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Symbols & Mascots

The language of politics is full of references to dark horses, lame ducks, pork, and other animals. The bald eagle, of course, is one of the most recognizable of American political symbols. Throughout American history, campaigns have used animal emblems and other symbols to stress the merits of individual candidates and to build party solidarity. The candidate’s totem and the party’s mascot have been potent rallying points for supporters, as William Henry Harrison’s 1840 campaign first demonstrated with its log cabins and barrels of cider. Other candidates have likened themselves to raccoons (Henry Clay), possums (William Howard Taft), and axe-wielding rail-splitters (Abraham Lincoln). Likewise, donkeys, roosters, tigers, elephants, and moose have all served as party mascots, each with its own set of virtues.

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