Secretary Daniels Presents State Capitol Exhibit on American Presidential Theater
Monday, Sep 22, 2008
The American Presidential Theater exhibit will be on display at the Arkansas State Capitol through November.
LITTLE ROCK, AR—Secretary of State Charlie Daniels today announced this autumn’s State Capitol exhibit, American Presidential Theater, which is an affectionate retrospective on the political theater created by certain contentious and close races for United States President.
The Constitution of 1789 instituted a three-legged structure of government for the new United States of America; one of its most controversial aspects was the provision for a chief executive for the nation. The first president, George Washington, was effectively elected by popular acclaim. His successors, however, have had to campaign for the office, and the result has been a tradition of partisan theater.
Collages of vintage political cartoons commemorate a dozen of the nation’s most controversial presidential contests; these range from the elevation of Thomas Jefferson in 1800 to the protracted recounting dramas of 2000. Pious or perplexed quotations from various inhabitants of the Oval Office, plus reproductions of campaign materials and caricatures, testify to the wide range of emotions the presidency has inspired.
“I hope our presidential theater exhibit will provide State Capitol visitors a moment of levity in the midst of this election year in which Arkansans and all Americans are considering some extraordinarily weighty issues in terms of deciding who our country’s next chief executive will be,” Daniels said.
The American Presidential Theater exhibit will remain on view in the Capitol's first-floor galleries from September through November from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays. For those interested in more information on the history of presidential contests, a concise bibliography of recommended reading will be available at the Capitol Tour Desk.
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Contact: Natasha Naragon
Phone: (501) 683-1441
Email: natasha.naragon@sos.arkansas.gov
Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels
256 State Capitol Building
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Phone: (501) 682-1010
Website: www.sos.ar.gov
Email: arsos@sos.ar.gov
