Chronicles of American Politics: The Posters of the Chamomile Tea Party, 2010-2020
Part 2: The Electorate
Part 2: The Electorate
It's simple to say Republicans believe tax cuts for the rich will stimulate the economy and put people to work (also known as "trickle-down economics"); or, as the Democrats suggest, the federal government's role is to ensure that no citizen falls through the cracks. Tax cuts or entitlements? But it isn't that simple. Even within the GOP, there are huge differences of opinion. However, in the end, the failure of our legislators to do anything because they can't agree and won't compromise hurts the public.
Vote Moderate 2010 : Partisanship Is Killing the Country (2010-07-05) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
Work on a Farm... This Summer (1943) by Spencer Douglass CrockwellChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
Work on a farm... this Summer : Join the U.S. Crop Corps; 1943; Spencer Douglass Crockwell; United States, Office of War Information, Division of Public Inquiries; Source: University of North Texas Digital Library
Look To Your Right (2010-07-18) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
Look to Your Right, 2010
This poster was a response to Thomas Sowell's article, Degeneration of Democracy, which suggested American democracy was being dismantled by the Obama administration. He compared the President to Hitler and Lenin, who cultivated "useful idiots" (citizens who typically aren't politically engaged) to support their radical aims.
Sarah Palin asked her followers to read this article. And its sentiments made their way to a billboard in Mason City, Iowa, showing Hitler, Obama, and Lenin over the headline: Radical Leaders Pray on the Fearful and Naive. Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank wrote a response to Sowell's article in the July 18, 2010 edition.
OPA Ceiling Prices - Don't be overcharged (1941/1945) by UnknownChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
OPA CEILING PRICES - DON'T BE OVERCHARGED; 1941-1945; Office for Emergency Management, Office of War Information, Domestic Operations Branch, Bureau of Special Services.
I Lost My Job While You Played Party Politics (2011-07-14) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
Underground Posters, Washington, DC Metro, Gallery Place Station (2012) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
This is the second ad Jeff Gates placed in the Washington, DC Metro as part of his Underground Posters project in the month leading up to the 2012 presidential election.
In 2015, anti-Muslim activist Pamela Geller submitted a proposal to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for an ad featuring the winner of a "Draw Muhammad" cartoon contest. WMATA rejected Geller's ad after banning all "issue-oriented" advertisements in its system.
Someone Talked! (1942) by Frederick SiebelChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
Someone Talked!; 1942; Frederick Siebel; United States, Office of War Information, Division of Public Inquiries; Source: University of North Texas Digital Library
We Are the 99% : We Aren't Sheep (2011-12-24) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
The National Parks Preserve Wild Life (1936/1939) by J. HirtChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
The National Parks Preserve Wild Life , J. Hirt, Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project, circa 1936-1939. Source: Library of Congress
Americans Suffer As Our Two-Party System Stagnates (2010-10-17) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
Support the Radical Center, 2010
In his New York Times op-ed, journalist Thomas Friedman suggested the 2012 Presidential election might be the right time for a viable third party, one that "will talk about education reform, without worrying about offending unions; financial reform, without worrying about losing donations from Wall Street; corporate tax reductions to stimulate jobs, without worrying about offending the far left; energy and climate reform, without worrying about offending the far right and coal-state Democrats; and proper health care reform, without worrying about offending insurers and drug companies."
Citizens are losing confidence in our government's ability to run the country, and we are losing ground on the international stage, both economically and politically. According to Friedman, "There is a revolution brewing in the country, and it is not just on the right-wing but in the radical center."
Americans Suffer When Careless Talk Kills! (1943) by Harry AndersonChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
Americans Suffer When Careless Talk Kills!, Harry Anderson, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1943. Source: Library of Congress
War on the Middle Class (2011-04-02) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
See Action Now : Join the Submarine Service (circa 1944) by Unknown, Department of the Navy,Chamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
See Action Now : Join the Submarine Service, circa 1944, Department of the Navy recruiting poster. In addition to this poster, an 18 page brochure was produced to entice men to enlist.
We the People Not We the Politicians (2011-07-17) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
Defend American Freedom : It's Everybody's Job (1942) by McClelland BarclayChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
Defend American Freedom : It's Everybody's Job, McClelland Barclay, National Association of Manufacturers, 1942, Source: University of North Texas Digital Library
C'mon Gang! Let's Eviscerate the Middle Class (2011-07-24) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
"Come on, gang! We're building arms for victory!" (1942/1945) by UnknownChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
"Come on, gang! We're building arms for victory!"; Artist Unknown; Office for Emergency Management, War Production Board; 1942-1945; Source: National Archives
We're Bleeding Liberals (2012-01-26) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
We're Bleeding Liberals, 2012
This poster, along with its companion, I'm a Die-Hard Conservative (next poster), reminds us there are shades of gray in our society. The issues aren't simple, and voters' opinions are often a mix of party affiliation, class, and personal experience. Often, it's difficult to classify people's positions into simple black and white terms. At the very least, we should be curious enough to question our leaders’ biases and acknowledge our own.
Wear It Proudly (1942) by Magill-Weinsheimer CompanyChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
Wear It Proudly, Magill-Weinsheimer Company, 1942, Source: National Museum of American History
I'm a Die-Hard Conservative (2012-01-26) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
Make This Pledge: I pay no more than top legal prices; I accept no rationed goods without giving up ration stamps (1943) by Office of Price AdministrationChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
Make This Pledge: I pay no more than top legal prices; I accept no rationed goods without giving up ration stamps, 1943, Office of Price Administration, U.S. G.P.O., Source: World War II Poster Collection at Northwestern University Library
Enough is Enough : You're Not Listening (2012-08-26) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
Enough is Enough! You're Not Listening., 2012
"Sometimes an institution becomes too sick to fix itself…Sometimes an institution, like an individual, needs an intervention, from people, from friends, from outside."
— Lawrence Lessig, "Republic, Lost"
Work Fight Give by Norman Lewis and 1943Chamomile Tea Party
You Can't Shut Us Up By Turning Off the Internet (2011-02-07) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
You Can't Shut Us up by Turning off the Internet, 2011
When the Egyptian government turned off the internet during their Arab Spring protests, it reminded us that we can't always assume the free flow of information is a given. This poster isn't just about Egypt. It's about everyone's right to inform and be informed.
"Doing all you can, brother?" Buy War Bonds (1943) by Robert Smullyan SloanChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
"Doing all you can, brother?" Buy War Bonds, Robert Smullyan Sloan, 1943, U.S. Government Printing Office: 1943-O-502782, Source: University of North Texas Digital Library
Don't Let Politics Trump Governance by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
Remember Dec. 7th! (1942) by Allen SaalburgChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
Remember Dec. 7th!; 1942; Allen Saalburg; United States Office of War Information, Division of Public Inquiries; Source: North Texas University Digital Library
The Rise and Fall of the American Empire (2013-05-01) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
Your right to vote is your opportunity to protect, over here the freedoms for which Americans fight over there. (circa 1943) by Chester Raymond MillerChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
Your right to vote is your opportunity to protect, over here the freedoms for which Americans fight over there., Chester Raymond Miller, circa 1943, Part of the Think America Institute's World War II poster campaign. Source: Library of Congress
The Electorate: America Wonders
The Works Progress Administration (WPA), a large depression-era work program, hired millions to work on public works projects like the construction of buildings and roads. In addition, they hired artists, musicians, writers, actors, and directors to work on large arts, media, drama, and literacy projects. Between 1935 and 1943 the WPA’s Federal Art Project created a series of posters to highlight our national parks. The next eight Chamomile Tea Party posters are part of a series called "America Wonders." Each poster is either based on a poster from this WPA series or is a contemporary interpretation.
America Wonders: Whether Politicians Will Get Us Out of Hot Water (2012-12-24) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
Yellowstone National Park, Ranger Naturalist Service (circa 1938) by Unknown, Department of the Interior, National Park ServiceChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
Yellowstone National Park, Ranger Naturalist Service; circa 1938; Department of the Interior, National Park Service; Source: Library of Congress
America Wonders: Who Will Throw Us Off the Fiscal Cliff (2012-12-24) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
Ranger Naturalist Service, Zion National Park (circa 1938) by Unknown, Department of the Interior, National Park ServiceChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
Zion National Park, Ranger Naturalist Service; circa 1938; Department of the Interior, National Park Service; Source: Library of Congress
America Wonders: When the Next Political Eruption Will Disrupt Our Lives (2016-10-29) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
Ranger Naturalist Service, Lassen Volcanic National Park (circa 1938) by Chester Don PowellChamomile Tea Party
Source Poster
Lassen Volcanic National Park, Ranger Naturalist Service; circa 1938; Department of the Interior, National Park Service; Source: Library of Congress
America Wonders: If Congress Realizes We Revere Cockroaches More Than Them (2017-07-23) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
America Wonders: When Our Leaders Will Figure Out It's Getting Hot as Hell Everywhere (2017-07-23) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
America Wonders when politicians will surpass the pinnacle of greed & conceit (2017-08-25) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
America Wonders if the legislative road to hell is paved with good intentions (2017-08-31) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
America Wonders if Republicans will ever realize they've made a pact with Satan (2017-08-28) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
We Won't Tolerate Rhetoric Instead of Recovery (2013-05-04) by Jeff GatesChamomile Tea Party
You have reached the end of Part 2: The Electorate. Use the table of contents below to view Part 3: Politicians and Our Political Process or to return to any other section of this series.
Chronicles of American Politics: The Posters of the Chamomile Tea Party
Table of Contents
Part 1: Partisanship on Overdrive
Part 2: The Electorate
Next:
Part 3: Politicians and Our Political Process
Part 4: The Issues
Part 5: Post-Truth: The Contentious 2016 Election
Part 6: Post Election: Post-Truth Reaches New Heights
Part 7: Immigration, Obstruction, Redaction, Oh My!
Download a brief bibliography of topics covered in this exhibit.
Next, Part 3: Politicians and Our Political Process
Jeff Gates is an artist and writer. He formed the Chamomile Tea Party in 2010 to comment on the sad state of American political dialogue. Compromise, which, at the time, seemed merely difficult to obtain, now seems impossible. These posters reflect our political conflicts during this turbulent period and are meant to encourage exploration of our society’s cultural minefield.
Gates has a BA in political science from Michigan State and an MFA in graphic design and photography from UCLA. He’s the recipient of two Photography Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. His work is in museum collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the International Center for Photography. He has written for publications such as The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and National Public Radio.
These posters are free to download and distribute with attribution, providing they are unaltered and for non-commercial purposes only.
Contact the artist.
