The 1956 Campaign Button That Listed a Fictional Third Running Mate
Joe Smith turns up as a third running mate on a 1956 campaign button for Adlai Stevenson and Estes Kefauver — odd, since no such candidate existed. He first appeared at that year's Republican National Convention, when Nebraska delegate Terry Carpenter, who opposed Nixon's renomination as vice president, named the fictional Joe Smith instead.
By 1972 the merchandise had a second curiosity: a “No Jelly” caucus that had something to say about both Nixon and McGovern. Its apparent platform was selling candy bars during a snack downturn.
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What makes Smith a good story is the drift: a name invented by a delegate who opposed Nixon's renomination. The same name then ends up printed as a third running mate on a Stevenson and Kefauver button.
Amusing, but the buttons worth keeping are the ones that stuck: an ephemeral 1960 stunt, the “Pat for First Lady” campaign, presaged a lasting shift in presidential politics. That push was loud enough to shout “Pat for First Lady” from buttons in red, white and blue.