Election Day (1800?) 2006

The Adams vs. Jefferson Presidential election of 1800 was a true turning point in American history. It represented a dramatic struggle between two parties with very different visions of how the nation should be governed. The campaign itself was a barroom brawl, with mud-slinging (Federalists called Jefferson "a howling atheist"), scare tactics, and backstabbing. The low point came when Alexander Hamilton printed a devastating attack on Adams, the head of his own party, in "fifty-four pages of unremitting vilification." (Some text taken from Booknotes.)

For this blog post comment on the mudslinging in our local Congressional election (New York's 20th district) between John Sweeney and Kirsten Gillibrand and your feelings on how this type of camping impacted local voter turnout and overall participation in the political process (individual voters, office holders/candidates, and volunteers)