Campaign pin for Michael Dukakis in 1988, featuring past Democratic presidents
Object number2015.071.0001
Date1988
ClassificationsArtifacts
ObjectPin
Credit LineThe Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza Collection
MediumMetal
DimensionsDiameter: 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm)
Collections
DescriptionMetal campaign pin for the Michael Dukakis campaign during the 1988 presidential election.
Under the words "Democratic Integrity" there are six color portrait images of Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John F. Kennedy in front of an American flag. The center image at the bottom is of Dukakis over the words "Dukakis in '88."
The pin has a metal backing with a clasp pin. Text along the bottom edge reads: "(c)1988 Creative Photo Crafts, Toledo, OH 43605."
Curatorial CommentaryPresident Lyndon Johnson recognized the power of the Kennedy legacy in the immediate aftermath of the assassination, and he used it to great political effect during the 1964 election. Virtually every Democratic presidential candidate since that time has included the image or the words of John F. Kennedy in their campaign materials, holding up the late president as a shining example of party leadership -- and also tapping into the unfulfilled hope and promise that Kennedy represents. Some candidates, including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, have been specifically compared to John F. Kennedy in terms of their optimism and soaring rhetoric. - Stephen Fagin, Curator
