Acknowledgments Dedication Prologue 25. "From Vietnam to Iraq" George W. Bush v. John Kerry, President, 2004 24. "It's a Jungle Out There" Upton Sinclair v. Frank Merriam, Governor, California, 1934 23. "'Senator Pothole' v. 'Putzhead'" Alphonse D'Amato v. Charles Schumer, U.S. Senate, New York, 1998 22. "Electronic Mudslinging" Lyndon Johnson v. Barry Goldwater, President, 1964 21. "The Art of War" Jesse Helms v. Harvey Gantt, U.S. Senate, North Carolina, 1990 20. "Homo Sapiens, Thespians, and Extroverts" Claude Pepper v. George Smathers, U.S. Senate, Florida, 1950 19. "Vote for the Crook: It's Important" Edwin Edwards v. David Duke, Governor, Louisiana, 1991 18. "Who's the Boss?" Richard Daley v. Robert Merriam, Mayor, Chicago 1955 17. "Polluting the Garden State" Frank Lautenberg v. Pete Dawkins, U.S. Senate, New Jersey, 1988 16. "God Save the Republic…Please" Rutherford Hayes v. Samuel Tilden, President, 1876 15. "Rudy and the Jets" Rudolf Giuliani v. David Dinkins, Mayor, New York City, 1993 14. "A New Jersey Street Fight" Robert Torricelli v. Richard Zimmer, U.S. Senate, New Jersey, 1996 13. "In This Corner…Little Lord Fauntleroy?" John Tower v. Robert Krueger, U.S. Senate, Texas, 1978 12. "Sex, Lies and Videotape" Charles Robb v. Oliver North, U.S. Senate, 1994 11. "'Claytie' v. The Lady" Clayton Williams v. Ann Richards, Governor, Texas, 1990 10. "Richard Nixon v. The United States of America" Richard Nixon v. Goerge McGovern, President, 1972 9. "Bye-Bye Blackbird" Herold Washington v. Bernard Epton, Mayor, Chicago, 1983 8. "America, Meet Willie Horton" George H. W. Bush v. Michael Dukakis, President, 1988 7. "'Tricky Dick' v. Helen Gahagan Douglas," U.S. Senate, California, 1950 6. "Grantism and Mr. Greeley" Ulysses S. Grant v. Horace Greely, President, 1872 5. "The First Campaign" Thomas Jefferson v. John Adams, 1800 4. "A House Divided" Abraham Lincoln v. George Mclellan, President, 1864 3. "Mud, Mugwumps, and Motherhood" Grover Cleverland v. James G. Blaine, President, 1884 2. "The Dirtiest Campaign in American History?" Andrew Jackson v. John Quincy Adams, President, 1828 1. "George Wallace and the Negro Block Vote" George Wallace v. Albert Brewer, Governor, Alabama 1970 Epilogue Bibliography
"We all claim that we hate negative campaigns, but from the very beginning of the American Republic, they have fascinated us. Go ahead: Indulge yourself! Professor Kerwin Swint has compiled an irresistible list of the 25 dirtiest campaigns of all time. You'll find yourself cluck-clucking as you absorb every word. This is a great read full of dark enlightenment." -- Larry J. Sabato, Director, Center for Politics, University of Virginia
Kerwin C. Swint is Associate Professor of Political Science at Kennesaw State University, a former campaign consultant, and a political commentator for local and national media. He is the author of Political Consultants and Negative Campaigning: The Secrets of the Pros (1998).
Don't let them fool you--people love negative campaigns. Campaign
consultant Swint rates political campaigns over the course of US
history. He supports his rankings, in reverse order, from the 2004
presidential election to the dirtiest one thus far: the overtly
racist 1970 Alabama Democratic primary between George Wallace and
Albert Brewer. Lest one think that this is a modern phenomenon, the
1828 presidential campaign rates a close second. The book include
images of candidates and related propaganda.
*Reference & Research Book News*
The political historian who is intrigued by the downright nasty
will be interested in Mudslingers. In the book Swint chronicles
what he deems the 25 nastiest, dirtiest campaigns of all time. He
includes examples from modern day and historical examples,
illustrating the point that politics has always been dirty, it's in
the nature of the game. The entries about each race are very
complete, giving readers a full picture of the campaign, the
attacks and the candidates. And each chapter is cleverly named
based on facts about each race and allows readers to imagine the
worst of politics. . . . Swint's book is an interesting look at
campaigns through time and at what makes a campaign so
negative.
*Campaigns & Elections*
You wouldn't think there would be positive news in a book about
negative campaigning. But Kerwin Swint has found some. Ranking the
most vicious American election contests in their proper order, he
found that only one race in the top 10 -- Bush vs. Dukakis, in
1988--is less than 20 years old. In short: Things are bad now but
not nearly as bad as they used to be…. Negative campaigns are not
especially pretty, and they are not always edifying, but we should
be glad when they are all we have to worry about. Many democracies
around the world would take a little of our vitriol for an end to
the thievery and bribery that ruin their elections.
*Wall Street Journal*
Texas politics is right up there with the best of them when it
comes to mudslinging.
*Fort Worth Star-Telegram*
Don't base your vote on just one issue, especially one that hurts
people or one that fails to address the state's real needs. Don't
believe everything you hear. And look for positive reasons to vote
for a candidate, not trumped-up reasons to vote against him.
*The Decatur Daily*
During the course of some of the most venomous campaigns - the kind
that dredge up everything from salacious trysts with questionable
women to shady deals with sleazy men - it becomes clear that
politics can be a dirty, disgusting profession. This is precisely
why we love it….[e]ven after the readers thinks they can be shocked
no more a candidate utters something or creates a rumor that sets
them back for a minute. This book is also unique in the fact that
it appears as if Swint had a good time writing it - inserting a
snarky comment here and there - and to think how many campaigns he
probably had to wade through to get the top 25, the man must have a
heckuva sense of humor.
*The Hill*
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