A lot of people have been noting how “Nasty” the attack ads between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney became in the Florida primary, and discuss how crass our modern politics have become.  The “Golden Age” fallacy is alive and well – and the political campaigns of the past (written and printed in paper and ink and given in speeches) were much MUCH much worse.  Take this video on the campaigns between Adams and Jefferson taking the accusations and editing them into a modern television ad:

*Note: Some Intense and Harsh Words, and Political Characterizations in the following Video:

While the campaigns today still play on the fears of the people, I’m glad that they don’t get this intense!

(Thanks Todd Rhoades for finding and blogging this video: http://www.toddrhoades.com/nastiest-campaign-ever/)

4 thoughts on “Pass It On: Nasty Presidential Campaign of the Past – Adams vs Jefferson”

  1. Oh yeah, that was a nasty campaign. I’ve done a decent amount of reading about it. The parallels are pretty amazing. How little things have change, huh? A TON of misinformation spread during that one. Jefferson even had a newspaper owner working with him to publish some crazy stuff about Adams. Actually, I think it was Jefferson who wrote a lot of stuff himself under a different name.

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    1. It is quite amazing. The television, internet and video being digital have probably made politicians have a less than crass much of the time, but the back door strategies can still be full of slight of hands, misinformation and negativity. The reality of leading, however, as you state in the other comment brings a mutual understanding of what leadership actually and practically entails. Running for office and being the office are quite different things.

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      1. “Running for office and being the office are quite different things”

        Oh so very true. I think this is something the general public doesn’t think about especially when making judgements of a candidate based on a comparison of the campaign promises and what they actually do in office.
        The realities of leadership are quite different from what many think.

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