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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.

  • June 6, 2011

    Chris Matthews on Sarah Palin: “Profoundly stupid.”….James Watson on Palin: “Doesn’t know anything.”….Joe Scarborough on Palin: “Everything’s a ‘gotcha’ question with her, isn’t it.”…..Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz on Jon Huntsman: “Not ready for the big dance.”….Rick Santorum on Obama: “A disaster…A paper tiger.”….Neal Boortz: “If people vote for Barack Obama next year, it’s like strapping on an economic suicide vest and giving the detonator to your ex-wife.”….Mitt Romney on Obama: “Has failed America.”….David Corn on Romney: “Has drunk the tea.”….Matt Ortega on Romney: “On every side of every issue.”….French sociologist Antoine Buéno on Smurfs: “Archetype[s] of totalitarian society imbued with Stalinism and Nazism."….
  • June 3, 2011

    Martin Bashir on Palin bus tour: “She's using the flag of the United States for her own financial purposes….This has got nothing to do with the presidency and everything to do with filling her pockets.”….Alex Massie on Palin: “The grandest, most effective political troll of our time.”….Ben Smith on Palin: “Makes Bachmann look like Longfellow.”….
  • May 31, 2011

    DNC Chairwoman Debbie Shultz on GOP: “Their record is anti-women, their record is a war on women and it's a priority for them.”….Rush Limbaugh: “Debbie Wasserman Blabbermouth Shultz.”….Sen. Inhofe on Obama: “Incredibly arrogant.”….Romney on Obama: “One of the most ineffective presidents at the job at hand that I’ve ever seen.”….Cornel West on Obama: “A puppet for corporate plutocrats and a mascot for Wall Street oligarchs.”….Michele Bachmann on Obamacare: “The crown jewel of socialism.”….
  • May 25, 2011

    Ed Schultz on Laura Ingraham: “A right-wing slut…A talk slut.”….Ted Turner on oil and coal industries: “They need a good ass-kicking.”….Michael Lind on Niall Ferguson: “A huckster…vulgar and shallow. Has the moral imagination of a teenage boy addicted to gruesome video games.”….Priorities USA ad on Romney: “You have to wonder: Which page is he on today?”….Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul: “Voters are looking for a jobs plan, not a smear campaign.”….Lawrence O’Donnell on debate over socialism: “The single stupidest argument we have in our society.”….Rick Santorum on John McCain: “Doesn’t understand how enhanced interrogation works.”….Trump on economists: “What do [they] know? Most of them aren’t very smart.”….
  • May 20, 2011

    Donald Trump: “Our leaders are stupid, they are stupid people. It's just very, very sad. We have weak, pathetic leadership.”….MSNBC anchor Lawrence O’Donnell on Trump: “NBC's Charlie Sheen - the greatest individual embarrassment in the history of the network.”….Ann Coulter: “To liberals, every woman looks like a hotel maid.”….Rick Santorum on Obama’s Mideast speech: “Epitomizes the sad state of American diplomacy.”….Mitt Romney: “Has thrown Israel under the bus.”….Michele Bachmann: "Betrayed our friend and ally.”….Tim Pawlenty: “Mistaken, a very dangerous demand.”….Ron Paul: “Does not understand a proper foreign policy for America.”….Steve Kornacki on Gingrich: “An epically disastrous presidential campaign rollout.”….Mark McKinnon on Gingrich: "A campaign suicide bomber."....Chris Matthews: “It's so pathetic that Roger Ailes has put [Sarah Palin] on television.”….Ailes: “People tell me all the time it was truly pathetic that I was the one who gave Chris Matthews his start.”….Eeyore on the other animals: “They haven’t got Brains, any of them, only grey fluff that’s blown into their heads by mistake.”….