Every four years we the people are tasked with establishing a commander in chief. The candidate may be new to politics, or the former President running for re-election or a career politician. One thing that has become a trend over what seems to be our entire political history is slander. In other words trash talking has become almost expected from the candidates. With this current election in 2016, slander is very prominent from both sides. An example of some of the earliest political slander comes in the election of 1800 when the transfer of power in our two party system began.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/19668/election-1800-birth-negative-campaigning-us
Now in the current election of 2016 slander is definitely still used. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton definitely attack each other by slandering and stacking the deck against each other. In both of their debates this election year, the candidates have slandered each other to the point that they don’t address the issue being discussed before they make allegations and accusations about the other candidate. This political combat seems to carry out into the suburbs with people stealing political yard signs and people; not just the politicians, are being attacked and bullied on both sides of politics on social media. What has changed since 1800? The overwhelming reach of digital social tools and media have made slandering and stacking the deck far more prevalent and visible to citizens and citizens themselves can get in on the act. In the case of Donald Trump he seems to stack the deck against himself but it is the stacked deck of digital media editing that emphasizes the negative view. Donald Trump uses the negative slogan of “Crooked Hilary” to erode the trust of possible Clinton supporters and increase the divide between the two parties. The danger of this growing divide is that it makes the necessity of compromise that much more difficult after the election.
These are just a few attack ads using select phrases out of context:
So when will it end? Maybe never. The constitution does give us the right to freedom of speech and people with strong opinions and money added to not a lot of facts will always open their mouths and create a slanted political environment. Shaming and criticizing anyone with an opinion other than theirs including celebrity endorsements and stacking the deck of what is true and false against each other. This circus of a 2016 election is about to come to a head on election day November 8, 2016; not too long from now but maybe too long for many.