Today's political pundits express shock and disappointment when candidates resort to negative campaigning. But history reveals that smear campaigns are as American as apple pie.
Anything for a Vote is a look at 200-plus years of dirty tricks and bad behavior in presidential elections, from George Washington to Barack Obama and John McCain. Let the name-calling begin!
• 1836: Congressman Davy Crockett accuses candidate Martin Van Buren of secretly wearing women’s clothing: “He is laced up in corsets!”
• 1864: Candidate George McClellan describes his opponent, Abraham Lincoln, as “nothing more than a well-meaning baboon!”
• 1960: Former president Harry Truman advises voters that “if you vote for Richard Nixon, you ought to go to hell!”
Full of sleazy anecdotes from every presidential election in United States history, Anything for a Vote is a valuable reminder that history does repeat itself; that lessons can be learned from the past, though they usually aren't; and that our most famous presidents are not above reproach when it comes to the dirtiest game of all—political campaigning.
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“While this grimy lens can be a hilarious way to look at the history of presidential politics, it’s often a sobering one as well—colored by policies of discrimination and assaults on voting rights that are still relevant today.”
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Mother Jones