Founding Mudslingers
Edward J. Larson wrote a column about the first elections in the United States, which has to be read by every single American out there. Larson rightfully and correctly points out that the myth that the founding fathers run ‘clean and neat’ campaigns is just that; a myth.
One of the dirtiest campaigns / elections in US history was the election of 1800. It was horrendous. Two of America’s greatest men took each other on. In the one corner we had Thomas Jefferson (pragmatic ideologue, progressive, being of the enlightenment, admirer of France), in the other John Adams (no ideologue albeit one could call him old-school conservative, product of puritanism, no admirer of France but of England). The two fought without remorse, trying to portray the other as the very embodiment of evil.
Jefferson’s side (led by Madison) portrayed Adams as a Royalist. If Adams would win, they said, he would make himself King and would quickly turn into a tyrant. He would throw democracy overboard, and he would cuddle up to Britain, perhaps even surrendering the US to her former master.
Adam’s side (led by Hamilton, who would later break with Adams), on the other hand, portrayed Jefferson as an irreligious politician, sleeping around with everyone (including black slaves) and bend on bringing the horrors of the French Revolution (a revolution despised by many Americans because of the bloodshed and the mobrule of the majority) to the US.
Both sides used negative ads constantly. It was full-out war. The men, who were once friends, were now declared enemies. Both pretended that if the other were elected America the Republic would quickly come to an end; freedom would be abolished and a tyrant (either monarch or majority) would take its place.
I’ve worked on a paper this year about this subject. The campaigns were truly dirty and highly aggressive. Both men were affected greatly by it, especially Adams who was, I think, less ruthlessly ambitious than Jefferson (which is probably why he lost). The two were friends for years, but after this election, no more. They hated each other (though at the end of their lives their relationship improved once again).
Why is it important to highlight this column and the elections of 1800? Because people need to know that American elections have always been dirty. The time that campaigns were honest and reasonable has never existed.
Was anybody under the illusion that old times and old methods = cleaner campaigns?
Ow, you hear that very often. "Campaigns have become so dirty, it’s all Rove’s fault! Bush invented the dirty,, negative campaigns or at the very least perfected it. The ‘McCain has an illegitimate black child’ lie was so dirty, no one else would have used it!’ and so on. Fact of the matter is, the founding fathers would have used it.
campaign poster
course one has to note that the campaign image above shows more progress under a Repub leadership.
No surprise really lol.
It’s also interesting to note that two of the most dirty campaigns in history were run by progressives who were either members of the DP or were members of a party that would becóme the DP (Jefferson vs. Adams, LBJ vs. Goldwater).
It has always been interesting watching the Democrats trying to portray the Republicans as these evil monsters because the GOP won close elections and their negative campagins were better then the Democrats.
The first real election I remember was LBJ and Goldwater. During my time in School we would drill at least 3 times a week where we would dive under our desks and cover our heads or run out into the halls and line the walls and cover our heads.
The one feature I remember from that election and even seeing it over and over on TV was a nuclear blast and the implication that if Goldwater were elected that we would all begin glowing in the dark.
Ronald Reagan was portrayed the same by the democrats as a war mongering fool who would put us into a war the first chance he got.
Yet its only the GOP who use negative advertising and fear to scare voters into voting a certain way.
Hogwash. I tell the progressive left to look in the mirror and accept the fact that the negative campaigning is a tactic both sides use and use almost exclusively. Its already beginning by the left this cycle. They destroyed Hillary with it and they are now opening up on McCain as well.
I read the book “A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America’s First Presidential Campaign” A very good and very detailed book. A key point I took away is candidates often condone but don’t necessarily control the negativity of their campaigns and party apparatus. On both the Federalist and Democratic-Republican sides the candidates, while certainly spewing out some awful stuff were more civil than some of the other party officials/supporters.
A key lesson for today, the vicious attacks often divert attention from the true differences that "should" drive the election decision.
Well, to be fair, it’s not always the Democrats employing fear. The Republicans had their fair share, in 2004 at least (when I first began paying close attention to elections). It’s also to be found in 2008 as well (all the "Run for your lives. He’s a Muslim!" stuff).
I totally Agree Michael Merritt.
They both use it and use it well. Moveon dot orgs commercial in which the mother is saying that McCain wants to be in the middle east for 100 years and that you cant have my 1 year old for war.
Well weve been in Japan, Korea, Germany etc for nearly 60 plus years and it has not been a bad thing. So I totally understand where he is coming from even though I disagree. I dont want to be there 6 more days but thats not reality.
Fear tactics. They both do it. If we voted on the true differences of the candidates there would be a couple dozen old ladies show up at the polls in each state.
This election however there are truly some nation defining things taking place and I don’t mean abortion or gay marriage or gun rights.
I mean wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and potentially Iran or Pakistan and ENERGY.
We are facing humongous changes. Obama and McCain to me both cancel each other out on foreign policy. I believe they are both clueless. However its this energy crunch that is the number one defining event that will take down the Democrats.
For once in their political lives they need to reject the tree huggers and take a stand. Its clean air or a destroyed economy. Pure and simple. The party that beats this to death will win in November.
I’m betting the GOP will beat it to death and the Democrats will once again return to failed talking points that are based in half truths and while the price at the pump shoots thru the roof until people will say ENOUGH. Lets drill. Vote the Dems out.
For once I just wished the Democrats could take a stand on something that truly is a middle of the road, embrace the other sides view on something. But they can’t. Their own tree huggers won’t let them. Just as the RR won’t let McCain bring amnesty to Illegal aliens.
Pure and simple.
I’d argue there can be both. It just has to be done smartly. Speaking as someone with asthma, I value my health over how much money I have any day.
The problem continues to be that the clean air is first and foremost and while we spend years working on the technology we languish in peril.
This world is on the verge of melting down. EVERYTHING is made from oil. PVC pipe, cars, plastic bags, windows. Petroleum products are used in nearly everything we consume here and around the world. As the price screams upward pretty soon it will bring to a screaming halt the economies around the world.
Pretty soon you wont have to worry about the air you breath because if you want a world wide war then just bring to a crash the economies of nearly every nation in this world and see what happens.
Meanwhile back in congress the Democrats are busy pointing fingers at the Republicans and vice versa. Congress fiddled while America burned.
I’ve been pointing this out for years, Michael. Those who know history fall down laughing when the "dirtiest campaign ever" claims are made.
Hey, it’s been over two hundreds years since we last had a sitting vice-president indicted for murder!