We dug through the Hervey Priddy Collection of American Presidential and Political Memorabilia digital collection to find examples of political messaging from a time when the medium was slower, and the attacks could be just as nasty as they are today. From the Willie Horton ad to “It’s the Economy, Stupid,” to swift boats and “47 percent of voters…” one simple message can dramatically alter the public perception of a candidate, for better or for worse.
The 1900 William Jennings Bryan campaign used imagery and metaphor to promote their message of anti-imperialism, support for regulating trusts, and free silver. One pin, featured above, depicts Bryan riding a tightrope of these issues to the White House. Another to the right features Bryan and his VP nominee, Adlai Stevenson, eclipsing William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt on Election Day. It may have been unwise to portray the candidate as a small, dark obstacle that briefly blocks out the more powerful sun—Bryan lost the 1900 election.
Speaking of failed campaign imagery, consider this Howard Dean Matrix-themed pin. The Matrix Revolutions was released on November 5, 2003, to poor reviews. Two months later, Dean delivered the “Dean Scream” to equally poor reviews, following a third-place finish in the Iowa caucus.
Insulting a candidate’s appearance is sadly nothing new. In 1912, the Hassan Cigarette Factory printed ‘Nobody Loves a Fat Man’ pins, which mocked the famously large William Howard Taft in an election he would lose to Woodrow Wilson.
Some vice presidents, like Al Gore, attempt to distance themselves from their former boss when running for office, to prove they are their own person. This was not Henry Wallace’s strategy. In 1948, Wallace, who had served as FDR’s VP during his third term, ran as the nominee for the Progressive Party, against Democratic incumbent Harry Truman, who had succeeded Wallace as VP for Roosevelt during his fourth term. Wallace’s claim of being FDR’s true successor wasn’t unfounded. He was popular and had served as Secretary of Agriculture during Roosevelt’s first term. However, he was opposed by more conservative factions of the party, who believed an ailing FDR would not survive his final term, leading to the swap with Truman. Truman, the underdog in 1948, would famously go on to defeat Republican Thomas Dewey, Wallace, and States Rights party nominee Strom Thurmond to win the presidency.
Lyndon Johnson took the opposite tactic in the 1964 election by promoting his cross-party support from Republicans and Independents. LBJ certainly had their support—he carried 44 states and won 61% of the popular vote, the highest percentage for any candidate since the beginning of widespread popular elections in the early 19th century.
To learn more about election history, visit the Hervey A. Priddy Collection of American Presidential and Political Memorabilia. Have questions? Email degolyer@smu.edu.