Every election cycle we hear about how nasty the discourse of our politics has become. We also tend to hear that low-brow, negative attacks have reached all-new lows in an ever-descending discourse.
This video from Reason.tv shows that such talk is historically ill-informed. It shows that our current negativity is trumped by the election of 1800. The Federalist vs. the Democratic-Republicans, John Adams vs. Thomas Jefferson, was intensely personal and bitter. I would also add that politics throughout the preceding 1790s were exceedingly vicious. Further, the media was formed by bitterly partisan rival newspapers who openly fought for different positions/political parties.
The point is that the republic survived, even succeeded in such circumstances. As we argue for better political discourse, let us not get too apocalyptic about our future. We’ll survive these rancorous times and, as one side of the current divide begins to decisively win the argument, the partisanship will abate. Remember that the election of 1800 eventually gave way to the Era of Good Feelings.
Adam Carrington After a year at Westminster Theological Seminary, Adam began a PhD program in Political Science at Baylor University in Waco, TX in the Fall of 2009. He received his BA from Ashland University in Ashland, OH, where he studied Political Science, Religion, and English Literature. During his undergrad, he worked on several political campaigns as well as interning with The Claremont Review of Books. He continues to be fascinated by politics, literature, and media’s interaction with theology and the Church. In the spare time he does scratch out, he likes to play guitar, read, and spend late nights debating any and every topic at all-night diners. Adam is married to Emily Carrington. 
