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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.

  • 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.”….
  • May 17, 2011

    Newt Gingrich on Ryan proposals: “Right-wing social engineering.”….Ryan on Gingrich: “With allies like that, who needs the Left?”….Quin Hillyer on Gingrich: “Absolutely idiotic politically…horribly wrong philosophically.”….Eugene Robinson on GOP presidential debate: “Brought to mind the famous bar scene from ‘Star Wars.’”….Rep. David Schweikert on Geithner: “Acting like his hair is on fire.”….Alan Simpson on AARP: “Thirty-eight million people bound together by love of airline discounts.” ….Ted Rall on Obama: “Our Jack Ruby.”….Gingrich on Obama: “The most successful food stamp president in modern American history."….Alex Parene on Trump presidential campaign: “An unamusing joke.”….Trump on Nene: “You're a quitter. And Star Jones kicked your ass.”….
  • May 9, 2011

    Colin Powell on bin Laden: “The worst person on earth.”….CIA director Leon Panetta on Pakistan: “Involved or incompetent.”….George Will on Obama Libya policy: “A half-baked doctrine…a quarter-baked rationalization…and an unworthy national agenda.”….Jerry Seinfeld: “If God gave comedians the power to invent people, the first person we would invent is Donald Trump.”….
  • May 3, 2011

    NY Daily News on bin Laden: “Rot in hell.”….Washington Post: “Son of a bitch.”….NY Post: “Bastard.”….Rush Limbaugh: “Have you seen the picture of these clowns in the Situation Room from Sunday?...The smallest guy in the room is Obama.”….Rep. Allen West: “If you support Medicare the way it is now, you can kiss the United States of America goodbye.”….Julian Assange on Facebook: “The most appalling spying machine that has ever been invented.”….Orly Taitz on Obama long form birth certificate: “Very inventive computer art.”….Morrissey on Royal Family: “Benefit scroungers, nothing else.”….Glenn Beck on Glee: “A horror show…A nightmare.”….