List of U.S. presidential campaign slogans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1800–1896[edit]

1840[edit]

1844[edit]

1848[edit]

1852[edit]

1856[edit]

  • "Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Speech, Free Men, Fremont" – 1856 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of John Fremont
  • "Fremont and freedom" – John Fremont
  • "We'll Buck 'em in '56"James Buchanan, playing on "Old Buck", the nickname associated with his last name. (Also "We Po'ked 'em in '44, we Pierced 'em in '52, and we'll Buck 'em in '56". See Franklin Pierce, 1852.)

1860[edit]

  • "Vote yourself a farm and horses"Abraham Lincoln, referring to Republican support for a law granting homesteads on the American frontier areas of the West.
  • "The Union must and shall be preserved!" – Abraham Lincoln
  • "Protection to American industry" – Abraham Lincoln
  • "True to the Union and the Constitution to the last." – Stephen A. Douglas
  • "The champion of popular sovereignty." – Stephen A. Douglas
  • "The Union now and forever" – Stephen A. Douglas
  • The Union and the Constitution" – John Bell (Also "John Bell and the Constitution", and "The Union, the Constitution, and the enforcement of the laws.")

1864[edit]

  • "Don't change horses midstream"Abraham Lincoln
  • "Union, liberty, peace" – Abraham Lincoln
  • "For Union and Constitution" – Abraham Lincoln (Also "The Union and the Constitution")
  • "An honorable, permanent and happy peace." – George B. McClellan

1868[edit]

  • "Let Us Have Peace" – 1868 presidential campaign slogan of Ulysses S. Grant
  • "Vote as You Shoot" – 1868 presidential campaign slogan of Ulysses S. Grant
  • "Peace, Union, and constitutional government." – Horatio Seymour

1872[edit]

1876[edit]

  • "Tilden and Reform" – Samuel Tilden
  • "Honest Sam Tilden" – Samuel Tilden
  • "Tilden or Blood!" – 1877 slogan of Tilden supporters during conflict that led to the Compromise of 1877
  • "Hayes the true and Wheeler too" – Slogan and campaign song title for Rutherford B. Hayes and William A. Wheeler, with song adapted from 1840s "Tippecanoe and Tyler too".
  • "The boys in blue vote for Hayes and Wheeler" – Hayes' appeal to fellow Union Army veterans.

1884[edit]

  • "Rum, Romanism and Rebellion" – Republican attack because of supposed Democratic support for consuming alcoholic beverages, Catholic immigrants, and the Confederacy.
  • "Ma, Ma, where's my Pa?" – Used by James G. Blaine supporters against Grover Cleveland. The slogan referred to the allegation that Cleveland had fathered an illegitimate child. When Cleveland was elected, his supporters added "Gone to the White House, Ha, Ha, Ha!"
  • "Burn this letter!" – Cleveland supporters' attack on Blaine's supposed corruption, quoting a line from Blaine correspondence that became public.
  • "Tell the Truth!" – Cleveland's advice to his supporters after the allegations of his illegitimate child came to light.
  • "Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine! The continental liar from the state of Maine!" – Cleveland campaign attack on Blaine's alleged corruption in office.

1888[edit]

  • "Rejuvenated Republicanism"[4]Benjamin Harrison
  • "Grandfather's hat fits Ben!"[8]Benjamin Harrison, referring to his grandfather, William Henry Harrison
  • "Tippecanoe and Morton too" – Slogan and campaign song title for Benjamin Harrison and Levi P. Morton, with song adapted from 1840s "Tippecanoe and Tyler too".
  • "Unnecessary taxation oppresses industry." – Grover Cleveland
  • "Reduce the tariff on necessaries of life." – Grover Cleveland

1892[edit]

  • "Our choice: Cleve and Steve."Grover Cleveland and Adlai Stevenson
  • "Tariff Reform" – Grover Cleveland
  • "No Force Bill." – Grover Cleveland (To which southern Democrats appended "No Negro Domination!")
  • "Harrison and Protection." – Benjamin Harrison
  • "Protection-Reciprocity-Honest Money." – Benjamin Harrison

1896[edit]

1900–1996[edit]

1900[edit]

  • "Four more years of the full dinner pail" – William McKinley
  • "Let Well Enough Alone" – William McKinley

1904[edit]

1908[edit]

1912[edit]

1916[edit]

  • "America First and America Efficient" – Charles Evans Hughes
  • "He has kept us out of war."Woodrow Wilson 1916 U.S. presidential campaign slogan
  • "He proved the pen mightier than the sword." – Woodrow Wilson 1916 U.S. presidential campaign slogan
  • "War in the East, Peace in the West, Thank God for Woodrow Wilson." – Woodrow Wilson 1916 U.S. presidential campaign slogan
  • "War in Europe – Peace in America – God Bless Wilson" – Woodrow Wilson 1916 U.S. presidential campaign slogan

1920[edit]

1924[edit]

1928[edit]

  • "Who but Hoover?" – 1928 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Herbert Hoover.[11]
  • "A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage" – Commonly cited version of a claim asserted in a Republican Party flier on behalf of the 1928 U.S. presidential campaign of Herbert Hoover.[12]
  • "Honest. Able. Fearless." – Al Smith
  • "All for 'Al' and 'Al' for All." – Al Smith
  • "Make your wet dreams come true." – Al Smith, referring to his stand in favor of repealing Prohibition.

1932[edit]

  • "Happy Days Are Here Again" – 1932 slogan by Democratic presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt.
  • "We are turning the corner" – 1932 campaign slogan in the depths of the Great Depression by Republican president Herbert Hoover.

1936[edit]

  • "Defeat the New Deal and Its Reckless Spending" – 1936 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Alfred M. Landon
  • "Let's Get Another Deck" – 1936 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Alfred M. Landon, using a card game metaphor to answer the "new deal" cards metaphor of Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • "Let's Make It a Landon-Slide" – 1936 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Alfred M. Landon
  • "Life, Liberty, and Landon" – 1936 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Alfred M. Landon
  • "Remember Hoover!" – 1936 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • "Forward with Roosevelt" – Franklin Roosevelt

1940[edit]

  • "Better A Third Termer than a Third Rater" – 1940 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • "I Want Roosevelt Again!" – Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • "Willkie for the Millionaires, Roosevelt for the Millions" – Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • "Carry on with Roosevelt" – Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • "No Third Term" – 1940 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Wendell L. Willkie
  • "No Fourth Term Either" – Wendell Willkie
  • "Roosevelt for Ex-President" – 1940 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Wendell Willkie
  • "There's No Indispensable Man" – 1940 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Wendell L. Willkie
  • "We Want Willkie" – 1940 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Wendell L. Willkie
  • "Win with Willkie" – 1940 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Wendell L. Willkie

1944[edit]

  • "Don't swap horses in midstream" – 1944 campaign slogan of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The slogan was also used by Abraham Lincoln in the 1864 election.
  • "We are going to win this war and the peace that follows" – 1944 campaign slogan in the midst of World War II by Democratic president Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • "Dewey or don't we" – Thomas E. Dewey
  • "Win the war quicker with Dewey and Bricker" - 1944 campaign slogan during World War II in support of Thomas E. Dewey and his vice presidential nominee, John W. Bricker

1948[edit]

1952[edit]

1956[edit]

  • "I still like Ike" – 1956 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • "Peace and Prosperity" – 1956 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • "Adlai and Estes – The Bestest" – Adlai Stevenson and Estes Kefauver
  • "The Winning Team" – Adlai Stevenson and Estes Kefauver

1960[edit]

  • "A time for greatness" – U.S. presidential campaign theme of John F. Kennedy (Kennedy also used "We Can Do Better" and "Leadership for the 60s").
  • "Peace, Experience, Prosperity" – Richard Nixon's slogan showing his expertise over Kennedy.[14]
  • "Experience Counts" - Richard Nixon slogan boasting the experience of the Nixon Lodge ticket.
  • "Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy" – Catchy jingle extolling Kennedy's virtues.

1964[edit]

  • "All the way with LBJ" – 1964 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Lyndon B. Johnson
  • "In Your Heart, You Know He's Right" – 1964 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Barry Goldwater
  • "In Your Guts, You Know He's Nuts" – 1964 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Lyndon B. Johnson supporters, answering Goldwater's slogan
  • "The Stakes Are Too High For You To Stay Home" - 1964 U.S. campaign slogan of Lyndon B. Johnson, as seen in The Daisy Ad[15]

1968[edit]

  • "Some People Talk Change, Others Cause It" – Hubert Humphrey, 1968
  • "This time, vote like your whole world depended on it" – 1968 slogan of Richard Nixon
  • "To Begin Anew..." – Eugene McCarthy, 1968[16]
  • "Nixon's the One" – Richard M. Nixon, 1968
  • "Send them a Message" – George Wallace, 1968

1972[edit]

  • "Nixon Now" – Richard M. Nixon, 1972[17] (also, "Nixon Now, More than Ever")
  • "Come home, America" – George McGovern, 1972[18]
  • "Acid, Amnesty, and Abortion for All" – 1972 anti-Democratic Party slogan, from a statement made to reporter Bob Novak by Missouri Senator Thomas F. Eagleton (as related in Novak's 2007 memoir, Prince of Darkness)
  • "Dick Nixon Before He Dicks You" – Popular anti-Nixon slogan, 1972[19]
  • "They can't lick our Dick" – Popular campaign slogan for Nixon supporters[20]
  • "Don't change Dicks in the midst of a screw, vote for Nixon in '72" – Popular campaign slogan for Nixon supporters[20]
  • "Unbought and Unbossed" – official campaign slogan for Shirley Chisholm

1976[edit]

  • "He's making us proud again" – Gerald Ford
  • "Not Just Peanuts"Jimmy Carter[4]
  • "A Leader, for a Change" (also "Leaders, for a Change") – Jimmy Carter
  • "Why not the Best?" – Jimmy Carter
  • "Peaches And Cream" – Jimmy Carter (from Georgia) and running mate Walter Mondale (from Minnesota)

1980[edit]

1984[edit]

1988[edit]

1992[edit]

  • "For People, for a Change" – 1992 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Bill Clinton
  • "It's Time to Change America" – a theme of the 1992 U.S. presidential campaign of Bill Clinton
  • "Putting People First" – 1992 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Bill Clinton
  • "It's the economy, stupid" – originally intended for an internal audience, it became the de facto slogan for the Bill Clinton campaign
  • "Stand by the President" – George H. W. Bush
  • "A Proud Tradition" – George H. W. Bush
  • "Don't Change the Team in the Middle of the Stream" – George H. W. Bush and Dan Quayle
  • "America First" – Pat Buchanan
  • "Down with King George" – Pat Buchanan, in reference to Bush
  • "Send Bush a Message" – Pat Buchanan
  • "Conservative of the Heart" – Pat Buchanan
  • "A Voice for the Voiceless" – Pat Buchanan
  • "Ross for Boss" – Ross Perot
  • "I'm Ross, and you're the Boss!" – Ross Perot
  • "Leadership for a Change" – Ross Perot

1996[edit]

  • "Building a bridge to the twenty-first century" – Bill Clinton
  • "Bob Dole. A Better Man. For a Better America." or "The Better Man for a Better America" – Bob Dole
  • "Go Pat Go" – Pat Buchanan

2000–present[edit]

2000[edit]

2004[edit]

Republican Party candidates[edit]

Democratic Party candidates[edit]

Libertarian Party candidates[edit]

2008[edit]

Democratic Party candidates[edit]

  • "Yes We Can"Barack Obama campaign chant, 2008
  • "We are the ones we've been waiting for." – 2008 U.S. presidential campaign rallying cry of Barack Obama during the Democratic convention in Denver.
  • "Change We Can Believe In." – 2008 US presidential campaign slogan of Barack Obama
  • "Change We Need." and "Change." – 2008 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Barack Obama during the general election.
  • "Fired up! Ready to go!"Barack Obama campaign chant, 2008
  • "Hope" – 2008 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Barack Obama during the general election.
  • "Ready for change, ready to lead" – Hillary Clinton campaign slogan, also "Big Challenges, Real Solutions: Time to Pick a President," "In to Win," "Working for Change, Working for You," and "The strength and experience to make change happen."[22]

Republican Party candidates[edit]

Independent candidates[edit]

Libertarian Party candidates[edit]

2012[edit]

Democratic Party candidates[edit]

  • "Forward"2012 U.S. presidential slogan of Barack Obama.
  • "Middle Class First" - 2012 U.S. presidential slogan of Barack Obama.

Republican Party candidates[edit]

Libertarian Party candidates[edit]

  • "The People's President" – Gary Johnson campaign slogan
  • "Live Free" – Gary Johnson campaign slogan

Green Party candidates[edit]

Constitution Party candidates[edit]

2016[edit]

Republican Party candidates[edit]

Democratic Party candidates[edit]

Libertarian Party candidates[edit]

Green Party candidates[edit]

Independents[edit]

  • "It's never too late to do the right thing" – used by Evan McMullin

2020[edit]

Democratic Party candidates[edit]

Republican Party candidates[edit]

  • "Keep America Great" – used by Donald Trump's campaign
  • "Make America Great Again Again" – used by Trump's campaign
  • "Promises Made, Promises Kept" – used by Trump's campaign
  • "Buy American, Hire American" – used by Trump's campaign
  • "Make Our Farmers Great Again" – used by Trump's campaign
  • "Build the Wall and Crime Will Fall" – used by Trump's campaign
  • "Jobs Not Mobs" – used by Trump's campaign
  • "Leadership America Deserves"  – used by Bill Weld's campaign

Libertarian Party candidates[edit]

  • "Real change for real people" – used by Jo Jorgensen's campaign.
  • "She's With Us" – used by Jorgensen's campaign.
  • "Don't Vote McAfee" – used by John McAfee's campaign
  • "Advance Liberty" – used by Arvin Vohra's campaign
  • "Lincoln for Liberty"  – used by Lincoln Chafee's campaign.

Green Party candidates[edit]

  • "For Our Future" – used by Howie Hawkins' campaign
  • "For an Ecosocialist Green New Deal" – used by Hawkins' campaign

Constitution Party candidates[edit]

2024[edit]

Democratic Party candidates[edit]

Republican Party candidates[edit]

Libertarian Party candidates[edit]

  • "Chase-ing Freedom" – being used by Chase Oliver's campaign.
  • "The Gold New Deal" – being used by Mike ter Maat's campaign.

Independent candidate[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Braiker, Brian (July 14, 2004). "They Might Be Onto Something". Newsweek. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  2. ^ "American Political Prints 1766-1876". loc.harpweek.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016.
  3. ^ "54° 40' or Fight". ushistory.org. Archived from the original on July 20, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Presidential Campaign Slogans". presidentsusa.net. Archived from the original on February 8, 2014.
  5. ^ Berliner, David C. (June 3, 1973). "Frelinghuysen: Moderate Republican". The New York Times. New York, NY. Archived from the original on May 10, 2018.
  6. ^ Heritage-Slater Political Memorabilia and Americana Auction Catalog #625. Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.: Dallas, TX. 2005. p. 179. ISBN 9781932899672.
  7. ^ "Slogans in Presidential Campaigns" (PDF). The Center for Civic Education. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  8. ^ Conradt, Stacy (October 8, 2008). "The Quick 10: 10 Campaign Slogans of the Past". Mental Floss. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  9. ^ "Posters and Election Propaganda: "America First" – Communication Management and Design – Ithaca College". ithaca.edu. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017.
  10. ^ "One Hundred Years Ago, Eugene Debs Gave An Anti-War Speech That Landed Him in Prison". Common Dreams. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  11. ^ Gallery 5: The Logical Candidate Archived October 6, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The Hoover Library & Museum.
  12. ^ A Chicken for Every Pot, U.S. government archive.
  13. ^ ""The Buck Stops Here" Desk sign | Harry S. Truman". trumanlibrary.gov. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  14. ^ "1960". July 5, 2011.
  15. ^ "1964 redux: The stakes are too high for you to stay at home". May 12, 2016.
  16. ^ Nichols, John (December 11, 2005). "Eugene McCarthy's Lyrical Politics". The Nation (blog). Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  17. ^ Nixon Now (Nixon, 1972) Archived October 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Museum of the Moving Image (2012).
  18. ^ Nichols, John (October 19, 2012). "The Genius of McGovern's 'Come Home, America' Vision". The Nation. New York, NY. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016.
  19. ^ Dudden, Arthur Power (May 10, 1989). American Humor. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195050547 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ a b "Will Rabbe, Producer, Journalist & Historian – Blog – Most Underrated Political Slogan: "They Can't Lick Our Dick"". willrabbe.com. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  21. ^ Tumulty, Karen (January 18, 2017). "How Donald Trump came up with 'Make America Great Again'". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  22. ^ Smith, Ben (January 3, 2008). "Undecided: Hillary keeps shifting slogans". Politico. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
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  24. ^ Hollywood double takes (#3) "Hollywood double takes: Actors who take on famous faces - NY Daily News". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on December 24, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  25. ^ Sweeney, Dan (December 28, 2015). "Jeb comes to South Florida, sans exclamation mark". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
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  27. ^ "2016 Presidential Campaign Slogan Survey". tagline guru. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  28. ^ Allen, Mike (April 6, 2015). "Rand Paul unveils populist, anti-establishment slogan". Politico. Archived from the original on December 28, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  29. ^ Nelson, Angela (December 26, 2015). "Huckabee's Hope is From "Tree Town" to Higher Ground". KIOW. Pilot Knob Broadcasting. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  30. ^ Ashley Killough (July 3, 2015). "Designers critique campaign logos". CNN. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  31. ^ "Campaign 2016: Carly Fiorina, GOP Presidential Candidate". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  32. ^ The Best & Worst 2016 Campaign Logos, Bloomberg L.P., June 5, 2015, archived from the original on December 21, 2021, retrieved October 1, 2018
  33. ^ Benen, Steve (July 26, 2016). "Michelle Obama: 'When they go low, we go high'". MSNBC. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2016.