The Historical Nexus of Political Tactics

U.S History to 1865

December 6, 2012

“The Historical Nexus of Political Tactics”

An often-uttered phrase that ostensibly has little substantive value is, “history repeats itself.” While this may seem to be meretricious with little actual thought placed into it, as this election cycle has demonstrated the statement proves to be quite accurate. While Mitt Romney and Barack Obama may dress in different garb, speak in a different dialect, and espouse different philosophies, the nature of campaigning from the present day to the 19th century provides for an interesting comparison. As this paper will discuss in length, 19th century presidents such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Andrew Jackson all used similar political tactics that the country witnessed modern candidates use during the 2012 primaries and general elections. This paper therefore contends that while the nature of politics may have changed, the very fundamentals such as appealing to the common man, the use of negative political tactics and the political mudslinging were all evident during the 2012 election season.

While much of campaigning focuses on the aggrandizement of building one’s own personal stature, it just as much focuses on diminishing their opponents. One particular instance that correlates to this notion is the election of 1800, which is said to have been one of the most divisive campaigns in American history (. In a particularly baneful political attack, Jefferson’s Federalist opponents circulated rumors of his romantic involvement with a slave woman (Manseau). These ad hominem assaults reached their apex when Federalists accused Jefferson of being a dangerous radical with a pernicious band of acolytes (Brinkley 179). They contended that if Jefferson were to be elected his sentiments for the French Revolution would beget chaos in the United States (Brinkley 178). Their criticism of his foreign relations severely damaged his candidacy and as a result he nearly lost the election (“The Election of 1800”). On the opposite end of the political spectrum, Jefferson’s Republicans sought to portray Adams as a “tyrant conspiring to be king” accusing the Federalist party of trying to subvert human liberty and impose slavery on people (Brinkley 179).

Though, the election of 1800 was particularly vitriolic, “this idea” of hard-fought and emotional campaigning transcends to present day politics such as the recent electoral cycle of 2012. A similar instance was when Romney and his supporters criticized Obama’s addresses across the international world. Republicans along with Romney himself claimed Obama went on an “apology tour” which would bolster enemy claims, while simultaneously damaging our relationship with allies (Sterling). Romney advisor Richard Williamson also suggested that the deaths resulting from