The story behind the Democrats' national symbol of the Rooster is very timely for today's election.
A reader emailed a question:
I'm a recent transplant to WV and would like to know why the Republican logo is an eagle and the Democrats' is a rooster on the ballot?
Bill Schleier
Just as Sen. Robert C. Byrd's nickname "Big Daddy" came from an ill-mannered rival's attempt to insult him and instead became a term of endearment for his supporters, the rooster became a symbol of the Democratic Party.
In West Virginia, where we have straight ticket voting, you'll have many old-school politicians encourage people to "Scratch the Rooster."
It all dates back to 1840 and is detailed here.
The Rooster is not just the symbol of the West Virginia Democratic Party, but of the national party.
In 1840, Democrats were down and a Democratic leader in Indiana had encouraged Democrats running for office to "crow" as though they were winning even though they weren't.
The Whigs seized upon it and jeered at a Democratic candidate running for the state legislature to "crow."
But what they meant as derision, quickly became a rallying cry for his supporters.
Strange to say, this idea of gameness, daring, or tenacity, expressed in the order "Crow, Chapman, Crow!" caught the popular fancy of the Democrats; they liked its ring. They were in sympathy with their leader, Mr. Chapman, and the expression "Crow, Chapman, Crow!" was taken by them as complimentary to their leader rather than a term of ridicule, as the Whigs had used it. Notwithstanding this avalanche of criticism, or the handwriting on the wall, of the parties approaching defeat, Joseph Chapman fought on, and while the Democracy went down in defeat in the National election, he was elected Representative to the Indiana Legislature.
The phrase spread and the rest is history.
There is a historical marker to the Rooster as Democratic symbol in Indiana.
As to why the Republicans use the Eagle as their symbol, I don't know. I would guess because they haven't had an original thought since President Lincoln's administration so they simply adopted the national symbol as their own.
I couldn't find the real story behind the Republican's use of the Eagle, but the Elephant symbolism is detailed here.
Basically even Republican cartoonist Thomas Nast realized Republicans are easily spooked like an elephant. That remains true today as we saw how quick they were to toss aside centuries of Constitutional rule to embrace torture and authoritarianism after the Sept. 11th attacks to try to ease their fears. Perhaps the new symbol of the Republican Party shouldn't be teabags, but a cry baby.