Strange Bedfellows?

Abstract

At the end of the nineteenth century, revolutions in button technology, campaign, finance, and the make-up and role of religion in American society, justified the use of, the button to appeal to voters of different communities, even religious communities, broadly speaking. At the end of the twentieth century, revolutions in digital technology, campaign finance, and the place and role of religion in American culture again, transformed how U.S. presidential campaign buttons represented religion. The first transformations facilitated the commodification of the votes, justifying the expenditure, of large amounts of money on media technology to secure them. The second, transformations facilitated the commodification of the candidates, justifying the use of, technology and religion to raise funds for the campaign. Rather than serving as the, signpost to identify the voter, religion became the message to attract the consumer.