# When did American politics get so nasty? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 22, 2020, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-american-politics-get-so-nasty/916014 "2020-07-22T13:26:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-american-politics-get-so-nasty/916014/62 "2020-07-28T21:02:30Z")
As a 67 year old Canadian who has watched us elections since Kennedy I think 1964 with Barry Goldwater running for the republicans was one of the dirtiest. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-american-politics-get-so-nasty/916014/63 "2020-07-29T04:26:21Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It’s easy to get this confused. Congratulations. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2020, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-american-politics-get-so-nasty/916014/64 "2020-07-30T02:20:09Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > What is creating the current nastiness is that a faction that is losing their majority are fighting like hell to preserve their privileges. > > This has happened before, in deadly fashion, such as lynchings during Jim Crow, murders during the Civil Rights Movement, all-out war during the labor movement, etc. Also right before the Civil War…where you had the events leading up to the Civil War. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-american-politics-get-so-nasty/916014.md?page=3)