Vintage 1984 Paul Simon from Illinois for U.S. Senate w/ Bow Tie Dotting 'I'

Description: StLouBrown's Bygone Days "Let Bygones Be Back" Vintage 1984 political pinback promoting Democrat Paul Simon for U.S. Senate, with the trademark Simon bow tie dotting the “i” in his last name. Simon unseated three-term Republican Sen. Charles Percy. Button measures 2 1/8” in diameter. Union bug on curl. Simon (1928-2003) was a college dropout who bought a string of small southern Illinois newspapers and exposed illegal gambling and other vice, forcing authorities to crack down on it. He further burnished his reputation as a nerdy corruption-fighter with his horn-rimmed glasses and ubiquitous bow tie, in the Illinois state Legislature in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1968, he won election as lieutenant governor, typically a sleepy position which Simon used to his advantage because he served under Republican Gov. Richard Ogilvie (nowadays, party tickets run together in the same primary). But even with the reluctant backing of Mayor Richard J. Daley and the Chicago Machine, he lost the 1972 Democratic primary for governor to maverick Dan Walker who eventually beat Ogilvie and for four years bickered with Daley. Simon won a seat in Congress from southern Illinois in 1974 and in 1984, challenged Percy, who initially won the post by besting the legendary Democratic Sen. Paul Douglas in 1966. Percy, a popular lawmaker who was mentioned as a GOP presidential candidate from 1968 to 1988, became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1981, and by '84, Simon was claiming Percy had lost touch with Illinois. Then, four years later, Simon ran for the Democratic nomination for president, gaining some early traction but fading quickly. He was re-elected in 1990, and retired in 1996, opening the door for current Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin. COMBINED SHIPPING: Combined shipping is available on multiple upon request. That means that if an order contains at least one item with a shipping charge, although other items in the order are listed with free shipping, there will be a charge -- the lowest possible given the combined items. CONDITION ASSESSMENT: Any condition assigned to listed items is based on my amateur, albeit conservative, opinion, so please examine available images closely and come to your own conclusion. COPY LISTINGS: On listings where multiple copies of the same item are listed, labels associated with a color such as “Item Name-Yellow” or “Item Name-Purple” refer only to the color of the background used for identification purposes. Take care to note whether this auction is one in which multiple copies of the same or similar items are being sold individually, and that the price listed is for one of the items rather than all the items which might appear in a group photo. SMOKE-FREE INVENTORY: All items are stored in a smoke-free environment. QUESTIONS? I want the buyer to be satisfied, so feel free to ask any questions you may have. Your satisfaction 100% guaranteed, or simply return your purchase within 30 days for a full refund! Thank you for your patronage.

Price: 4.99 USD

Location: Springfield, Illinois

End Time: 2025-01-12T18:57:12.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD