Hall Of Shame: The Most Hate-Filled Flyers Of The 2008 Campaign (SLIDESHOW)

"Passion and prejudice properly aroused and directed...do about as well as principle and reason in a party contest."

- Thomas Elder, prominent Whig politician, 1840

In a bitterly-contested presidential election, a Democratic candidate praised for his intellectual demeanor and idealistic spirit is the target of vicious personal attacks that question his patriotism and his ethnic background.

It was 1800, and Thomas Jefferson was the subject of rumors and crude innuendo circulated in newspapers and handbills passed out in taverns claiming that he was the son of a half-breed Indian squaw squired by a Virginia mulatto father.

Obviously, things haven't changed that much.

The 2008 election has been marked in recent months by an endless round of negative ads and robo-calls attacking Barack Obama's patriotism, honesty, integrity, faith, experience.

Watch a slideshow of the most hate-filled flyers and mailers in the 2008 campaign:

• • • • • • • • In September, the Suffolk University College Republicans came under fire after creating a flyer depicting Barack Obama with a digitally superimposed pig's nose and smeared lipstick. The text reads: "You know, you can put lipstick on a pig. but it's still a pig." The cliche was used by Obama in a speech mocking John McCain's claim to be an agent of change. But it was widely misinterpreted as an attack on Sarah Palin, who famously described her personality with the line: "You know the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick." The flyer, which was found on a bulletin board in the university's Ridgeway building, was condemned by Bob Rosenthal, chair of the school's Communication and Journalism Department. "Obviously freedom of speech is important, the First Amendment is important, but this is in incredibly poor taste," he told the Suffolk Journal. "It does nothing to further political debate."

The negative personal attacks of the current campaign stands out, compared to dirty tricks used in recent elections like the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads in 2004 and the rumors spread about John McCain's adopted daughter in 2000, because they're being voiced by the Republican candidate and his running mate, rather than their surrogates or sympathetic groups.

"One thing that has struck me is that it's been left to McCain and Palin to directly make some of the personal attacks on Obama's character," says Kerwin Swint, the author of "Mudslingers: The Top 25 Negative Political Campaigns of All Time."

Story continues below

advertisement

"In the past, this would have been done by outside groups like 527s or PACs. Past Republican candidates haven't directly made these attacks. But those groups haven't been there for McCain like they have for previous candidates and that's left him in the position of having to do it himself. He may not enjoy doing it but his advisers have told him, "This is your only chance." And he's thrown it all at Obama - the only thing he held back on was [Rev.] Jeremiah Wright."

One of the most negative lines of attack used by McCain was the recent question: "Who is Barack Obama?"

"That suggests he's not who you think he is. It's a nefarious play to people's fears. 'Is he really a Muslim?' 'Is he close to terrorists?' He's not one of us. It's about making him seem scary and un-American."

Swint compared such attacks to the infamous ad used by late Senator Jesse Helms in his tough re-election campaign in 1990 against Harvey Gantt, the first black mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Those attacks have a not-so-subtle racial element to them, explains Joseph Cummins, the author of "Anything For a Vote: Dirty Tricks, Cheap Shots, and October Surprises."
"It plays into people's pre-existing seeds of racism, that as a Muslim or as a black man, he's alien to the mainstream."

Cummins says that current campaign is in contention to make his list of the top 10 dirtiest presidential campaigns in American history. "The volume of stuff put out by the McCain campaign is pretty extraordinary."

Most of those ads have aired on TV, radio and the Internet and negative attacks have been used in robo-calls by the campaign and Republican party officials.

But some of the crudest attacks, many of which are circulated by independent operatives and players not affiliated with the McCain campaign, have used the oldest campaign technique in the book: flyers posted on bulletin boards and shoved under car windshield wipers.

The worst examples, shown in the accompanying slideshow, have used racist caricatures, implied that Obama has an affinity with Osama Bin Laden, and suggested that the country is on the verge of a race war.

There have been some anti-McCain flyers with caricatures of the candidate as a scarred POW but they did not appear during the general election and were distributed by McCain's contenders in the hotly-contested Republican primary.

Comments

[luckydreamer]

I've gotten a few racist emails that had been forwarded at least 30 times before they got to my mailbox. I can't believe some people find humor in mean and degrading stereotypes, still, in 2008...

[DosaHut]

Thanks to this election, Repub.lican is officially equated with rac.ist

[judesedit]

I have NO respect for John McCain what-so-ever. Nor that hate-monger Palin. And to think I actually used to like him. Thank God Barack will not concede if they initially succeed in stealing the election this time. He will fight and have 75% of the real Americans behind him. You would think EVERYONE would care if their elections were free and fair, but for republicans, it's win at any cost. I say, if possible, STEAL IT BACK before they know what hit them! Maybe Clint Curtis, who created the software to throw the election to Bush in 2004, will want restitution, and help us with that. The GOP campaign people and all who support it are the lowest of the low. And they actually make me feel ashamed of being white on occasion. Go OBAMA! You are "that one" that Ameica wants and needs to clean up the mess created by the supposed "evangelical" GOP.

[stargazer13]

America is so ready for a change !!!!!!!!!!!!!

we have been divided and divided and again divided by these so called Americans who profess to be real Christians . I think it has been said that a house divided can not stand ! and as you can see our house ie the United States is crumbling .

America is now ready to rebuild her house In our home we call it a barn raising

And I support this barn raising with all my heart !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lisaintexas]

There are many other flyers too - on terrorism particularly. Has anyone compiled all of them anywhere? I want to keep copies and after the election explain to some of my local candidates why I could never vote for them as long as they stay on the Republican ticket. Thanks!

[dobberdoss]

As much as i HATE these flyers, people are allowed their opinions (first amendment right) EVEN if filled with "hate". ,that includes mine.

'To surpress the opinions of our enemies means we are not really for freedom of speech after all"
:Noam Chomsky

[cordyc]

Do not mix up opinion with just plain hate. Burning crosses express an opinion but are not protected by the 1st amendment.

[dobberdoss]

i dont believe in "just plain hate", for such deep rooted opinions even if extreme are grounded in some form of learned opinion, even if totally wrong and offensive. We must allow even the ugliest side of Human nature to be seen & heard so as to gauge what is better or good. How else to we gauge ourselves as a species?

"If every day was sunny, wouldn't we eventually wish for rain or snow"? :
R Mathews

[DosaHut]

well they are only hurting themselves. The Repub party has lost all and any respect.
They are all now generalized as rac.ists. And frankly, it's less and less of a genaralization.

[EvangelicalEmpathy]

Thank you America for donating to Obama's campaign in record numbers. He needed the money to counterattack these vicious attacks. How many others feel this way but never create a flyer? Obama's not just running for the American Presidency, he's running against American history. Every dollar was needed to get him to Nov. 4th with a chance to win.

McCain doesn't have to spend to fight this same hatred and prejudice.

[Intelligentia]

An excellent post!

[PissedOffProf]

Whether Obama ultimately becomes President or gets this election stolen, my family considers our sequence of several modest online donations a good investment, the right thing for us to do. There are millions of other middle class and impoverished families who feel the same as my family.

And God bless those thousands of voters who are waiting for hours to cast their ballot. They are restoring my faith and confidence in the peoples' hunger for democracy.

[CattieM]

To all those who are whining about "take this down," and "we don't need to see this," please rejoin the real world.

We should never close our eyes from the ugliness that exists in our world. The day after Barack wins this election, conservative are going to be crying out how it is proof that America is no longer racist and we no longer need affirmative action programs. They are going to proclaim it as the death of racism.

As this clearly shows, the same ugliness that existed in peoples' hearts when innocent black people were being lynched in this country still thrives in the hearts of these frightening people. They would do it all over again if they had the chance.

Just as the Jews built the Holocaust museums in DC and Israel as testaments to the depth of atrocities committed--when you go there you get the full force of what happened. It cannot and should not be ignored.

We must look at these things no matter how much it hurts or disgusts us. We must acknowledge that this exists, we must document it so that those who come after us--those who may not have witnessed it--know that it is still out there and that this kind of hatred can flare into something that will be a world's tragedy.

[Intelligentia]

They can proclaim the end of racism if they want, but unless they can prove that racism is like a flu which you can cure by Obama becoming the president, then we will still be here reminding them that we know racism exists! It's one thing for Obama to win, it's another for his presidency to succeed. From day one in office there are racists (Republicans, Independents and Democrats) who will do anything and everything to undermine his success as a President. These racists only goal would be to ensure that they make things so bad for him that he will not get a second term in office. Every Black cabinet appointment will be scrutinized and analysed as to whether the appointment was made because of race. Oh, don't worry, they will give us more than enough to remind everybody that racism is here to stay. As for Affirmative Action, it has been dead for Blacks from the begining. It was never intended to help Blacks. They scream Affirmative Action to divert Black peoples attention from demanding real Affirmative Action. The effect is that Blacks are running around fighting to protect and promote Affirmative Action while ignoring serious civil rights movement necessary to real equality. Every intelligent person knows that Affirmative Action has benefitted only White women! The financial meltdown is not an accident. It will take decades to correct the damage that has been done (and will continue to melt during Obama's presidency (assuming the election is not stolen).

[merle7]

WE SERVE AN AWESOME GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Blivet]

I grew up in a small town in the 1930"s where a number of distinct ethnic groups worked side by side and by the time I was in first grade, I knew every nasty ethnic pejorative that applied to each group. The only slurs I didn"t appreciate were those directed at me, my family, or my friends.
Then, years later, just after the end of WWII, I was still in the Navy where my life was saved by a black shipmate from what could have been a horrifying but spectacular death on a carrier flight deck. When he risked his life to save mine, I was suddenly faced with the realization that personal character was apart from race and I had to rethink my feelings about individuals who came from cultures or ethnic groups different from mine.
After the service, as I pursued my education, I came in contact with people I would never have been associated with were it not for our common interest in education. As a result, I found that education, more so than personal experience was the greatest eye opener and without it I could have been one of the rabid right wingers seen in so many video clips.
Education was my salvation something that is obviously missing in many right wing comments on these blogs. But even more worrisome than words are images like those above. I understand the reason for publishing them, but they are still repulsive and destructive.

[beantowner]

Thanks for posting that inspirational life story. Good on ya. :-)

[EvangelicalEmpathy]

Americans talk so much about freedom. The best freedom in the world is to be free to move about the world without prejudice but enriched by everyone you come in contact with. This is true freedom.

[EvangelicalEmpathy]

Thanks for sharing your story.

[BritishAmerican]

Thank you for sharing your story. What I still don't understand is why so much hatred from Whites towards Blacks. Surely, if any race should be angry, it should be Black race who have put up with our victimization, abuse and racial discrimination for centuries. Yet, they have not acted out in anger towards us but we are still victimizing them. Is it lack of confidence on our part as a white race?

[NoWayNoHow]

Excellent post.

Thanks for sharing!

[Greytdog]

Here's something McCain/Palin need to remember - From Joe Paterno - "Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good."

[fastfreddy57]

Some of the anti Mc Cain crap that I have read on the Huffington post blogs is alot worse then those flyers.

[Blivet]

What goes around comes around.

[wsmcke]

Like what? What pictures have been used that were race related? Repubs have their own blogs that are as negative, so how are Huffington's blogs worst?

[BritishAmerican]

Fastfreddy - you must be delusional!!! Has anyone on Huffpost called for the execution of McCain like his supports called for Obama to be executed? Has there been any black person who is planning the murder of McCain? At anytime at Obama's rally, have you heard of people chanting terrorists, murderer against McCain - there answer is NO. I suggest you visit your right wing websites to read the hate they're spewing towards blacks and President Obama

[BigBagel]

Hate only hate but you must hate the hate that you hate hate with. Got it?

[YouDisgustMe]

republicans are such dem0ns

[KATANGA]

Clearly, these are the works of Scary McCain, Palin and the Group of Perverse (G.O.P.). John McCain is a zero. He has no substance. Meaning, he had all these years hidden behind, a wall of fake accreditations like "Hero", "Maverick" and such low shots to boost his unsatiable ego.

McCain, being a person of accredited wrong judgments; he assumed being white accords him every legitimate and automatic right for the office of President! A clear case of his questionable thinking had been his choice of VP; Sarah Palin! A Scare Crow!

Surprisingly having failed in his bid to win the campaign, again, due to his usual poor judgments, he did the only thing people with traces of psychological torture does. Restore to gutter-low-level politics, of fear, smears and intimidations!

Like Charles Dickens"s "Oliver Twist" he explained he was compelled into such despicable methods against Senator Obama because Obama, didn"t consent to his request for his da*m ned so-called "Town-Hall" meeting together! Such a weak mind!

Came an opportunity for a "Town-Hall", and to my surprise, McCain showed a very disappointing weak incapable performance ONLY seen in a character, that is reasonably unfit for a job!

[Luschnig]

Even though I know we are not supposed to do it back at them, I still think that turn about is fair play. So imagine a totally factual ad that states: John McCain was a totally mediocre warrior who managed to get himself captured. He survived the war only thanks to the bravery of a couple Vietnamese farmers and the grudging generosity of his captors who treated his injuries. All this while his four star admiral father was blundering into losing the war for us. Indeed, the McCain family seems to have quite a knack for losing wars. So what's all this talk about him knowing how to win wars? The truth is McCain knows only how to lose wars. And if elected he will lead our troops into captivity. He will lose all the wars for us. And probably ruin America besides. McCain is defeat! I wonder how the Republican's would like to see that ad.