Mudslingers Today No Match for Jefferson

Dirty campaigning has always been a feature of American democracy

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 13, 2008 3:23 PM CDT

(Newser) – The 2008 presidential race is getting rough, but the combatants look well-mannered compared to mudslingers of the 19th century. Thomas Jefferson was called an “infidel” and an “unbeliever,” while John Adams was accused of possessing a “hideous hermaphroditical character.” Although “everybody always assumes there was a golden age of presidential campaigning,” one historian tells the Washington Post, US politics have always been dirty.

Early political rhetoric was “shriller, hyperbolic, and downright mean,” as one author puts it. John Quincy Adams was called “the Pimp” over policy friendly toward the czar of Russia. And Harper’s Weekly once referred to Lincoln as “A Long, Lean, Lank, Lantern-Jawed, High Cheeked-Boned Spavined Rail-Splitting Stallion.”

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (2)]

The Presidents through 1844 are depicted in this engraving. (Getty Images)

President Thomas Jefferson in the form of a prairie dog coughs up two million dollars, stung by Napoleon's hornet, while a French diplomat dances in front of him. (Getty Images)

One foe said under Thomas Jefferson, "we may see our wives and daughters the victims of legal prostitution." A surrogate ripped opponent John Adams' "hideous hermaphroditical character." (Getty Images)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

When he enters the senate chamber in the morning, he struts and swaggers like a crow in the gutter. He is laced up in corsets, such as women wear, and, if possible, tighter than the best of them. - Davy Crockett, attacking Martin Van Buren

Almost from the start, American politics had two sides: its Sunday morning high church sermon side, and its Saturday night rough-and-tumble ugly side. - Gil Troy, American history scholar at McGill University

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Most Popular National Politician Today Is ...

Hillary Clinton, as 'buyer's remorse' plagues a third of the country

(NEWSER) - The most popular politician nationwide is the one that got away: Hillary Clinton. Nearly two-thirds of the country sees the secretary of state favorably, and a third are battling what Bloomberg terms “buyer’s remorse” over not electing her president. Just over a year ago, only a quarter of Americans felt that way. “Looking back, I wonder if she would have been a stronger leader, knowing the games and the politics and all that goes on,” says a Florida woman. “I don’t think she would have bent as much.” More»

Obama Campaign Becomes ... a German Musical

And yes, there's a Sarah Palin character

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama's 2008 campaign is the subject of Hope!, a musical set to premiere Jan. 17 in Frankfurt. The production features musical-theater versions of the major players: Michelle, Hillary—looking quite young—John McCain and even Sarah Palin, who sings a solo surrounded by scantily clad dancers. Writer and composer Randall Hutchins, who is American, tells Der Spiegel he got the idea for the production "right at the start of Obama's electoral campaign. I found the atmosphere exciting and that was my inspiration." More»

South the Big Winner in New Census

Northeast, Midwest would lose seats if today's census was used

(NEWSER) - The South is gaining population and power at the expense of the Northeast and Midwest, according to Census Bureau estimates released yesterday. If House seats were distributed based on the estimates, which are believed to be a strong predictor of the 2010 census results, Texas would be the big winner, gaining three seats, with Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington each adding one. More»

McCain Gets His Fight On

Rebounds from 2008 as feisty, fired-up partisan

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama's old opponent is back, taking a leading roll in attacking his policies on health care and Afghanistan, but he's not the same John McCain the president defeated a year ago. McCain has pulled an Al Gore, bouncing back from an election he lost as a moderate to take a new role as an opposition firebrand—and a "colorful political celebrity" in the drab lineup of the GOP establishment, the LA Times reports. More»

McCain Voters' Testosterone Dropped After Loss

For men, elections are dominance competitions

(NEWSER) - Male McCain voters were feeling a little less macho when the results of the 2008 election rolled in. Duke researchers tested testosterone levels in 183 voters across election night. Testosterone normally drops over the late evening—but male Obama voters’ levels remained stable, while McCain voters saw a bigger drop than usual. No such effect took place for women, notes Political Wire. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Mudslingers Today No Match for Jefferson