John F. Kerry Presidential deck
John F. Kerry Presidential playing card deck in support of his election campaign of 2004.
This political pack was published by Parody Productions, Cincinnati, in support of John Kerry’s Presidential election campaign of 2004. Kerry was one of several Democrats competing to secure the Democrat nomination (one of whom – Howard Dean - also produced a political pack in support of his nomination - see below). In the event Kerry beat Dean to win the Democrat Presidential nomination but was ultimately beaten by George W. Bush. Not dissimilar to the Bush Presidential deck, Kerry supporters (taken from photographs) sit atop cartoon bodies, with details of their name and position beneath. The aces all show Kerry’s head with the words “Kerry for President 2004” above and the 2 jokers show Dubya and Dick Cheney both wearing jester’s hats. An extra card informs citizens where to register their vote. See the box►
Above: John F. Kerry Presidential decks published by Parody Productions, USA, 2004.
Howard Dean Presidential Deck
Dean was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2004 presidential election but also had a deck of playing cards produced in support of his nomination. See the box►
Above: Howard Dean Presidential Deck of playing cards, 2004 Democratic Campaign, USA.
Addendum from Lev Golinkin
Dean Deck is a typical political deck that’s become a staple for presidential campaigns, sold to fund raise and handed out at events alongside mugs and t-shirts. We can use it to remember how for one brief moment, one man looked like he had a chance to compete for the White House…until something weird happened. In 2004, Democrats were jockeying for the presidential nomination. Out of nowhere emerged Vermont governor Howard Dean, who had pioneered online fundraising (unheard of at the time), raking in extraordinary sums.
The Dean Deck optimistically pictured its hero (King of Clubs) winning the Iowa caucuses – the first primary contest. Instead, Dean came in third. In an effort to rally supporters, he delivered a fiery speech culminating in a piercing “YEAH” of such unbridled enthusiasm it would’ve made a rodeo cowboy blush. The Dean Scream made the man appear unhinged, dooming his campaign. John Kerry (Ten of Hearts) won the nomination, but lost the general race to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney – the deck’s jokers, who had the last laugh.
Above: extra images courtesy Lev Golinkin.
The Dean Deck should not be used for fortune-telling.
By Peter Burnett
United Kingdom • Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
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