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Museum of the City of New York; Tue 24–Nov 4
It’s safe to say that the eyes of the country–if not the world–are focused on the upcoming presidential election. But while McCain and Obama are funneling millions into canny TV spots, there was a time when candidates put more emphasis on the material aspect of campaign advertisements. Opening Tuesday 24 at MCNY, “Campaigning for President: New York and the American Election” unveils the various tchotchkes and trinkets contenders have utilized in their efforts to take the White House.
Even the smallest knickknacks reveal kernels of political lore: When Eugene V. Debs was forced to conduct his 1920 campaign from prison (after being convicted for speaking out against U.S. involvement in WWI), the union leader’s supporters produced pins proudly referring to him as “Convict No. 9653.” To a degree, the gambit paid off: Debs garnered 3.4 percent of the national vote, the highest ever for a Socialist Party candidate.
Many artifacts reflect a lighthearted approach to politics—as seen in an Al Gore yarmulke from 2000, “I Like Ike” socks from 1952 and a red-white-and-blue license plate from Al Smith’s 1928 run. (Other New York politicos represented include Teddy Roosevelt, Robert F. Kennedy and Geraldine Ferraro.)
Some candidates appealed to voters’ baser interests: A mechanical nose-thumber from 1880 allowed James Garfield devotees to visually deride their opponents, while onetime New York Governor Grover Cleveland issued monogrammed chamber pots and a commemorative whiskey jug (seen at left).
For McCain or Obama boosters looking to push their candidate over the top, “Campaigning for President” offers plenty of interesting—if not always sensible—possibilities.
