DARKHORSE2000 CASTS A FISHY EYE ON THE CANDIDATES' CAMPAIGN BUTTONS

Wherein the editors of DarkHorse2000 cast a fishy eye on the candidates' campaign buttons and ponder the aesthetic ramifications of those ubiquitous little public declarations of political support.

If you'd like to know more about campaign buttons, we invite you to visit our Collector's Corner (which isn't functioning yet, but will be soon) where you can meet collectors of political memorabilia and learn about the history of campaign buttons and other political tchochkes.

BILL BRADLEY

Bill Bradley's organization has produced some of the more tasteful campaign buttons on the political promotion scene. While the design of this button isn't particularly inspired or inspiring, at least it's not patently offensive to our aesthetic sensitivities. We can't help wondering about the 14 stars, though - do they have some particular significance, or was it simply that the designer intended to feature 13 stars and miscounted?

"Hi there, Bill Bradley with Channel 5 Sports..."

For a portrait button, this one isn't half-bad, though it's somewhat marred by the placement of "2000" on Bill's forehead. Was this merely an unfortunate design error or a tragically ineffective attempt to minimize Bill's receeding hairline?

This elegant signature design is one of our favorites. Bill signs his name with the boldness of a man accustomed to giving autographs, subliminally reminding us of his former sports fame. Available in both English and Spanish, this button provides the gratuitous nod to multiculturalism that seems to be de rigeur in today's political climate.

A bold design and simple, to-the-point copy, "I'm voting for Bill Bradley for President", make a strong personal statement for the wearer. The two large stars give it a bit of panache without blatancy, and the red text bands provide a visual containment that further draws attention to the name. It's a bit too forward for evening wear, but it would be entirely appropriate on a casual, single-breasted navy blazer.

PAT BUCHANAN

This was the only Buchanan button we could find, and since we're not sure if it's an official issue, we don't think it fair to slam the Buchanan Brigade for bad button design. We'll wait and give them a chance to violate the rules of good design "for all the right reasons".

GEORGE BUSH

Little George's organization offers campaign buttons aplenty, but all the graphics we tried to grab on the official site turned out to be corrupt. We think the site's designers did it on purpose to discourage wags from snagging stuff for their parody sites. C'mon, George, lighten up.

STEVE FORBES

This is one of our favorites. It's a clean, understated design, and one of the few campaign buttons that could be appropriately and tastefully worn on a conservative business suit.

It's hard to go wrong with the classic bordered portrait design that originated in the early days of campaign buttons. The portrait itself conveys both cheerfulness and reassuring responsibility, an attractive duality that engenders confidence on the part of supporters. We're not quite sure what to make of the enigmatic statement, "He wants you to win", but it sounds like something that's a Good Thing so we'll give it a thumbs-up.

AL GORE

When it comes to campaign buttons, Al Gore is the hands-down button king. The unfortunately named GoreStore offers over 100 different designs, including versions in Hebrew and American Sign Language, and even one with a pink triangle motif.

While this relatively tasteful "contemporary" design receives high marks for simplicity and elegance, in reality it is reminiscent of an aesthetic more closely akin to late fifties and early sixties "space age" design than the typography of the ninties. Still, we like it and would not be embarrassed to wear this button on an Armani suit - if we supported Gore and if we owned an Armani suit, neither of which occurrences we anticipate in the near future.

The same design placed on a dark blue background evokes the dramatic atmosphere of a starry night sky. Could the designers actually have possessed sufficient fashion sense to create variations suitable for both casual daytime wear and more formal business and evening wear? Dare we hope for such sartorial sensitivity in political button design?

Perhaps this variation was done to appeal to the gay community - or possibly to the old hippy vote - but whatever the raison d'etre, this button provides a textbook example of good design gone bad. Unless you are a member of one of the above mentioned social orders, rainbows are too passe to be given serious consideration as personal emblems.

An interesting, mildly avant-garde approach with a square format, though we can't help wondering if it might inadvertantly make an unwelcome comment on Mr. Gore's hipness deficiency. We think it's one of the better campaign button designs, but we wish they'd find a photo of Al that looks a little less like a testimonial for a cut-rate cosmetic surgeon.

This somewhat less successful variation on the square portrait button places the photo of a disturbingly shiny Al Gore against a rather garish fractured flag background to recreate a sixties pop art aesthetic. Taken in concert with the rainbow design above, we might be tempted to give credence to the supposition that Al is courting support from the ageing tie-dye set.

In a singular variation from the contemporary style of the other Gore buttons, this tastefully executed retro design harkens back to the late 19th and early 20th century styles of campaign buttons. The circular border with white stars on a blue field edged in red with the simple statement, "Gore for President in 2000", surrounding a portrait of the candidate is a classic design that is always in stylish good taste. Unfortunately, it's that same creepy picture of Al.

This stunning design is referred to as "Stained Glass", and it is indeed reminiscent of Louis Tiffany's elaborate scenic windows. We're not sure what the connection is, but there's no doubt that this is the most elegant button on the campaign scene. The eye-catching rectangular format is highly unorthodox, and may be the first campaign button to attempt this departure from the traditional circular aesthetic. We applaud the designers for their vision and the Gore organization for their willingness to risk a step beyond the conventional.

The inevitable Tipper Gore urges you to elect her husband on this colorful button that borders on the terminally silly. We're mildly amused by the button, but it reinforces our belief that Ms. Gore simply must do something with that hairstyle. Her oversprayed semi-bouffant might be appropriate for a co-anchor on the evening news or a flight attendant for a discount airline, but it's guaranteed to keep her from appearing on the cover of WWD.

VINCENT HAMM

We find Vincent Hamm's tasteful logo button one of the more visually satisfying examples of political graphic design. The restrained, vintage aesthetic suggests a return to the simple values and lost innocence of yesteryear, an implication that may or may not be appropriate to Mr. Hamm's platform, depending upon your interpretation of his views and values.

JOHN McCAIN

The McCain store has videos. t-shirts, posters and bumperstickers, but, oddly enough, no buttons. We would strongly advise, however, if they ever decide to produce campaign buttons, that they avoid using this frightening evil clown image from the official site masthead.

DONALD TRUMP

The Trump crew hasn't gotten it together yet on the business of campaign buttons (or maybe Donald just doesn't want to spend the money), but the official website uses button-like graphics for navigation so we grabbed one as an example of the Trump aesthetic. While this is not a bad design, we'll refrain from further commentary until we see the official Donald Trump buttons.

JESSE VENTURA

While he's not an official candidate yet, the Committee to Draft Jesse Ventura is hopeful enough that they're offering a dozen different Ventura button designs for fans and collectors.

While it's not actually a presidential campaign button, this one gets our vote for the best political slogan on the campaign trail. In fact, we think that slugging it out in the ring could be a viable alternative to the electoral process.

A simple yet powerful statement surmounting an amusingly well-executed cartoon portrait of Jesse should leave little doubt as to the wearer's political sentiments. The non-traditional background color could pose problems, however, in color co-ordinating the button with the palette of one's wardrobe. Somehow, though, we don't think fashion issues are a significant factor with Jesse's supporters.

This button features an editorial cartoon style illustration of Jesse in a wrestling ring. It's not legible in this illustration, but the guy Jesse is throwing out of the ring is labeled "Special Interests". Another winner in our book!

We leave you with this inspiring image...

No, Hillary isn't running for President, but we suppose there's always the threat she might consider it someday. On the other hand, if she had a makeover like this, we'd almost be tempted to vote for her - especially if she chose Jesse Ventura as her running mate.

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