VOTE FOR IKE -- HE'S BEEN SICK

from Fancyclopedia 2

Slogan used by William Rotsler on his letters during the 1956 Presidential campaign. For our readers in the year 2000, Dwight D Eisenhower, then incumbent, had had various attacks of heart failure, Twonk's Disease, ktp, shortlyaforethe campaign, and some of his supporters tried to play these up to win sympathy vote in a manner many found offensive. Rotsler, a Democrat to make Adlai Stevenson seem pro-GOP in comparison, rubberstamped this legend on various postcards, and the postmaster of his town, J Everett Osborne, objected and forbade circulation of the slogan after Bill had sent postcards to such difficult subjects for conversion as Nixon and Hagerty [Vice-President and Press Secretary, respectively, during the Eisenhower administration]. Bill had to cover the offending words with gummed tape before JEO would let his mail pass. DAG suggested the obvious counterblow, and incoming letters for Rotsler soon blossomed with "Vote for J Everett Osborne -- He's Been Sick" and other sprightly remarks.