Archive
Mudline Archive
STICKS, STONES, BROKEN BONES
During the 2000 Bush-Gore presidential race, we began collecting negative soundbites and posting them weekly on a MUDLINE ticker, as a temporary election feature. But in the aftermath of that tumultuous contest we realized that the tone of public discourse was unlikely to improve, and elected to continue the feature. Unfortunately, we were right; two decades later, incivility is hotter than ever. If you just can’t get enough snark on social media, this mud’s for you.
-
November 15, 2011
Michele Malkin on Herman Cain: "Makes Rick Perry look like a Mensa president."....Michelle Goldberg on Cain: "Has staked out new frontiers of boorishness."....John Podhoretz on Perry: "Has a sense of humor about being completely unfit to be president."....Alex Pareene on Gingrich: "A transparent bullshit artist."....Leslie Bennetts on Gingrich: "A mind-bogglingly self-destructive blowhard."....Bachmann campaign manager Keith Nahigian on CBS' John Dickerson: "A pice of sh**. He is a fraud and should be fired."....Frank Miller on OWS: "Nothing but a pack of louts, thieves, and rapists, an unruly mob, fed by Woodstock-era nostalgia and putrid false righteousness.".... -
November 9, 2011
Herman Cain on Pelosi: "Princess Nancy."....Michele Bachmann on Obama: "Continues to go to General Axelrod in Chicago to look for his orders."....Romney on Dems: "Think that when a corporation is profitable that's a bad thing."....French President Nicolas Sarkozy to British PM David Cameron: "You have lost a good opportunity to shut up."....Sarkozy on Netanyahu: "A liar."....Reagan budget director David Stockman on GOP: "Has totally abdicated its job...They're on an anti-tax jihad."....Joe Klein on Perry: "A minor league ballplayer flailing in the majors."....Andrew Sullivan on Perry: "An extra in The Walking Dead. But less articulate.".... -
November 2, 2011
Matt Taibbi on Rick Perry: "Brings shallow to a new level...He could be the Adolf Hitler of shallow."....Paul Begala on Perry: "Looks like a guy at an office party doing a bad impression of Will Ferrell doing an impression of Bush."....George Will on Obama: "A floundering naif."....Herman Cain on Obama: "I do not believe he represents American values."....Dana Milbank: "If Herman Cain were found to be a serial killer, his supporters would take this, too, as reassuring evidence that he is not just another career politician."....Eugene Robinson on Cain: "So many reasons to oppose this loopy candidacy, so little time."....Senior WH adviser David Plouffe on Romney: "If he thought it was good to say the sky was green and the grass was blue to win an election, he'd say it."....Newt Gingrich on Obama Mideast strategy: "A total grotesque failure."....Katrina vanden Heuvel on Congress: "It hasn't hit bottom yet -- there's still nine percent of the public that approves of the job the legislators are doing."....Pete Townsend on iTunes: "A digital vampire.".... -
October 28, 2011
James Taranto on Zuccotti Park: "The People's Republic of Obamaville."....Tea Party Patriots on OWS: "Lawbreaking troublemakers...trying to tear down the foundations of the greatest nation on earth."....Santorum on Perry: "Doesn't have what it takes to lead the American people."....Perry on Romney: "He says...'I need to say whatever I need to say for whatever office I'm running for.'"....Joe Scarborough on Herman Cain: "A glorified book tour...Making this up as he goes along."....Martin Bashir on Cain ads: "Weird and weirder."....Al Sharpton on GOP candidates: "There's something in the water that they're drinking."....Christine O'Donnell: "Right now a lawn gnome can beat Obama.".... -
October 25, 2011
Keith Olbermann on Fox News: "A political whorehouse."....Romney on U.S. leaving Iraq: "An astonishing failure."....Lindsey Graham: "A failure...Fumbled the ball inside of the ten."....McCain: "A serious mistake."....Rep. Dana Rohrabacher on McCain: "Gets carried away by his own military bravado."....Steve Kornacki on Rick Perry: "He's just not good at running for president."....Lawrence O'Donnell on Herman Cain 9-9-9 plan: "The most lavish giveaway to the rich that has ever been proposed by a presidential frontrunner."....Rep. Paul Ryan on Obama: "Preying on emotions of fear, resentment and anger."....Michele Bachmann on the U.S.: "Disrespected around the world because of what President Obama has done."....Eliot Spitzer on neocons: "The pillars of their worldview -- lower taxes and less regulation -- have failed the test that matters: reality."....Dan Lyons on Yahoo!: "The Paris Hilton of tech companies -- a ditzy, dopy outfit that remains enormously popular."....