It was almost certainly the most bitterly fought election in American history. The political culture of the young democracy was still evolving, and there was not yet an established boundary between acceptable rhetoric and outright slander. The result was a campaign of personal vilification, rumormongering, and mudslinging not quite like anything the American people had ever seen before, or have since.
We had an actual Constitutional crisis after that 1800 election with some pretty amazing Congressional maneuvering before the rightful winner of that awful campaign--Jefferson--was seated.
But thank God we've evolved since 1800, eh?
And then for the 2020 election the Democrats and their far-left shock troops said "Hold my beer."
Seriously, what is wrong with these people?
In defense of Toll, his book was published in 2006. How was he to know how much Twitter could devolve our political culture to encourage and amplify personal vilification, rumormongering, and mudslinging?
