2014 Will Mark 50th Anniversary of Lyndon Johnson Presidential Election
January 14, 2014 – The remembrance of the 50th anniversary of historical events from the 1960s will continue this year with a now half century since 1964 when President
Lyndon Johnson was elected in his own right.
After becoming the 36th President of the United States following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963, Johnson moved swiftly on a number of legislative fronts.
On January 8, 1964, President Johnson delivered his State of The Union address which since has become known as the “War on Poverty” speech.
In response to the speech, the United Sates Congress would go on to pass the Economic Opportunity Act that created the Office of Economic Opportunity whose responsibility it would be to oversee the local use of federal monies against poverty.
Later that year Congress would pass the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, which Johnson would sign into law on July 2, 1964.
Why there was little doubt that Johnson would be nominated at the Democratic Convention held in Atlantic City , New Jersey it was still unknown in the weeks leading us to the convention who he would pick to be his vice presidential running mate.
A famous issue of Life Magazine from 1964 features a picture of 9 different Lyndon Johnson campaign buttons each picturing him with a different running mate.
There was a Lyndon Johnson Adlai Stevenson campaign button, a Lyndon Johnson Robert F. Kennedy campaign button, a Lyndon Johnson Eugene McCarthy campaign button, a Lyndon Johnson Robert McNamara campaign button and even a campaign button for the eventual winning ticket of 1964 a Lyndon Johnson and Hubert Humphrey campaign button.
Johnson’s opponent on the Republican side would be Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater. There would be an abundance of campaign buttons 
produced for both Johnson and Goldwater.
1964 Johnson Humphrey campaign buttons can be found with both pictures and word only pinbacks. Many Johnson presidential campaign buttons would features the slogan “All The Way With LBJ.”
Barry Goldwater campaign button would feature him with his vice presidential running Congressman Bill Miller. In addition to Goldwater Miller campaign buttons, many Goldwater campaign buttons would feature his trademark dark black glasses.
Johnson would go on to easily defeat Goldwater in the November election winning 44 states to only 6 for the man from Arizona.
While Goldwater was crushed in the Johnson landslide of 1964, Goldwater’s campaign has since become known as the moment that the modern Republican Party conservative movement was born.
Christie Apologizes Over Bridgegate Scandal
January 9, 2014 - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie apologized today for the September 2013 lane closures on the the George 
Washington Bridge after his aide is linked through text and emails to the scandal which has become know as Bridgegate.
At a packed news conference in Trenton, Christie stated that “I come out here to apologize to the people of New Jersey. I apologize to the people of Fort Lee and I apologize to the members of the state Legislature. I am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my team."
The Bridgegate scandal exploded on January 8, 2014 , when text and e-mails appeared to reveal that a senior aide to Christie, Bridget Anne Kelly and a Christie appointee to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey David Wildstein , orchestrated the lane closures at the Fort Lee, NJ approach to the George Washington Bridge in September of 2013.
In a electonic message three weeks before the lane closues, Kelly wrote "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee." Wildstein messaged back "Got it."
The alleged cause for the lane closures was retribution againt the Democratic Mayor of Fort Lee Mark Sokolich who had refused to endorse
the Republican Christie's reelection bid. Wildstein had already resigned from his post at the Port Authority. Christie fired Kelly this morning for her participation.
At his press conference, Christie said "I take this action today because it’s my job. I am responsible for what happened. I am sad to report to the people of New Jersey that we fell short. We fell short of the expectations that we’ve created over the last four years for the type of excellence in government that they should expect from this office."
Governor Christie added "I had no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or its execution, and I am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here. Regardless of what the facts ultimately uncover, this was handled in a callous and indifferent way and it is not the way this administration has conducted itself over the last four years, and not the way it will conduct itself over the next four."
In further trying to put this scandal behind him Christie said that he would travel to For Lee today to apologize in person to the Mayor and the people of the community for the turmoil and traffic jams caused by the lane closures. “I also need to apologize to them for my failure of the governor of this state to understand the true nature of this problem sooner than I did," Christie said. "I believe I have an understanding of the true nature of the problem," Christie said.
Political pundits could only speculate as to what the long term damage would be to any presidential campaign that Christie might mount in 2016. One political guru stated that should Christie run he could expect to see negative adds run against him featuring the Bridgegate scandal. Furthermore there will probably be a run of Chris Christie campaign button lampooning him for the Bridgegate scandal. Expect to see Chris Christie a Bridge to No Where campaign buttons and Chris Christie a Bridge to Far appearing soon.
While Christie made an all out effort today to put the scandal behind him, both federal and state investigations will probably keep this issue in the news for months to come.
Clinton Swears Into Office NYC Mayor de Blasio
January 2, 2013 - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was sworn into office yesterday by former President Bill Clinton. Mayor de
Blasio became the first Democratic Mayor of New York City in 20 years.
Clinton and de Blasio have known each other for many years. In 1997 de Blasio was appointed as the Regional Director of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for New York and New Jersey during the Clinton administration. In 2000 , de Blasio served as campaign manager for Hillary Clinton's successful run for U.S. Senate from the state of New York.
Also on hand for the inauguration of de Basilio was former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and fellow 2016 presidential hopeful New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Collecting 3rd Party Presidential Campiagn Buttons
December 27, 2013 - Collecting 3rd Party presidential campaign buttons allows for boundless opportunities to acquire new items as 3rd Parties have been so prolific in the political history of the United States.
Some of the best known 3rd Party presidential candidates of the twentieth century have been former President Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, Alabama Governor George Wallace in 1968 and more recently businessman Ross Perot in 1992.
For all these candidates a wide range of campaign buttons and other campaign related materials were issued. For Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 running under the Progressive/Bull Moose party there are simple word campaign buttons available along with pins picturing Roosevelt by himself or with his running mate Hiram Johnson.
An interesting fact about the 1912 presidential race is that Roosevelt came in second in the popular voting to the third place finish of Republican William Howard Taft. Roosevelt even bested Taft in the all important Electoral College winning 88 votes to Taft’s eight.
1948 would be the next time that a 3rd Party presidential candidate would win electoral votes. Pollsters in 1948 had predicted that New York Governor Thomas Dewey was assured of defeating President Harry Truman. 
Truman not only had to contend with Thomas Dewey, but also in the south where State's Right Democratic Party nominee Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina would capture 39 electoral votes in the November election.
Former Vice President Henry Wallace, who served from 1941 - 1945 under President Franklin Roosevelt, would also mount a 3rd Party campaign under the banner of the Progressive Party. For both Henry Wallace and Strom Thurmond there are campaign button available, but Wallace 1948 campaign buttons seem more prevalent.
Visit a flea market or antique store and it is not uncommon to find a George Wallace for president campaign button. Running as an independent in 1968, George Wallace went on to finish third in the popular vote, but is also the last third party candidate to have won any electoral votes, acquiring 46. There was a wide variety of Wallace campaign buttons created in 1968 from word buttons to photo buttons featuring Wallace with his running mate General Curtis Le May.
In 1972 George Wallace would go on to compete in that year’s Democratic Party presidential primaries. Wallace’s quest for the Democratic nomination ended when he was severely wounded by an assassin while campaigning in Maryland on May 15, 1972.
Following Wallace the next significant 3rd Party presidential campaign would be mounted by Republican Illinois Congressman John Anderson in 1980. With President Jimmy Carter running for re-election against Republican Ronald Reagan, Anderson would draw enough attention in the polls that he would be included in a presidential debate that was held on September 21, 1980.
Carter however would refuse to participate in any debates that also included Anderson, and did not attend. Reagan would win in a landslide with 50% of the vote followed by Carter with 41% and Anderson with 6.6% of the vote.
A wide variety of campaign buttons were produced for Anderson. There are also a number of picture Anderson Lucey campaign buttons that feature the ticket of John Anderson and Patrick Lucey.
1992 saw the emergence of 3rd Party presidential candidate Ross Perot. A successful billionaire businessman, Perot had what other 3rd Party candidates could only dream, of that being unlimited financial resources.
Perot announced his intention to enter the presidential race during an interview on the Larry King program on February 20, 1992. His stance on issues including 
balancing the federal budget, ending outsourcing of jobs and a strong support of pro-choice on abortion combined with his down home populist personality caught fire with the American people. Steadily Perot saw his poll numbers increase until finally in June of 1992 he led the presidential race with 39% for himself followed by 31% for President George H.W. Bush and 25% for Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton.
The June ’92 poll standings would be the highlight of the Perot campaign, as internal tension in the campaign itself would lead to the resignation of senior campaign stagiest Ed Rollins who resigned after Perot fired advertisement specialist Hal Riney. On July 16, 1992 Perot would leave the presidential race.
On October 1, 1992 with Bill Clinton now firmly in the lead, Perot would re-enter the race. On Election Day, Perot would come in third in the popular vote with Bush in second place and in first place and winning the presidency Bill Clinton.
There is an abundance of Ross Perot campaign buttons from 1992 because in addition to vendors producing political items, grass roots organizations throughout the country would produce materials unique to their state or region. There were many full color picture campaign buttons produced for Perot along with some that featured his running mate Admiral James Stockdale.
Perot would mount another 3rd Party presidential campaign in 1996. This time he would run under the banner of the Reform Party, a party Perot founded in 1995. For a running mate in 1996 Perot choose economist Pat Choate and Perot Choate campaign buttons are available in both word and picture campaign buttons.
The enthusiasm for Perot in 1996 could not match that of 1992, and he would only draw 8% of the vote compared to the 18.9% he garnered four years previously.
While 3rd Party presidential candidates like George Wallace and Ross Perot drew much attention during their respective races, there are many other candidates that attract little media exposure. The general public may not be aware of these more obscure candidates yet they still generate campaign buttons and other campaign memorabilia to be pursued by collectors.
There are campaign buttons for the 1968 ticket of Dick Gregory and Dr. Benjamin Spock who were the nominees of the Peace and Freedom Party.
The Prohibition Party has a handsome campaign button jugate of the 1976 ticket of Calvin Bubar Jr., and Earl Dodge. 
There is a variety of campaign buttons available for 1996 Green Party ticket standard bearer Ralph Nader.
There are also presidential campaign buttons for the Communist Party, the Socialist Party, the American Party, the Libertarian Party and many others.
Collecting 3rd Party presidential candidates is a fun pursuit. To see the 3rd Party presidential campaign buttons and memorabilia that is available on campaignbuttons-etc click on the following link: 3rd Party Candidates
Christie Continues to Lead Clinton in New 2016 Poll
December 27, 2013 – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie continues to have a slight lead over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a new 2016 presidential poll.
Christie edges out Clinton 48% to 46% in the latest presidential poll. The race though is essentially tied as the 2% spread is within the poll’s margin of error. This continues a string of polls since Christie landslide re-election victory in November where he has either tied or slightly beats Clinton.
The poll also measured Clinton’s strength against other potential 2016 GOP opponents, all of who she easily out distances.
When matched against Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, she receives 52% to Ryan’s 44%.
After Ryan, the poll projects Hillary Clinton would beat any other GOP candidate by a double digit margin.
Clinton tops Senator Rand Poll of Kentucky by 13%, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas by 18%, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida by 19%, and former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush by 21%.