WHAT: “Daisy Girl”
WHEN: 1964
WHO: President Lyndon Johnson (D) vs. Sen. Barry Goldwater (R) of Arizona
BACKGROUND: Considered groundbreaking at a time, the “Daisy Girl,” which ran only once on national television, was frightening enough in its imagery that the Johnson campaign then decided to pull it (though not before the ad was replayed on nightly news broadcasts). The Johnson campaign used the ad to argue that Senator Goldwater was reckless and too extreme in his views, particularly on the use of nuclear weapons, and Johnson went on to win handily.
