Most Underrated Political Slogan: "They Can't Lick Our Dick"

One of the more humorous, unofficial, historic campaign slogans was "They Can't Lick Our Dick," which was used on at least four different campaign buttons for Richard Nixon. Another classic was "Don't change Dicks in the midst of a screw, vote for Nixon in '72," pictured below:

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Jimmy Carter's Controversial Playboy Interview

Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter caused a stir in 1976 when he gave a controversial interview to Robert Sheer for Playboy magazine. After admitting that he had "committed adultery in my heart many times," the Georgia Governor encountered serious political fallout that threatened to derail his underdog campaign. His comments were as follows:

Christ said, "I tell you that anyone who looks on a woman with lust has in his heart already committed adultery." I've looked on a lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times. This is something that God recognizes I will do—and I have done it—and God forgives me for it. But that doesn't mean that I condemn someone who not only looks on a woman with lust but who leaves his wife and shacks up with somebody out of wedlock. Christ says, don't consider yourself better than someone else because one guy screws a whole bunch of women while the other guy is loyal to his wife. The guy who's loyal to his wife ought not to be condescending or proud because of the relative degree of sinfulness.

While he said his comments were "just part of being a human being," and that Playboy Magazine was "just another forum," voters across the country were aghast and negative reactions flowed into the mailboxes of newsrooms across the country. Some choice words for the president-to-be: 

If this is the 'born again' christian we've heard so much about, I'm glad he's not teaching Sunday school to my grandchildren. -St. Petersburg Times Reader

I am in a state of shock. I disagree with everything he said and I think it's unfortunate he said it. -Daughter of Democratic Senator and former VP nominee in 1952, John Sparkman

I had some doubts about voting for him, but I certainly can't now. -Monroe, LA

Whether Carter was merely over-sharing or attempting to live up to his pledge to "never lie," he remained unapologetic as the controversy hit the fan. A few defended his candidness, comparing his "shacking up" quote to first lady Betty Ford's frank comments on premarital sex:

In the Vice Presidential Debate, Republican Veep Nominee Bob Dole attempted to capitalize on the Playboy interview, saying, "I couldn't understand frankly why he was in Playboy magazine, but we'll give him the bunny vote," at 5:03 below:

Reagan Campaigns for Truman in 1948

In what might sound like political blasphemy by today's republican party standards, below is a campaign speech delivered by Ronald Reagan, for Harry S. Truman's reelection in 1948. It's well known that Reagan was a new deal democrat before he switched parties in 1962, claiming, "I didn't leave the Democratic Party. The party left me." However, it's still rather jarring to hear the future icon of conservatism espouse liberal ideals and deride the republicans -- some juicy quotes include: 

"[I'm] more than a little impatient with those promises the Republicans made before they got control of congress a couple of years ago"

"This is why we must have new faces in congress in 1948 -- Democratic faces."

"Mayor Humphrey is one of the ablest men in public life"

Take a listen here: 

Reagan's unlikely rise to political prominence is also parodied in the film Back to the Future, when Marty McFly is trying to convince "Doc" Emmett Brown that he's visiting from the future (the 1980's). The following is the conversation, per IMDB's quotes page: 

[Dr. Emmett Brown is doubting Marty McFly's story about that he is from the future] 
Dr. Emmett Brown: Then tell me, "Future Boy", who's President in the United States in 1985? 
Marty McFly: Ronald Reagan. 
Dr. Emmett Brown: Ronald Reagan? The actor? 
[chuckles in disbelief] 
Dr. Emmett Brown: Then who's VICE-President? Jerry Lewis? 
[rushing out and down a hill toward his laboratory] 
Dr. Emmett Brown: I suppose Jane Wyman is the First Lady! 
Marty McFly: [following Doc] Whoa! Wait! Doc! 
Dr. Emmett Brown: And Jack Benny is Secretary of the Treasury. 
Marty McFly: [outside the lab door] Doc, you gotta listen to me. 
Dr. Emmett Brown: [opens the door to the lab] I've had enough practical jokes for one evening. Good night, Future Boy! 
[closes the door leaving Marty outside] 

Jane Wyman was Ronald Reagan's first wife. 

LBJ in Retirement

After his famous "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President," speech, LBJ retired to his ranch in Stonewall, Texas, just outside Austin, where he would live the final four years of his life. His post-presidency was a somewhat depressing affair. He indulged in drink and took up smoking again, lighting up as soon as his plane took off from DC, as Historian Michael Bechloss describes:

On Inauguration Day, Johnson saw Nixon sworn in, then got on the plane to fly back to Texas. When the front door of the plane closed, Johnson pulled out a cigarette—first cigarette he had smoked since his heart attack in 1955. One of his daughters pulled it out of his mouth and said, "Daddy, what are you doing? You're going to kill yourself." He took it back and said, "I've now raised you girls. I've now been President. Now it's my time!" From that point on, he went into a very self-destructive spiral.

Self-pitying and withdrawn, Johnson took it upon himself buoy his mood by running his ranch as he had ran the country from the Oval Office -- with rigor. Known as a micro-manager, Johnson's attentiveness to details was unsurpassed, bordering on obsessiveness. In her book Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream, Doris Kearns Goodwin describes how the former president would survey his fields and check up on the men who milked the cows, fed for the chickens, drove the tractors and kept the ranch running smoothly overall. He delivered morning pep-talks to his staff, declaring without irony, "We've got a chance of producing some of the finest beef in this country if we work on it... if we treat those hens with loving care, we should be able to produce the finest eggs in the country. Really fresh." He even devised a system of prioritizing the tasks of the day, using abbreviations HP for "high priority," and S for "Hold for a slow day". 

As a ranchman, LBJ increasingly behaved as if he were making the weighty decisions that affected the fate of the nation. In one instance, he couldn't sleep because his nerves were fraught over a broken pump. He even called the head of American Airlines in Dallas to ensure the prompt delivery of replacement parts so that he could drain rainwater after a minor flood -- an emergency indeed.

But perhaps the lasting image from LBJ's retirement was his long hair. Much like Al Gore's post-2000 "depression beard", Johnson let his hair grow out, sporting a mullet: