▁until ▁ 1 9 5 2 . ▁The ▁most ▁recent ▁victory ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁with ▁the ▁victory ▁going ▁to ▁Ch . ▁Car mor ' s ▁R ise ▁and ▁Sh ine . ▁The ▁popular ity ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁C ocker ▁increased ▁once ▁again ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁with ▁it ▁becoming ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁bre ed ▁again ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁In ▁more ▁recent ▁years ▁the ▁popular ity ▁of ▁the ▁bre ed ▁has ▁decre ased , ▁with ▁it ▁ranked ▁ 1 5 th ▁most ▁popular ▁by ▁the ▁American ▁Kenn el ▁Club ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁American ▁C ocker ▁Span iels ▁have ▁had ▁several ▁links ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Pres iden cy . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁an ▁American ▁C ocker ▁Span iel ▁became ▁a ▁household ▁name ▁when ▁United ▁States ▁Senator ▁Richard ▁N ixon ▁made ▁his ▁Check ers ▁speech ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 3 . ▁A ▁parti - color ed ▁American ▁C ocker ▁Span iel ▁named ▁D ot ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁dogs ▁owned ▁by ▁R uther ford ▁B . ▁Hay es ; ▁and ▁a ▁buff ▁colored ▁dog ▁named ▁F eller ▁caused ▁a ▁sc andal ▁for ▁Harry ▁S . ▁Tr uman ▁when ▁the ▁dog ▁was ▁received ▁as ▁an ▁unw anted ▁gift ▁with ▁the ▁President ▁subsequently ▁giving ▁it ▁away ▁to ▁a ▁White ▁House ▁phys ician . ▁More ▁recently , ▁a ▁C ocker ▁named ▁Ze ke ▁lived ▁with ▁Bill ▁Cl inton ▁while ▁he ▁was