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John F. Kerry Presidential deck

Published November 15, 2022 Updated November 16, 2022

John F. Kerry Presidential playing card deck in support of his election campaign of 2004.

2004 USA Parody Productions Political
John F. Kerry Presidential decks published by Parody Productions, USA, 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

John F. Kerry Presidential decks published by Parody Productions, USA, 2004 John F. Kerry Presidential decks published by Parody Productions, USA, 2004

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

Howard Dean Presidential Deck, 2004

Above: Howard Dean Presidential Deck of playing cards, 2004 Democratic Campaign, USA.

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By Peter Burnett

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.

Russian Playing Cards

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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