I became aware of these recently when my brother-in-law showed up wearing one for a family photo. Personally, I've been trying to figure out what political subtlety is conveyed by the featured year being '84, not '80. The Reagan fans I've known in the past have seemed more invested in his heroic defeat of the dastardly Jimmy Carter than in the trouncing of Walter Mondale, so it sort of goes against my expectations. (Ironically, my in-laws are from Minnesota.)
1: The "it's morning in America" ad?
Obviously, the problem with going back to 1980 is that nobody wants to think of a world without Der Kommissar.
Is "1984" a nod to an Orwellian present of woke tyranny? Or just the most evocative of a silent majority? Actually I bet there is an answer to this question somewhere online.
Is it maybe some impulse to appear enthusiastically Republic while disassociating oneself from all Republicans from W through Trump? Because it still doesn't work, Reagan was disgusting too.
I think the '84 landslide might have been more demoralizing to liberals/energizing for conservatives than the 1980 election was.
Also, we still had 70s fashion in 1980, so maybe they don't want to be associated with that.
Like 50 Cent, Reagan was cooler after he took a few shells.
Maybe I should order this
https://www.amazon.com/Mondale-Geraldine-Ferraro-Campaign-T-Shirt/dp/B07KWGVFNT
6: yes, I think that's basically it. "I want to irritate liberals from a place of cool collective wealth and status, not from a place of frothing redneck spittle."
That is awesome, and the Dukakis / Bentsen shift isn't as appealing https://www.amazon.com/Dukakis-Bentsen-Presidential-Election-T-Shirt/dp/B07PCS8N9S
"Shift" s/b "shirt"
I'm making a lot of typos today.
I still have a Jesse Jackson '88 shirt.