The Not So Civil History Of Elections

I've seen it said many times that our current state of politics is worse than it has ever been before. The nastiness of the campaigns are unheard of. Like the campaigns of yesteryear were some chivalrous gentleman's sport were only ideals were discussed in a polite manner and the victor shook hands with the looser.

Well, that just isn't the case. Campaigns and the crazy things that are thrown around are as old as the republic itself. Here are a few examples from history of the not so civil state of politics.

1800 Thomas Jefferson Vs John Adams

this is the only election in history where a vice president has run against the president he was currently serving under. You can imagine that things were a little tense in the White House in the months leading up to the election. Jefferson hired a writer to pen insults rather than dirty his own hands (at least at first). One of his most creative lines said that Adams was a "hideous hermaphroditical character which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman."

Adams' Federalists carried things even further, asking voters, "Are you prepared to see your dwellings in flames... female chastity violated... children writhing on the pike? GREAT GOD OF COMPASSION AND JUSTICE, SHIELD MY COUNTRY FROM DESTRUCTION."

This election was so nasty it was the reason congress passed the 12th amendment. No longer would the second place nominee be elected Vice President. Just imagine President Trump and Vice President Clinton.

1828 Andrew Jackson Vs John Adams

Adams and his handlers said Jackson had the personality of a dictator, was too uneducated to be president (they claimed he spelled Europe 'Urope'), and hurled all sorts of horrible insults at his wife, Rachel. Rachel had been in an abusive marriage with a man who finally divorced her, but divorce was still quite the scandal at the time. The Federalists called her a "dirty black wench", a "convicted adulteress" and said she was prone to "open and notorious lewdness".

On their end, Jackson's people said that Adams had sold his wife's maid as a concubine to the czar of Russia.

Even back then the Russian accusations were a popular tactic.

1860 Lincoln Vs Douglas

Although it's normal - and expected - for candidates to stump across the country in any little small town that will have them, but in 1860 it was considered a little tacky. Stephen Douglas chose this tactic anyway, but claimed that he was really just taking a leisurely train ride from D.C. to New York to visit his mom. Lincoln and his supporters took note of the fact that it took him over a month to get there and even put out a "Lost Child" handbill that said he "Left Washington, D.C. some time in July, to go home to his mother... who is very anxious about him. Seen in Philadelphia, New York City, Hartford, Conn., and at a clambake in Rhode Island. Answers to the name Little Giant. Talks a great deal, very loud, always about himself." 'Little Giant' was a potshot at Douglas' height - he was only 5'4". He was also said to be "about five feet nothing in height and about the same in diameter the other way."

Douglas took aim at Lincoln, too, saying he was a "horrid-looking wretch, sooty and scoundrelly in aspect, a cross between the nutmeg dealer, the horse-swapper and the nightman." Another good one? "Lincoln is the leanest, lankest, most ungainly mass of legs and arms and hatchet face ever strung on a single frame."

1884 Cleveland Vs Blaine

Cleveland, while still a bachelor, had fathered a child with a widow named Maria Halpin. He fully supported the child. So really, by today's standards, it probably wouldn't be that much of a scandal. No marriages ruined, no paternity tests, no child support issues. Nevertheless, the Republican party, who supported candidate James Blaine, took this and ran with it. They made up the chant, "Ma! Ma! Where's my pa?" and used it to taunt Cleveland.

Blaine was no innocent, though. He was accused of shady dealings with the railroad, which was confirmed when a letter was found in which Blaine pretty much confirmed that he knew he was involved in corrupt business - he signed the letter, "My regards to Mrs. Fisher. Burn this letter!" Cleveland's Democrats made up their own chant based on his writings - "Burn this letter! Burn this letter!"

I can imagine a debate where the audience is chanting "Ma Ma! Where's my Pa?" to Bill Clinton. The only difference being bill didnt support his supposed love child.

1928 Hoover Vs Smith

Smith lost pretty badly to Republican Herbert Hoover, largely due to one reason: his religion. At the time of the election, the Holland Tunnel in New York was just being finished up. Republicans told everyone that the Catholic Smith had commissioned a secret tunnel 3,500 miles long, from the Holland Tunnel to the Vatican in Rome, and that the Pope would have say in all presidential matters should Smith be elected. It probably didn't help matters that Babe Ruth was a staunch Smith supporter. You think it would work in his favor, but the Babe would show up at events wearing only his undershirt with a mug of beer in one hand. If people opposed his viewpoint, Ruth would simply say, "The hell with you," and be done with them.

The legend of Babe grows. And the whole tunnel to the Vatican thing? That's a whole new level of tin foil right there. That's the best conspiracy I've never heard of.

Link

The ends justify the means. Whoever counts the votes decides the election. And the Koch brothers lackeys run all the red state election process.

a reply to: FauxMulder

Adams' Federalists carried things even further, asking voters, "Are you prepared to see your dwellings in flames... female chastity violated... children writhing on the pike? GREAT GOD OF COMPASSION AND JUSTICE, SHIELD MY COUNTRY FROM DESTRUCTION."

Actually that sounds about right. Colonists came over seas to escape European suffrage.

The King and the Pope ruled together with an iron fist.

Endless war between England, Spain and France; the Plague, Inquisition , Witch hunts, burning at the stake for "Heresy".

The whole idea was to get away, declare independence from the crown, the occupation, taxation, and oppression here. Who wanted to return to that kind of Tyranny?

a reply to: intrptr

But Jefferson won and none of those things (dwellings in flames... female chastity violated... children writhing on the pike) happened.

a reply to: FauxMulder
Not to mention the aftermath of the 1876 election as described in this thread from last autumn;
Elections and secret deals- the compromise of 1877

a reply to: intrptr


They got away for a while. A very short while...

originally posted by: FauxMulder
a reply to: intrptr

But Jefferson won and none of those things (dwellings in flames... female chastity violated... children writhing on the pike) happened.

Dying in foreign wars, by plague or inquisition not bad enough? Electing Adams would be a victory for the British Crown, a return to European ways.

Heads on Pikes was a figure of speech.

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: intrptr


They got away for a while. A very short while...

I know, huh. Ongoing struggle, now things are worse.

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: FauxMulder
a reply to: intrptr

But Jefferson won and none of those things (dwellings in flames... female chastity violated... children writhing on the pike) happened.

Electing Adams would be a victory for the British Crown, a return to European ways.

But Adams was the one who said those things.

a reply to: intrptr


The worst part is, the majority of Americans still believe they are free.

a reply to: dfnj2015

Since the Koch brothers did not publicly support Trump.

In your opinion:

Do you think the Koch brothers hire incompetent lackeys who allowed Trump to win the red state primaries?

or

That the Koch brothers COLLUDED with Trump to help him win the red states over Hillary?

originally posted by: FauxMulder

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: FauxMulder
a reply to: intrptr

But Jefferson won and none of those things (dwellings in flames... female chastity violated... children writhing on the pike) happened.

Electing Adams would be a victory for the British Crown, a return to European ways.

But Adams was the one who said those things.

Ahhh, the deception becomes apparent. Consider that we are told today we are threatened by 'terrorism' when it is our gubment that inflicts terror on other sovereign nations.

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: intrptr


The worst part is, the majority of Americans still believe they are free.

Frog Pond Temperature is rising.

a reply to: FauxMulder

paraphrasing jeffersons " hatchet man " :

he is neither a man nor a woman

would get a candidate extra votes in certain demographics today

funny how times change

a reply to: ignorant_ape

That one is pretty good. I think what Douglas said about Lincoln would get a few as well

the leanest, lankest, most ungainly mass of legs and arms and hatchet face ever strung on a single frame."

excellent thread... most people continue on with the same whitewashed, pleasant version of american history they got in grade school and never bother to learn more. dirty tricks have always been around.