Slogan

A slogan is a memorable phrase used in a political, commercial, religious, and other contexts as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose.

Slogans vary from the written and the visual to the chanted and the vulgar. Often their simple rhetorical nature leaves little room for detail, and as such they serve perhaps more as a social expression of unified purpose, rather than a projection for an intended audience.

The word "slogan" comes from sluagh-ghairm (pronounced slogorm), which is Scottish Gaelic for "battle-cry".

Slogans and the age of media

Slogans are attractive particularly in the modern age of informational bombardment from numerous media sources. Although they can support critical thought, they often curtail or replace it. In controversial wars,for example, opposing slogans like "blood for oil" vs. "cut and run" appeal to emotional assent rather than solid exploration of opposing viewpoints. Slogans are a core part of propaganda and indoctrination. They can be classified in two main categories:

A political slogan generally expresses a goal or aim ("Workers of the world, unite!"), or sum up an ideology or belief.
Whereas an advertising slogan is most often intended as a memorable identifier ("The real thing").

U.S. presidential political slogans (listed alphabetically)

Acid, Amnesty, and Abortion - 1972 anti-Democratic Party slogan, from a statement reputedly by "Scoop" Jackson (a Democrat) about the platform of George McGovern.^[1]

A Chicken in Every Pot. A car in every garage — 1928 republican presidential campaign slogan of Herbert Hoover.

All the way with LBJ —1964 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Lyndon Johnson

A time for greatness 1960 U.S. presidential campaign theme of John F. Kennedy (Kennedy also used, "We Can Do Better").

Are You Better Off Now Than You Were Four Years Ago? — a 1980 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Ronald Reagan that referred to the often poor economy that plagued the Jimmy Carter presidency.

Back to normalcy 1920 U.S. presidential campaign theme of Warren G. Harding, reference to returning to normal times following World War I

Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine. Continental Liar from the state of Maine 1884 U.S. presidential campaign slogan used by the supporters of Grover Cleveland, Blaine's opponent

Bozo and the Pineapple —Uncomplimentary name given to the 1976 U.S. presidential campaign ticket of Gerald Ford and Bob Dole.

Don't swap horses in midstream — 1864 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Abraham Lincoln

Four more years of the full dinner pail 1900 U.S. presidential slogan of William McKinley

Free Soil, Free Men, Fremont 1856 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of John Fremont

Grandfather's hat fits Ben 1888 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Benjamin Harrison, whose grandfather William Henry Harrison was elected U.S. president in 1840.

He kept us out of war Woodrow Wilson 1916 U.S. Presidential campaign slogan, also "He proved the pen mightier than the sword"

I like Ike 1952 U.S presidential campaign slogan of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

I propose (to the American people) a New Deal - 1932 slogan by democratic presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt.

I still like Ike - 1956 U.S presidential campaign slogan of Dwight D. Eisenhower

In Your Guts, You Know He's Nuts — An unofficial anti-Barry Goldwater slogan, parodying "In Your Heart, You know He's Right", 1964.

In Your Heart, You Know He's Right — Barry Goldwater, 1964 Presidential campaign slogan of Republican Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater.

It's Time to Change America — a theme of the 1992 U.S. presidential campaign of Bill Clinton

Ma, Ma where's my Pa? — 1884 U.S. presidenital slogan used by the James Blaine supporters against his opponent Grover Cleveland, the slogan referred to fact Cleveland had fathered an illegitimate child in 1874. When Cleveland was elected President, his supporters added the line, "Gone to the White House, Ha, Ha, Ha!"

Peace and Prosperity — 1956 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Dwight D. Eisenhower

Roosevelt for Ex-President — 1940 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Wendell Willkie

Ross for Boss — a 1992 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of independent presidential candidate H. Ross Perot.

Rum, Romanism and Rebellion - U.S. presidential election, 1884, Republicans attack opposition for views against prohibition, membership by Catholic immigrants and southerners.

Sunflowers die in November - 1936 U.S. presidential slogan of Franklin D. Roosevelt, reference to his opponent Alf Landon, whose home state of Kansas uses the sunflower as its official state flower.

There are two Americas — (2004) Frequent slogan and talking point for Democratic presidential candidate (and later Vice Presidential nominee) John Edwards.

Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too - 1840 U.S. presidential slogan of William Henry Harrison. Tippecanoe a famous 1811 battle Harrison defeated Tecumseh; John Tyler was Harrison's running mate.

We are turning the corner -1932 campaign slogan in the depths of the Great Depression by republican president Herbert Hoover.

We Polked you in '44, We shall Pierce you in '52 1852 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Franklin Pierce; the '44 referred to the 1844 election of James K. Polk as president.

Other political slogans (listed alphabetically)

Algérie-française - a slogan of about 1960 used by those French people who wanted to keep Algeria ruled by France.

A woman's right to choose — pro-choice political slogan.

Because Britain Deserves Better - British Labour Party slogan and manifesto title for the 1997 General Election. The slogan was matched by the use of D:Ream's Things can only get better as the campaign song.

Better dead than Red — an anti-Communist slogan.

Bread and roses — labor and immigrant rights slogan.

Come and take it — Slogan at the Battle of Gonzales

Doctors need to be preserved, not reserved. - slogan used by medical students, doctors, and lawyers in India when they protested in New Delhi against the raised quotas for lower-caste students medical colleges from 22.5 to 49.5 %[1]

A Dog is for life, not just for Christmas — UK animal welfare slogan

Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer ("One people, one country, one leader") — Nazi Germany.

Every Man a King - 1934 Introduced in February 1934, during a radio broadcast, this was the wealth and income redistributionist platform slogan (and later a song and a book) for Louisiana Governor Huey Long; it was part of a broader program which had the slogan, "Share Our Wealth."

Fifty-Four Forty or Fight, Oregon boundary dispute, 1846, Democrats claim all of Oregon Country for the United States.

God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve - anti-gay slogan used by Christians who oppose homosexuality on religious grounds.

Got Guv - a play on the "got milk" campaign; used by dairy owner Jim Oberweis in 2006 during his campaign for Governor of Illinois.

Had enough? - this was the 1946 slogan for Congressional elections for the out-of-power Republican Party; noting that they had been out of power in Congress since 1930, this slogan asked voters if they had "had enough" of the Democrats.

Hey, Hey, LBJ, how many kids you kill today? - Anti-Vietnam War and anti-Lyndon B. Johnson slogan from the 1960s. Other variations included, ".. . how many boys did you kill today?"

Human life begins at conception — pro-life slogan.

If you want to be against McCarthy, boys, you've got to be either a Communist or a cocksucker. - Joseph McCarthy^[2]

I'm just wild about Harry 1948 U.S. presidential slogan of Harry S. Truman, taken from a 1921 song title written by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake.

Labour is not Working - 1978 Conservative Party poster devised by Saatchi and Saatchi. The poster showed a long queue outside a 'Labour Exchange' commenting on the high levels of unemployment.

Maggie, Maggie, Maggie - Out, Out, Out - popular chant used at rallies and marched opposing the government of Margaret Thatcher.

Make love not war — against the War in Vietnam.

Never had it so good — 1957 campaign under Harold Macmillan's leadership of the Tories.

Never been had so good - 1957 campaign slogan of the British Labor Party (in response to the Tory slogan).

New Labour, New Danger - slogan on 1997 Conservative Party campaign poster showing Tony Blair with glowing red eyes. The campaign backfired as the poster was criticised for implying that Blair a stated Christian was demonic and then the Conservative Party's failure to state who had authorised the poster.

Power to the people — A frequent slogan of Socialist or pro-democracy movements around the world.

Rally Around O'Malley - Campaign slogan used during Patrick O'Malley's 2002 gubernatorial campaign.

Remember Goliad — Battle cry at the Battle of San Jacinto

Remember Pearl Harbor — a slogan, a song, an invitation to encourage American patriotism and sacrifice during World War II.

Remember the Alamo — Battle cry at the Battle of San Jacinto

Remember the Maine — The rallying cry by which William Randolph Hearst fomented the Spanish-American War.

References

^ Jamieson, Kathleen Hall (1993). Dirty Politics: Deception, Distraction, and Democracy, Oxford University Press, 45. ISBN 0195085531.
^ Morone, Joseph A. (2003). Hellfire Nation: The Politics of Sin in American History, Yale University Press, 393.

External links

Slogans.de - More than 20.000 Slogans, free German database

[1] Jamieson, Kathleen Hall (1993). Dirty Politics: Deception, Distraction, and Democracy, Oxford University Press, 45. ISBN 0195085531.

[2] Morone, Joseph A. (2003). Hellfire Nation: The Politics of Sin in American History, Yale University Press, 393.

[1]

[2]

Slogans and the age of media

U.S. presidential political slogans (listed alphabetically)

Other political slogans (listed alphabetically)

See also

References

External links