772: Democratic Donkey Jan 18, 2017

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For nearly 200 years, the mascot for the Democratic party in the United States has been the donkey. While both this and other political mascots were cemented into American culture largely by political cartoons, the image of the Democratic donkey started as a nickname. When Andrew Jackson ran for president in 1828, he may have been known as Old Hickory, but his followers were called Jack-asses, as a pejorative pun from his name. Jackson, rather than complaining about it or ignoring it, adopted it into his campaign, referencing how donkeys are steadfast and hardworking. The symbol has stuck around ever since.

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