Vidette Building 1911
Montesano, Washington
The Diogenes Club
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Buttons - Presidential Campaign - 1972
McGovern Eagleton
The shortest-lived button in the history of Presidential campaigns. 18 days to be exact.
In 1972 I was a volunteer in the McGovern campaign in Olympia, Washington, so you'll be seeing quite a few buttons endorsing the Senator from South Dakota.
George McGovern was an authentic WWII hero and a good and decent man. And he was right on many issues. But he was a horrible politician. In spite of that, I still admire McGovern to this day and am so happy I worked on his campaign. When he came to Seattle I went to see him speak, and realized he was far from charismatic, but the guy had a geeky sincerity I admired. We didn't win, in fact we were slaughtered, but in the history of Presidential elections there was never a clearer choice between Good and Evil.
And 1972 America voted in fear and overwhelmingly chose Evil.
I also voted for George in the Whitman County, Washington caucus when he ran in 1984. He didn't get it, but the eventual nominee, Walter Mondale (another good and decent man), lost by even greater margin to old Ron the Con who brought us a huge economic deficit, Iran-Contra, and a long parade of convicted public officials who betrayed the public trust that outnumbered the Watergate number of convicted crooks.
This in spite of the fact that during the 1984 debates Ron the Con was clearly suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. Sometimes, you have to wonder about the wisdom of the electorate.
If you look back in the history of Presidential elections, George McGovern is now the senior living major party candidate, having outlived his opponents and all running mates. When George crosses to the Other Side, which will be soon, those of us left behind will carry the flame in our own fashion.
God bless you, George McGovern. Thank you.
Morty Comix # 2422
Buttons - Presidential Campaign - 1972
Elect John Schmitz President
John Schmitz was the American Independent Party's colorful nominee in 1972. I picked up this button at his Lacey, Washington campaign office in that year. Schmitz was quite mad, in both senses of the word, but did surprisingly well for a fringe candidate.
Buttons - Presidential Campaign - 1972
President Nixon
Curl says: COADCO - COMM FOR THE RE-ELECT OF THE PRESIDENT
The Committee for the Re-Election of the President in 1972 was known by the acronym CREEP in some circles
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Buttons - Presidential Campaign - 1968 or 1972
The curl has: Official Nixon Button, Feeley & Wheeler Co., 370 Lexington N.Y.C. 10007
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Buttons - Presidential Campaign - 1972
Nixon Now
A most impressive effort of the Nixon campaign trying to lure the youth vote, 1972 was the first where 18 year-olds could vote.
There was a real storm front between those who were raised during the Great Depression and World War Two as opposed to us Boomers who only saw the shadow of the atomic/nuclear cloud. We grew up with the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, and the Cold War. Our protests had a sense of urgency since we were concerned tomorrow might never come. Something had to be done about this mess NOW! At the time this was recognized and dubbed The Generation Gap. This button was an attempt by the Nixon people to reach over that gap. Apparently, in terms being re-elected, it worked.
I find it humorous that in 1972 Nixon won by a landslide, but by 1974 when he resigned in total disgrace I could find few people who admitted they voted for him.
When I think about who was the worst president in U.S. history, I have a hard time choosing between Nixon, Reagan, Bush II, Harding or Buchanan.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Buttons - Presidential Campaign - 1968
Nixon's The One!
OK, this isn't really a button, it is more of a badge thing you clipped over your shirt pocket. As I recall I found this on the ground somewhere in Olympia during the '68 campaign, so apparently this sort of "pin" didn't work all that well. The flip side says "ABCraft Mfg. Co. Chicago."
Those of us who felt Nixon was behind the Watergate break-in used this slogan a few years later when discussion turned to who was responsible for the crime.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Buttons - Presidential Campaign - 1960
Progress for All
Forward with Kennedy
Not an original. On the curl it states: Kleenex Tissues '68
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Morty Comix # 2421
Phone photo 1768
No Vampires Beyond This Point
Treaty Line
Seen between Forks and La Push, Washington
Buttons - Presidential Campaign - 1952
I Like Ike
Hard to read, but I think it says "Bastion Bros, Rochester, N.Y." on the curl
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