term elections. Near the end of Bush's term, there was a financial and housing market collapse, leading to the era of government bailouts to corporations and banks to keep them afloat. It would be hard for Republicans to maintain control of the White House. As the primaries got under way, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee won the first contest, but soon, John McCain of Arizona proved to be the strongest candidate, eventually winning the nomination. In a surprise move, Alaska governor Sarah Palin was chosen to run as McCain's vice presidential nominee. During the Democrat primaries, the top two candidates were Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama. Both candidates proved strong and by convention time, it appeared there may be a deadlock, but Obama was chosen as the nominee. Delaware Senator Joe Biden was picked to run with Obama as VP in the election. Some of the major campaign issues dealt with the bailouts and the economic state of the nation as well as the foreign wars. Obama tried to show that McCain would continue the policies of Bush, while McCain and the Republicans wanted to show Obama as a far left wing extremist who would change the way America is looked upon in the world. On election day, Obama managed to pull off the victory, becoming the first black man ever elected president. He also managed to win a few states that almost always vote Republican, such as Virginia and North Carolina. McCain did well in the deep south and the midwest, but it wasn't enough to defeat Obama. After Inauguration Day, Obama set out to try to shape government the way he thought it needed to go, including an almost 800 billion dollar stimulus package to try to get the economy jump started, although the results are highly debatable. Many Americans felt Obama was too far to the left, and would change the country in a drastic way, and in 2010, Republicans captured the House and also many state offices, showing a rejection of some of Obama's policies. A national health care law was also passed, despite Republican opposition and some worries that the Obama health plan would not be sustainable. Obama continues to try to work with Congress, with such plans as the Jobs Bill, trying to get Americans working again. The upcoming election in 2012 should reveal where Americans stand and if they believe Obama deserves re-election and a second term. Campaign items from this election are in abundance, and many are almost free, as large collections of McCain buttons can be found for less than a dollar. Obama pins and posters are also fairly common, and worth very little at this time in history, since the election was so recent. There are some more rare items out there, especially dealing with single day events or limited edition items. I have pictured a few of my items from this election.

"Yes, America Can:" The Election of 2004

Not to often, presidential elections fall in the middle of a war. When they do, the incumbent is normally forced to make the war a major campaign issue. In history, a few elections have been held in war time, notably 1812, 1864, 1900, 1916, 1944, 1952, 1968, and 2004. With the War on Terror being fought on foreign soil in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. citizens had not experienced war at home like in 1864. Almost three years had passed since September 11, 2001, and the war in Iraq had become unpopular. Even with Saddam Hussein's death in late 2003, President George W. Bush was losing his popularity for the continuing conflict. Heading into the summer of 2004, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts won the nomination of the Democrats to face Bush, choosing former North Carolina Senator John Edwards as his running mate. Some of the main election issues was the handling of foreign policy by Bush and Kerry's record of changing positions. Although the war had become unpopular, many Americans still supported Bush and wanted terrorists brought to justice. While Kerry tried to blame Bush for many problems on foreign policy, it ended up not being enough. On election day, Bush managed to win by almost 3 million popular votes, carrying the South and Midwest. The electoral college result was much closer, with Bush winning 286-251. Unlike 2000, there was hardly any controversy in this election and it was clear Bush had been re-elected. Bush's second term was filled with much controversy and his poll numbers continued to slip. The No Child Left Behind education program has received a lot of flack, as well as the economic collapse that struck the nation towards the end of his term, with the housing crisis and failure of major loan corporations. It became unpopular to be associated with Bush, and everyone in the 2008 campaign would try to run from his name. However, the nation was not struck again in a terrorist attack during his remaining time in office, and the country was thought to be much safer. It is also worth noting that vice-president Dick Cheney was one of the most powerful VP's in history, often advising Bush on key decisions and pulling strings with department heads. Campaign items from this election are abundant and very cheap. Almost all buttons can be found for less than $10, and many under $5. Some of the single day event pins or larger buttons can be more rare, but there are a lot of items from this election on the market. I have pictured a few of my favorite buttons from the election.

One of the Closest Elections in U.S. History sets off the 21st Century: The Election of 2000

Bill Clinton's presidency had been largely successful, but scandals such as the Monica Lewinsky affair late in his second term hurt Clinton's reputation and caused him to lose some of his supporters. For the Vice President, Al Gore, this would prove a problem in one of the closest elections ever. There was never much doubt who the Democrats would nominate in 2000, choosing Al Gore, the sitting Vice President, to carry the banner, choosing Senator Joe Liebermann of Connecticut to run as vice president. As for Republicans, close to 10 candidates lined up to challenge Gore. The frontrunners were Texas Governor George W. Bush and Senator John McCain of Arizona. Even though McCain managed to win a couple of primaries, Bush proved to be the more conservative candidate and the Republicans nominated Bush to run against Gore. Former Defense Secretary Richard Cheney was chosen to run for vice president. Heading into the campaign season, Bush and the Republicans challenged Gore on Clinton's scandals and criticizing some the administration's military affairs in Somalia and the Balkans. Bush promised to restore dignity to the White House after the Clinton sex scandals, much the same way Jimmy Carter promised to restore honor to the White House after Watergate. Gore tried to distance himself from Clinton, largely due to the scandals, which probably hurt Gore with die-hard Clinton supporters. Gore also challenged Bush on competence and questioned if he could really handle being president. The nation's map on election day told the story of where the political lines had been drawn, with Bush carrying the entire South, Midwest, and some of the upper Northwest. Gore managed to win almost all of New England and the West Coast. Even though Bush won 10 more states than Gore, Gore managed to win some of the large electoral vote states, such as New York and California. The one state in question, and would later prove vital in the electoral college, was Florida, whose votes were in question. In Palm Beach County specifically, outdated voting machines reportedly caused confusion for some voters, saying they thought they were voting for Gore but instead they voted for Bush. Since Florida's vote was too close to call, it seemed chaos may break out. Eventually, after recounts and court decisions, the votes were awarded to Bush, giving him a 271-266 win in the electoral college. However, in the popular vote, Gore won by almost 500,000 votes, or a percentage point. But in election history, this was not the only election in which the winner in the electoral college lost the popular vote. It also happened in 1876 and 1888, in which the candidate who won the Presidency did not win a higher percentage of popular votes than the loser. When the dust settled, Bush started off his term quite well, and America was running smooth, and Bush enjoyed a high approval rating. On September 11, 2001, just 9 months into office, terrorists attacked New York and Washington, D.C., killing close to 4,000 Americans. In what is likely the worst attack ever, America was totally caught off guard, and the world would never be the same. Soon after, Bush ordered the military into Afghanistan, where it is believed most of the terrorists work from, including Osama Bin-Laden. In 2003, Bush went before the nation and told the citizens that Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, had weapons of mass destruction, and he needed to be taken out before he could use them to harm others. After an invasion of Iraq, Hussein was eventually captured and executed, though any proof of WMD's has been highly controversial. Bush also managed to pass tax cuts and reform some programs at home as well, as Republicans won many seats in the 2002 mid-term elections, especially in the House. Campaign items from this election are very common and readily available. Bush-Cheney pins and Gore-Liebermann buttons can be found in many places, and most for under $5. Being such a recent election, the only items of real value are ones that were very limited in number or specific event buttons. I have pictured some of my most favorite items from this campaign, mostly Bush buttons, and a debate pin from Winston-Salem, NC.

The "Comeback Kid" Earns His Nickname: The Election of 1996

After the mid term Congressional elections in 1994 which saw the Republicans take back control of the House of Representatives, many voters thought this indicated that Clinton would have a hard time winning re-election in 1996. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Congressional Republicans issued a "Contract with America" that promised to work on cutting big government and making Congressmen responsible to the American people. Former Kansas Senator Bob Dole was nominated to represent the Republicans in the election taking on Bill Clinton, trying for a second term. Jack Kemp of New York was chosen to run with Dole on the ticket. At 73 years old, Dole would become one of the oldest men to ever run for the high office. Clinton managed to make Dole look to be influenced by Gingrich and told the American people that programs like Social Security and Medicare would be cut under a Dole presidency. Also, Clinton's experience and youthful appearance didn't hurt. One thing going against Clinton was that no Democrat since Franklin Roosevelt in 1936 had won re-election, so history was against Clinton. However, Clinton performed well in the debates and lead in most polls all the way up to election day. In the end, Clinton was too much for Dole, and carried 50% of the popular vote and won 31 states to Dole's 19, giving him an easy victory in the Electoral College. Clinton's second term would become controversial, especially with his personal life and the Monica Lewinsky scandal, eventually being Impeached by the House but acquitted in the Senate. As far as the world and the standard of living under the Clinton administration, life seemed to be good. The economy in the United States did real well in the late 1990's and the government even ran a surplus for a few years. Clinton also became involved in foreign affairs, sending troops to Kosovo and  starting a bombing campaign in Iraq against Saddam Hussein. Even though Clinton lost a lot of the more moderate base of the Democratic party after the sex scandals, he remained very popular, especially in later years with some of his humanitarian causes, such as the Clinton Global Initiative. Campaign items from this election are fairly common and easy to find, especially Clinton-Gore word pins and Dole-Kemp pins. Even close to 80% of all Clinton and Dole picture buttons are worth under $10. I have pictured some buttons from the election that are my favorite. There are sunflower references on Dole items because of him being from Kansas, and also, Alf Landon, the Republican candidate in 1936, was from Kansas. The green Dole/Kemp button is a huge 9" pin. The cyclone Dole pin is a little more rare. All the Clinton items pictured are not to rare, but the one with Clinton and all the Democratic presidents is also 9" and is a little more rare. Finally is the Clinton/Gore Sons of the New South button, playing on the fact that Clinton was from Arkansas and Gore from Tennessee, this button is more rare than most Clinton buttons.This was a great election to start collecting due to the number of buttons made and the ease of access to finding them.