One of the only guilty pleasures I have indulged during our Covid-19 lockdown is to don rubber gloves, hand sanitizer, and a mask to go to the occasional estate sale in Houston. On one such outing a month ago, I picked up a game called “Mr. President: The Game of Campaign Politics.”
Today, November 3, as the nation’s remaining voters go to the polls, I am (literally) unboxing the game of campaign politics.
Produced in 1971, during the presidency of Richard Nixon, the game, created by the 3M company, comes in a faux leather box, with a political poster-styled cover. The slide-out box reproduces the cover in black and white, with a summary of the game, describing it as a “highly realistic re-enactment of campaign events leading to the election of President and Vice President.”
There are six stacks of red and blue playing cards representing President, Vice President, and Senators. There is also a stack of light blue situation cards that throw in such events as illness, news releases, press endorsements, and news bulletins.
My wife and I intend to play this game tonight. If nothing else, we’ve scored a pair of dice for our other games, and I’ve scored two new drawing pencils and, when we can host parties again, some pretty cool drink coasters. Here is the rest of what’s inside the box.
Today is November 3, Election Day. If you haven’t already, go vote!