'Vote for Me! Historic Campaigning in Florida' exhibit wraps up at Capitol Museum

The 2022 election season is almost over. By now, most candidates have contacted voters hundreds of times — with political ads, mailers, text messages, and robo-calls.

Have you been feeling bombarded by the messaging these last few months? Maybe it sparked some questions about the process and campaigns of the past.

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Has the wording of slogans changed? Are the issues different or the same? Why is their logo red? Why did they pick that shade of blue? You may even be asking yourself the big one: should I run for office next time?

When you look at historic campaigns and compare them to today, there is so much that has changed. What might surprise you is just how much hasn’t.

Candidates hit the campaign trail and meet one-on-one with voters; now they just make sure to stream the events live on social media, too. Platforms are shared on printed materials but now they include a website that directs a potential donor or voter to more information.

Commercials might premiere on YouTube before paid ads appear on television.

But at its core, political campaigning is still about communicating how and why someone is a better choice for a particular office than somebody else.

Even the ideas we are debating haven’t changed that much in 50 years. The key argument for all candidates remains the same: when you walk into the voting booth and cast your ballot, “vote for me!”

On Nov. 8, as millions of Floridians cast their votes, the Florida Historic Capitol Museum will close the temporary exhibit Vote for Me! Historic Campaigning in Florida. The exhibit has offered a trip down memory lane and features artifacts from both public and private collections, including many special pieces on loan courtesy of John Clark.

Essential campaign items — the bumper sticker and button — are featured throughout the display, but it’s the unusual items that will really catch your eye, like the graham cracker pin from Bob Graham’s gubernatorial bid or the Firestone Blimp from George Firestone’s 1978 campaign for Secretary of State.

The blimp was more than a marketing piece because it served as a recruiting reward. Firestone 15 Club members were required to not only provide much-needed money but also address postcards, walk precinct blocks, and sell additional memberships. After completing their duties, new members received a kit that included an actual inflatable blimp, a sticker, and a metal campaign tab that included the slogan “It’s a good year for Firestone.”

Whether you have already cast your vote or will make your voice heard at your polling station on Election Day, visiting the exhibit will help provide some much needed context to help close you out this campaign season and prepare for the next one.

If you love political history as much as we do, don’t worry — we’ve elected to open a new temporary exhibit next month. A revamped version of On the Steps of History: Florida’s Inaugurations will debut in December as preparations begin for the Jan. 3 ceremony.

The Historic Capitol Museum is located at the intersection of Monroe Street and Apalachee Parkway in downtown Tallahassee, and is free and open to the public 363 days a year. Movie night is at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27,  with a showing of "Coco." For more information about the exhibit and visiting the Museum, please visit flhistoriccapitol.gov.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 'Vote for Me' exhibit wraps up at Tallahassee Historic Capitol Museum