Many of today’s political candidates harness social media to rally the electorate. But what did politicians do before the advent of Twitter and Facebook? Check out these behind-the-scenes photos of objects from past campaigns in the museum’s Political History collection:
Barack Obama and Teddy Roosevelt dolls
Michael Dukakis and Jesse Jackson pencil-top souvenirs
Assortment of campaign souvenirs
Dwight Eisenhower campaign buttons
New technology may allow candidates to efficiently reach more potential voters, but can a Tweet create the same kind of personal connection as a tangible object, like a button or pen? Tell us what you think.
To learn more about voting in America, check out our online exhibition Vote: The Machinery of Democracy.
Ben Miller is an intern in the New Media program at the the National Museum of American History.