Mudslinging

12 Classic Political Insults

Rosemarie Ostler | Posted 11.03.2011

Read More: Slidepollajax, Politician Insults, Politics, Politicians, Political Insults, History Political Insults, Political Insults History, Mudslinging, Political Slurs, Books News
Rosemarie Ostler

Think partisan name-calling has reached new lows? Actually, mudslinging is a tradition as old as the republic, right up there with baseball and apple pie. The Founding Fathers were no strangers to the well-aimed political slur.

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A Politician Is Like a Human Arcade

Chris Matthews | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Political Campaigns, 2010 Midterm Elections, Hardball, Chris Matthews, Mudslinging, Democracy, Bill Clinton, Politics News
Chris Matthews

If you run for office, you're pretty much completely exposed. Yet every election, people line up to take the public manhandling. And the simple fact is we need these people -- need them there on the ballot, need some of them as our leaders.

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Questioning the Patriotism of Freeman's Critics

Ira Forman | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Jeffrey Goldberg, Mudslinging, Patriotism, Samuel Johnson, Joseph McCarthy, Stephen Walt, Israel, Chas Freeman, Barack Obama, M.J. Rosenberg, World News
Ira Forman

No side comes out smelling clean when it engages in this mudslinging. However, we progressives should make a particular effort to avoid calling our opponents unpatriotic.

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Anonymity Of "Obama Is A Muslim" Emails Constitutionally-Protected?

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Supreme Court, Jaynes v Virginia, Mudslinging, First Amendment, Free Speech, Email, Spam, Constitutionally Protected, Obama, Anonymously, Jeremy Jaynes, Federalist Papers, Obama Is a Muslim, Barack Obama, Precedent, Virginia, Constitution, Anonymity, Chris Weigant, Constitutionality, Anonymous, Barack, Political Free Speech, Constitutional Question, Technology, Jaynes Virginia, Publius, Jaynes, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Emails saying absolutely anything about a candidate could not only be sent anonymously, but whoever sends them would actually be allowed to break any sort of anti-spam laws to do so.

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A Kick In The Career: Negative Campaigning For Fun and Profit

Thomas Stern | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Mudslinging, Presidential Debates, Negative Campaigning in the Workplace, Negative Campaigning, Business News
Thomas Stern

The Internet is a valuable tool with which to seek out information on those competing with you, and it is very likely that a Google will provide you with a treasure trove of unsavory information.

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Drudge Report Incites "Kill A Mockingbird" Racial Fear Of Obama

Martin Lewis | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Self-Loathing Gay, Self-Loathing Jew, Mudslinging, Matt Drudge, Barack Obama Race, Race, Gutter Journalism, Rovian Politics, Bradley Effect Obama, Hail McCain Pass, Desperatation, Fear Watch 2008, Gutter Politics, Racism, Fear Tactics, Karl Rove, Pandering, Hail Mary Pass, Xenophobia, Subliminal Messaging, Barack Obama, Barack Obama 2008, Low-Road, Fear Mongering, Subliminal Advertising, Lee Atwater, Subliminal Messages, Last Ditch, Subtle Racism, Bradley Effect, Hail Mary, Mccain Rovian Tactics, Media News
Martin Lewis

This photo does not appear anywhere in the linked story. It is only on the Drudge Report front page.

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Friday Talking Points [51] -- Some Positivity

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011

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Chris Weigant

While we're all waiting for someone to leak the Palin Troopergate Report (which is reminiscent of waiting for "Fitzmas" during the whole Scooter Libby...

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This Isn't School, So Let Us Pray

Tom Gerdy | Posted 11.17.2011

Read More: Mudslinging, Praying in School, Peace, Palin's Attacks, Spirituality, Ayers, Healthy Living News
Tom Gerdy

Dear (insert the name of your god, supreme-being, spiritual leader or source of power and energy), please help let the power of love overcome the love of power.

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You Don't Need A Weatherman To Know Which Way The Wind Blows

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Dylan, Vice President, Fat Lady Sings, Mudslinging, Washington, Joe Biden 2008, Queen, Mud, Yogi Berra, Fat Lady, Mccain, Obama, Campaign, President, Sarah Palin, Subterranean Homesick Blues, Sds, Ayers, Bill Ayers, 2008 Campaign, David Ifshin, Rezko, Keating Five, Kitchen Sink, Weather Underground, Keating, John McCain, Dick Motta, Hanoi, Tony Rezko, Opera, Terrorist, 2008 Elections, 08, Basketball, Bob Dylan, Scandal, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Biden, Election, 08 Election, Elections, Dan Cook, 08 Campaign, 1978, Palin, Barack, Charles Keating, 2008 Presidential Race, Championship, Hillary Clinton, We Are the Champions, Ifshin, Weathermen, Weatherbureau, Bullets, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Whatever you believe about Bill Ayers and the Weathermen, the fact remains that he is not running for president. But John McCain doesn't really have any other arrows left in his quiver.

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Divided Politics = Divided Country

Simon Sinek | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Dnc, House of Representatives, Mudslinging, Congress, John McCain, Rnc, 2008 Presidential Campaign, Rudy Guiliani, Joe Biden, Campaign, Democrats, Speeches, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Senate, Politics of Division, Sarah Palin, Republicans, Politics News
Simon Sinek

In Iraq, the Sunnis and the Shiites don't get along well enough to affect any sort of functional government. America implores them to get work togeth...

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Friday Talking Points [42] -- Get Up, Stand Up, Barack

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: GI Bill, Lies, Mudslinging, Wealthy, Cindy McCain, Drew Westen, Campaign, Swiftboat, Veterans, Soundbite, Wealth, 2008, Elite, Smear, John Kerry, Midotw, Distributor, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Student Loan, 2008 Campaign, Celebrity, Fight Back, Campaign Contributions, Elitist, Bill Clinton, Gas, Lying, John McCain, Strategy, Tony Sachs, Beer, Campaign Ads, Private Plane, Let Them Eat Cake, 2008 Elections, 08, Webb, Rich, Lie, 2008 Election, War Room, Barack Obama, Oil Companies, Election, 08 Election, Elections, Barack ObamaMost Impressive Democrat of the Week, Respectable Republican Cloth Coat, Get Up Stand Up, 08 Campaign, Mddotw, Budweiser, Tax Returns, 2008 Presidential Race, Credit Card, Elitism, Trash Talk, Attack Ads, Politics News
Chris Weigant

I have to assume if you're reading this that you're sick of the Olympics already. Wow, that was fast. Is NBC's coverage going to be twice as bad as ...

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Friday Talking Points [41] -- The Silly Season

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Paris Hilton, Ads, Gas Prices, Mudslinging, Britney Spears, Homosexual, Iraq, Diplomacy, Media, Campaign, Withdrawal, Republican, California, Iran, Television, Specifics, 2008, Sofa, Midotw, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, 2008 Campaign, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Celebrity, Status of Forces, Keating Five, Andres McCain, Rove, John McCain, Gas, Karl Rove, Gasoline, Deval Patrick, Timeline, War, Campaign Ads, Democrat, Massachusetts, 2008 Elections, 08, Gay, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Price of Oil, Elections, 08 Campaign, Mddotw, Convention, 2008 Presidential Race, Oil, Maliki, News, Britney, Media Bias, Gay Marriage, Politics News
Chris Weigant

I have a confession to make. I actually watch the network news. Maybe I should enter into a twelve-step program or something. But I don't watch the ...

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Friday Talking Points [35] -- Tim Russert Memorial Edition

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: White House, House Republican, Campaign Committee, Ron Paul, Mark Pryor, Tim Russert, Delahunt, Al Franken, Bob Barr, Campaign, Swiftboat, Bill Nelson, Virginia, Embezzling, New Mexico, 2008, John Kerry, Dennis Kucinich, Midotw, Smears, Audit, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Electoral College, Larry Hunter, Gas, Impeach, Libertarian, Massachusetts, 08, Democrats, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Elections, Oil Men, Constitutional Amendment, Mddotw, Arkansas, Obstructionist, Hillary Clinton, Senate, Popular Vote, Embezzlement, Gop, Mudslinging, Impeachment, Cheney, Dianne Feinstein, Democratic, Waxman, Swift Boat, Bush, Republican, Unemployment, Smear, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Obstructionism, 2008 Campaign, Wes Clark, Taxes, John McCain, Zombies, Rotting Corpse, Gas Tax, Windfall Profits, 2008 Elections, 2008 Election, Scandal, Oil Companies, Meet the Press, 08 Campaign, Tax, 2008 Presidential Race, Oil, Mtp, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Nobody seriously annoyed me this week, but I will launch a pre-emptive finger-wagging, to anyone on the left who can't resist the urge to be disrespectful of Tim Russert's memory right now.

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