Our middle-aged kids came to visit us, and we wanted to do something special with them. But with the temperature in the mid-90s, none of us could tolerate being outside for long. Fortunately, Chattanooga has wonderful opportunities to have fun indoors with full-speed air conditioning. Given our long-time fascination with political artifacts, we were eager to check out the exhibit “Path to the Presidency,” hosted by the Chattanooga Public Library’s Local History and Genealogy Department and presented by the Robert L. Golden Institute of Art and History.

But before immersing ourselves in the downtown library’s exhibit, the four of us went to the Siskin gym. While my daughter swam in the pool, my husband, son-in-law and I went upstairs to work out, slightly. I walked around the indoor track as did the two guys until they stopped to prop a few items up at a slant. Then they played with a slinky on their invention. The Slinky Boys are proof that you’re never too old to be goofy.

Now you know that we were just ordinary folks going to the library. We do have a streak of the intellectual, but apparently we knew very little about how today’s presidential campaigns came to be. What we experienced seeing this exhibit was fascinating, educational and lots of fun.

It was amazing to be reminded that in 1788, when George Washington ran for president, there were no rallies, buttons or posters. Yet, by 1860 when Abraham Lincoln ran for president, rallies, posters and mass-produced buttons were the norm.

By 1896, the campaign of William McKinley spent more than $1 million dollars to advertise directly to voters. Today, that would be about $37 million. McKinley didn’t have access to the internet or television. If he had, he’d have raised and spent even more on marketing. Maybe his campaign could have looked like our current campaign season with Biden and Trump raising more than $600 million so far.

The exhibit highlighted the influence of television in political campaigns.

Beginning in 1960, the election unfolded on TV, where Nixon looked lame and soon lost to Kennedy. Candidates had to increase their efforts to connect with voters, especially when emphasizing “Get Out The Vote.” That phrase came from the mid-1800s, as did knocking on doors, kissing babies and holding barbecues. All that remains in play today. TV and the internet may enhance marketing, but they don’t negate those in-person moments.

Our history comes to life: You’ll love the display, “Our Chattanooga Candidate,” with 1952 photos (in his coonskin hat), buttons, posters and the Time Magazine cover of Estes Kefauver. And be interactive! Stand at the podium backed by a photo of political icons and take your picture delivering an inaugural address.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Matt Adams, the institute’s director and nephew of its founder, Robert Golden. Like his uncle, Matt is dedicated to collecting artifacts with the goal of “… achieving tangibility to the process for becoming the president by utilizing the artifacts to better understand that process. Show in a physical space that candidates are real people.”

It was great fun telling Matt how I’d met Sen. Eugene McCarthy when his daughter and I were college roommates.

Joining his presidential campaign, I handed out flyers, so I guess I’m part of history! We’re all part of history. Think about that when you follow the news and contemplate whether to vote and for whom. Get involved. It’s possible that a future “Path to the Presidency” exhibit might include you.