About

Buttons 4 Obama was started by Jody Rodgers and Joann Edmonds-Rodgers in Seattle, Washington. Jody is an IT professional by day, collage artist and rock poster designer by night. Joann is a photographer / photoblogger and crafter.

Last year, Jody bought a second hand button maker as part of a lot of art supplies from an artist moving sale. They’d always had plans to make cool buttons, but never had the motivation to get started until they went to see Barack Obama speak at the Key Arena in Seatte the day before Washington state’s Democratic caucus in February. As longtime Obama supporters they knew already Obama was their choice for the caucus, but the rally took their commitment and inspiration up quite a few notches. Excited and ready to spead the word about Obama, Jody announce a brilliant plan. “We have a button maker and we’re gonna use it!”

Jody started with making a handful of buttons to give out at their precinct caucus and then made more to pass out to Obama supporters where ever he met them. Joann soon got involved making button designs. However, the idea quickly grew to sending buttons to Obama campaign headquarters in other states ahead of their primaries and caucuses. They sent out approximately 6,000 buttons to TX, MS, PA, NC, IN, WV, OR, KY, PR and MT during the primary season.

After taking a short break during the summer to re-group, they’ve been back to churning out buttons. Now the focus is on sending buttons to campaign headquarters in battleground states, with help from volunteers and funding from donations to keep the operation running and the buttons free for the campaign offices. So far they’ve sent buttons to CO, PA, WI, MI, NC, FL, OH, GA, MN, MO and NH, as well as supplied buttons for local WA events and canvassing. They recently made their 20,000th button for Obama!

This site was set up to document their own and others’ adventures in Obama buttonmaking and be a resource for Obama buttonmakers. After being inundated with button requests they simply don’t have the time or energy to fulfill, it has become an even bigger priority to get others on the buttonmaking bandwagon. If you need to know how to get started making your own Obama buttons, take a look at the links on the resources page or contact Jody. He loves to talk buttonmaking.

Their mission: to the best of their ability, make sure every Obama supporter has Obama flair to wear!

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