THE POLITICAL POTAT0 TOUR
The Parties
Parties are in existence so people with similiar perspectives can pool their resources to get people they support into public offices and promote their viewpoints
The american political system consists of two major political parties: Democrats and republicans.
-A little history-
When Andrew Jackson ran for president in 1828, his opponents
tried to label him a "jackass" for his populist views and his slogan, "Let
the people rule." Jackson, however, picked up on their name calling and
turned it to his own advantage by using the donkey on his campaign posters.
During his presidency, the donkey was used to represent Jackson's stubbornness
when he vetoed re-chartering the National Bank.
The symbol of the Republican Party is the elephant. During
the mid term elections way back in 1874, Democrats tried to scare voters
into thinking President Grant would seek to run for an unprecedented third
term. Thomas Nast, a cartoonist for Harper's Weekly, depicted a Democratic
jackass trying to scare a Republican elephant - and both symbols stuck.