Positive Persuasion
An important element of campaigning requires candidates to appeal to a wide variety of voters while maintaining a specific image. These campaign items show the diverse ways candidates appeal to a wide variety of voters and how these tactics have changed over time. The Peanuts poster from John Tower’s campaign, the Beto O'Rourke postcard, and the Hillary Clinton t-shirt and bumper sticker represent the evolution of how popular culture is used within campaigns, while the Reagan campaign button presents a more traditional method of campaign outreach. Non-verbal items like the Clinton bumper sticker and t-shirt help convey a candidate’s message to voters without words. Non-traditional campaign items, like the koozie and soundsheet, present lighthearted messages while conveying important policy platforms and political stances. Traditional items like Reagan’s button show how campaigns maintain a positive connotation and feeling throughout a campaign. These positive messages help mobilize voters and allow them to show support for a candidate and display their affiliation while reinforcing group identity. Positive campaign outreach helps establish a stronger connection between the voter and the candidate, increasing the likelihood that a voter could be persuaded by their campaign.
Credit: Darian Dodson, Madison Flores, Caden Cox, Cameron Gould, Rachel Berger, & Brennan Nivin
Item Title: Hillary "Can Do It" Presidential Campaign T-Shirt
Candidate/Campaign: Hilary Clinton, 2016 Presidential Campaign
Date: 2016
Collection: Campaign & Political Memorabilia Collection
The "I Can Do It: Vote Hilary 2016" T-shirt is modeled after the World War II icon, Rosie the Riveter. In the image, Hillary Clinton is wearing the same jean overalls and red bandana, but the "we can do it!" tag featured in the original image has been replaced with "I Can Do It." The image of Clinton as a "Rosie the Riveter" like figure appeared in a number of varitions throughout the campaign. This item was not an offical campaign item, signifiying the growth of supporters making items to show their support for a candidate that reflects popular culture. A difference in this image to other similar Clinton items is that a animated donkey from the movie, Shrek, appears in the bottom left corner.
Item Title: Peanuts Poster
Candidate/Campaign: John Tower, 1978 Senate Campaign
Date: 1978
Collection: Senator John Tower Collection
Hand-drawn Peanuts cartoon featuring Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and Lucy. Political cartoons first appeared in The Pennsylvania Gazette, May 1754. Since then, cartoons have become a popular method for conveying a specific political message or stance in an often lighthearted and simple way. John Tower, seeking re-election after alienating many
conservatives after supporting Gerald Ford over Ronald Reagan in the 1976 primary. This poster was made by a Tower supporter to show their support for Senator Tower. Snoopy is shown wearing a John Tower button.
Item Title: Nixon’s the One Flexi Disc
Candidate/Campaign: Richard Nixon, 1968 Presidential Campaign
Date: 1968
Collection: Senator John Tower Papers
This shoudsheet is a recording of excerpts from Richard Nixon’s nomination acceptance speech for his presidential run in 1968 called, “Nixon’s the One.” Soundsheets at the time were cheap and easy to mass produce. This made it easy for candidates, like Nixon, to send out several pieces of campaign material to voters to get support from voters. The idea of the soundsheet was to create a positive atmosphere for his campaign to persuade American citizens to vote for him by allowing them to feel as though they were at the party national convention.
Item Title: Beto O’Rourke for Senate 2018
Candidate/Campaign: Beto O’Rourke, 2018 Senate Campaign
Date: undated
Collection: Campaign & Political Memorabilia Collection
In the 2018 Senate Election, Beto O’Rourke was attempting to win as a Democrat in a state where a Democrat had not won in 30 years. In order to change this trend, O'Rourke knew he had to run a different kind of campaign then his opponent. He did this by swearing off PACs (political action communities), gaining a large social media following, and by promoting incredibly progressive policies. In the postcard, Beto is depicted in a heroic manner which is meant to inspire and mobilize young voters with the phrase, “Powered By People”, in running a non-PACs funded campaign.
Item Title: Hilary Clinton Sticker
Candidate/Campaign: Hilary Clinton, 2016 Presidential Campaign
Date: undated
Collection: Campaign & Political Memorabilia Collection
This item is from Hillary Clinton's campaign for the presidential nomination between June 2015 to November 2016. Women are often underrepresented in politics due to systemic gender inequality because qualities considered necessary for achievement have been attributed to men. In the popular TV show Game of Thrones, many women are powerful because they empower others. Dragons are a symbol of power and this item emphasizes Clinton’s strength and power as demonstrated by her riding the dragon. This bumper sticker shows women can be as powerful and important as men in politics. It allows drivers to show their affiliation with Clinton and the Democratic party.
Item Title: "Let's Make America Great Again" Button
Candidate/Campaign: Ronald Reagan, Presidential Campaign
Date: undated
Collection: Campaign & Political Memorabilia Collection
Campaign button from Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign featuring the phrase, "Let's MAke America Great Again." This phrase was coined from Reagan’s hopes to improve the lives of Americans and the national spirit during times of international and domestic danger. He sought to address imbalances in the federal system and improve economics in America through reinvigorating the free market system. Reagan’s message and how he delivered it resonated with voters; he understood the importance of rhetoric. This campaign button serves to catalyze the imagination and harken back to better times while allowing citizens to show support for Reagan.
Item Title: GOP Camouflage Koozie
Candidate/Campaign:
Date: undated
Collection: Campaign & Political Memorabilia Collection
Koozie created by the Texas Republican Party.
Item Title: George P. Bush: Texas Land Commissioner Koozie
Candidate/Campaign: George P. Bush, 2014 Texas Land Commissioner Campaign
Date: undated
Collection: Campaign & Political Memorabilia Collection
Koozie created by the George P. Bush campaign for Texas Land Commissioner.