Campaign Art: Political Posters That Became Timeless Masterpieces
Campaign posters are more about strategy than artistry. When they finally make it past focus groups and campaign committees, they deliver a clear political message. However, they rarely belong on your wall, let alone in a museum like the MoMA. However, every now and then, a campaign comes with something different, truly striking.
Only a handful of campaigns created some of the most visually compelling posters, and it happened particularly during times of profound social and political upheaval. In the late 60s and early 70s, amid the Vietnam War, the waves of student activism and the fight for civil rights generated the best visuals coming from the desire for freedom of expression. Two Democratic candidates, George McGovern and Eugene McCarthy, became unexpected muses for artists.
Their anti-war platforms inspired both unknown and famous artists to produce experimental campaign art that broke the tradition.
Historian Hal Elliott Wert gathered some of the most unique pieces from this era in his book George McGovern and the Democratic Insurgents. In this book, you have access to an archive of a time when political posters were more than promotional materials; they were a mix of art, statement, and rebellion. McCarthy and McGovern’s campaigns didn’t survive the ballot box, unfortunately, and in the years that followed, many campaign posters faded, with only a few scattered gems remaining.
The next true explosion in campaign art came 40 years later, with Barack Obama’s historic 2008 run.
Even if campaign posters from the last half century are long gone and buried in landfills, we can still take a step back from today’s fast-moving, tweet-fueled presidential races and appreciate the artistry of elections in the past. If you’re curious about more of the print media culture, you can check out Whistlestop, John Dickerson’s podcast on American campaign moments.
1. McCarthy’s Bold Stand Against the Vietnam War
Eugene McCarthy is one of the earliest voices against the war. He ran for the Democratic primary as a peace candidate, challenging President Lyndon Johnson. McCarthy didn’t clinch the nomination, but he certainly won the campaign art game. His posters were incredibly innovative for their era, and this one is ranked among the best posters of the ’60s’.
2. Eldridge Cleaver’s Radical Rebellion
The 1968 race was a battleground for mainstream candidates, but it stood out by featuring voices from the fringes of American politics.
Black Panther spokesman Eldridge Cleaver was the presidential nominee of the radical leftist Peace and Freedom Party. Even though Cleaver garnered only a few votes, he became a symbol of African American rebellion in a time of intense social unrest. Just months before his elections, he was wounded in an ambush at a police station in Oakland, California, so his candidacy was overshadowed by his militant activism.
George Wallace was at the opposite end of the spectrum, running under the banner of the American Independent Party,, and the contract between these two candidates reflected the political division of the era.
The Clever for President poster may not belong in an art museum, but it is a remarkable reflection of its time,, and it clearly has its place in a history museum.
3. Shirley Chisholm’s Groundbreaking Candidacy
Back in 1972, Rep. Shirley Chisholm made history by becoming the first Black woman to run for president as a major party candidate. An advocate for justice, the Brooklyn congresswoman ran on a platform of gender and racial equality, economic opportunity, and the end of the Vietnam War. She famously described herself in a phrase that became both the title of her autobiography and her campaign slogan: “unbought and unbossed”.
Chisholm won the New Jersey Democratic primary, and even if she lost the nomination to George McGovern, her candidacy paved the road for women and people of color in politics.
Her campaign was incredibly dangerous. She survived three assassination attempts during the race, which is a sobering reminder of the hostility she needed to face simply by daring to run.
This campaign poster created by the activist Mary Corita Kent, a former nun, blends bold colors with an inscription of a poem by Langston Hughes. It’s an artistic tribute to courage and vision. It stands as a statement to a woman who refused to accept limitations.
4. George McGovern’s Progressive Vision
In the same year, 1972, Sen. George McGovern, a progressive, pro-peace voice, secured the Democratic nomination. His victory came at a time when the party and the whole country were fractured. Historian Hal Elliott Wert stated, “The civil rights movement was in turmoil, the counterculture was rapidly disintegrating, and the antiwar movement was in shambles.”
McGovern’s nomination was a cause of celebration for the left. Artists reacted in kind ways, flooding the campaign with experimental visuals. One of the most striking was the “Robin McGovern” design that circulated as a poster and a button at the same time, mirroring the spirit of youthful idealism fueling his campaign.
The artistic enthusiasm didn’t bring electoral success, so McGovern was crushed by Richard Nixon in one of the biggest defeats in US history.
Years later, journalist Hunter S. Thompson asked McGovern what had gone wrong: “Do you think you ran a ’68 campaign in ’72?” McGovern admitted that might have been the case. Much of America had shifted toward the center-right by then, as a reaction to the turbulence of the previous decade. Even if the dream of a McGovern presidency faded, the campaign’s legacy is still one of the most vibrant in American political history.
5. Geraldine Ferraro’s Historic 1984 Run
Another wave of striking visuals came in 1984 when Democrat Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman to be nominated for vice president by a major party. This poster is inspired by the French painting Liberty Leading the People. Ferraro was reimagined as Ladyiberty herself, leading the charge for the Equal Rights Amendment.
Despite the powerful symbolism, the campaign resulted in another one of the most crushing defeats in US history, almost as brutal as McGovern’s loss to Nixon. Ferarro’s candidacy remained a milestone,, and the poster is a reminder of the moment she shattered one of the highest glass ceilings in American politics.
6. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition
Rev. Jesse Jackson made history as the first truly viable Black presidential candidate in the 1984 Democratic primaries. If Shirley Chisholm had blazed the trail in 1972, with little chance of success, as she admitted, Jackson built a broad coalition and ran on a platform of inclusivity—e Rainbow Coalition.
Capturing the essence of Jackson’s movement, artist Jack Hammer created this vibrant poster with bold colors reflecting diversity and unity.
Jackson fell short in 1984, but he returned for another run in 1988 when he gained even more momentum. He won almost 30% of the total primary vote, but he ultimately lost to Michael Dukakis, who secured a percentage of about 42.
His campaigns reshaped the Democratic Party, proving that candidates of color could really compete on the national stage, aiming for an inspiring future for generations to come.
You can get the amazing Presidential Campaigns: From George Washington to George W. Bushon on Amazon: Kindle edition, or Hardcover if you want it to become a precious item in your personal library.
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