The 1964 United States presidential election as depicted through political cartoons / by Avery Frankel

Presidential elections have been a spectacle of speeches and debates to gain favor of the people. The media, more specifically political cartoons, have contributed to the exhibition with their ability to exaggerate and display actions or characteristics of the presidential candidates. In the 1964 election, Democratic nominee Lyndon Johnson won in a historical landslide against Barry Goldwater. To understand how that happened and why the people favored Johnson so heavily against his opponent, the general perspective of the American people must be studied-- including how the candidates were depicted in newspapers’ editorial cartoons. This thesis studied the political cartoons of six different papers in different regions of the country and focused on the major issues of the campaigns to thoroughly study how the American public interpreted and perceived Johnson and Goldwater in their race for the presidency.