Today is January 20, 2025. It is inauguration day here in the US. This means that Donald Trump is our new president. His term begins today after a fierce election season that ended in November. This process happens every four years.
If we time travel back 18 presidential election seasons, we arrive at the year 1952. It was a fierce election season then too. Back then, it was common to use symbols to represent the 2 major parties. An elephant represented republicans. A donkey represented democrats.
As you can see from the image above, the elephant and the donkey are at odds with each other. Each has a look of defiance and determination.
The illustration was taken from a 1952 ad found in the September 1952 edition of Everywoman’s magazine. The ad had a message for the citizens of the divided country 72 years ago. Keep Cool.
Look close at the image to see that the two symbols are sitting on a block of ice. The ad was from Budweiser. The popular beer’s message to the folks in 1952 is still relevant today.
Here’s the actual ad.
When all the shouting is over, folks will go right on voting for Budweiser. They like its unchanging platform. . . supreme quality, distinctive taste and golden brilliance. Through the years more people have chosen Budweiser than any other beer in history.
Budweiser Beer Ad – 1952
It is always interesting to analyze how things change and how they stay the same throughout history. Fashion changes, culture changes, but politics seem to never change. Distrust and disgust for the opposing party has been around since political parties began. The battle in 1952 was between Dwight D Eisenhower and Adial Stevenson. Eisenhower won the battle and began his presidency in 1953. Like president Trump, Eisenhower was a republican. He too won in a landslide victory and was inaugurated on January 20 in Washington DC. Eisenhower was the United States’ 34th president.
Here’s the election map showing the 1952 election results. It shows that voting has changed through the decades. Back then, democrats were favored in the southern states.
Here’s is the 2024 election map showing republican Donald Trump’s landslide victory.
Eisenhower served 8 years as president before John F Kennedy began his term in 1961.
1953 Presidential Chart from Women’s Day
Women’s Day magazine had an interesting tradition in the mid-century. They had a presidents chart that listed the US presents over time. The January 1953 issue gave subscribers the opportunity to send away for an updated chart that now included president Dwight D Eisenhower.
Those interested were asked to simply fill out the form and put 35 cents in an envelope. Women’s Day would then send you a 35″ x 25″ chart.
Mid-Century Page 
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