Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s faces plastered across your television, their voices ringing through your ears as you desperately try to change the channel, but every button you click leads to another show discussing one thing: the 2016 election.
This campaign season clocks in at 597 days, one of the longest on record, and the American people are sick of this shocking election season. In between the strong dislike for both candidates, we had some good times– the hilarious memes, the heartwarming moments and the sick burns. Cling to these moments, if only for your own sanity.
Story by Natalie Heineman
March 2015: Butter Cow
This tweet was originally sent in August 2014, but it soon gained popularity after Cruz announced his presidential candidacy, sparking a month’s worth of butter cow memes.
Wow, a cow made of butter. My girls would love it. In fact, the first sentence Caroline ever said was "I like butter" pic.twitter.com/TzBZJmVFKT
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) August 9, 2014
April 2015: Waka Flocka Announces His Candidacy
A highlight of Waka Flocka Flame’s campaign platform? His insistence that Congress ditch suits and ties in favor of tank tops and flip-flops.
June 2015: Lincoln Chafee Loves the Metric System
This campaign cycle needed more innocent moments like Democratic presidential hopeful, Chafee’s, love for a standard unit of measurement.
Talking to reporters, Chafee says he's not budging on his wish to convert to the metric system. "I stand by that." pic.twitter.com/Fj117lXS0e
— Gabriel Debenedetti (@gdebenedetti) October 23, 2015
July 2015: Just Chillin’
The people of Cedar Rapids were not ready for this sudden meme fame.
August 2015: Machine Gun Bacon
Ted Cruz cooks bacon using only a machine gun and then proceeds to lose all credibility by eating bacon with a fork.
October 2015: Bernie’s Rise
October saw a huge surge in Sanders’ popularity and he quickly became social media’s favorite star.
December 2015: “May the Force Be With You”
With a cringey attempt at a pop culture reference, Clinton at least provided social media users with something to laugh at after a tense primary debate.
That's a wrap at the #DemDebate. Now go see Star Wars. https://t.co/2uyOmzf4ST pic.twitter.com/Kcb9bdLlgG
— POLITICO (@politico) December 20, 2015
January 2016: Donald Dodges an Eagle
Two feisty creatures in one confined space is never a good idea.
Watch Donald Trump dodge a bald eagle https://t.co/z7Qs8NlCGW pic.twitter.com/8JcRHg2yxr
— TIME (@TIME) January 29, 2016
February 2016: “Please Clap”
This video of Jeb Bush begging for applause is the perfect mixture of depression and hilarity. It’s like when your friend’s lame social media post doesn’t get any likes, so he texts you, “Fav my tweet.”
"Please clap."—Jeb Bush to a quiet audience at a campaign stophttps://t.co/0plkAuW7Uz
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 3, 2016
February 2016: Debate Chaos
Carson does not hear his name called. Trump stands next to him in the eves. Jeb makes a weird face. The moderators forget Kasich is still not on stage and Christie is forced to remind them. This debate, that happened two weeks before Super Tuesday, was the most watched of 2016.
Here's that botched #GOPDebate introduction in all its gloryhttps://t.co/KOBE3dpeGv
— Mashable (@mashable) February 7, 2016
March 2016: Ted Cruz Zodiac Killer
Bizarre to say the least, but that is what happens when people are desperate for humor during a soul-sucking election.
March 2016: Birdie Sanders
Perhaps the most innocent moment of this entire campaign was when a small bird landed on Bernie Sanders podium like an animal from a Disney movie.
People flip out over bird joining Bernie at the lectern. pic.twitter.com/KKptU17mDF
— POLITICO (@politico) March 25, 2016
April 2016: Hot Sauce
Like Beyoncé, Clinton has hot sauce in her bag, swag. Maybe even pandering in her bag, swag. Just kidding, Clinton’s love of hot sauce has been documented for years.
May 2016: Is This Where I Die
Clinton’s face while visiting an East Harlem apartment is like every bratty couple on Property Brothers who does not want a fixer upper, but Jonathan still takes them to view a home that has wood panelling.
July 2016: Pokemon Go to the Polls
This is similar to when you were a little kid and your mom got you to clean your room by saying, “Lizzie McGuire keeps her room tidy.”
.@HillaryClinton references #PokémonGo https://t.co/Q2NdG5pOdI
— POLITICO (@politico) July 14, 2016
August 2016: This headline
2016 in one tweet.
NEW POLL: Green Party's Jill Stein tied with Harambe, trailing Deez Nutz in Texas https://t.co/bD4JkGUUNk pic.twitter.com/9aTYPIwxn0
— The Hill (@thehill) August 17, 2016
October 2016: Bop to the Top (of the polls)
Meme after meme emerges of the duet between Clinton and Trump after the town hall debate. Some set to “Promiscuous Girl” others to “The Boy is Mine,” but this High School Musical one is an instant classic.
We're soarin', flying
There's not a star in heaven
That we can't reach
If we're trying
So we're breaking free#debate pic.twitter.com/RVzmMLidDB— deondre. (@dresvibe) October 10, 2016
Early voting opens Monday, October 24 and election day is November 8. As the number of election memes dwindles, your time to vote is just beginning.