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.

  • January 21, 2016

    Bob Dole on Ted Cruz: "I don't know how he's going to deal with Congress. Nobody likes him."....Trump on Cruz: "He's a nasty guy...Nobody in Congress likes him."....NY Daily News headline on Palin endorsing Trump: "I'm With Stupid!"....Trump on Cruz: "A maniac."....William Saletan on Cruz: "May be the most spectacular liar ever to run for president."....NY Rep. Pete King on Cruz: "Go back under a rock."....Cruz on Trump: "In terms of a commander in chief, I think we ought to have someone who isn't springing out of bed and tweeting in response to the latest polls."....Trump on Cruz: "Two-faced."....Cruz on NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio: "Over and over again stands with the looters and criminals rather than the brave men and women of blue."....Trump on Obama: "Living in a fantasy land."....Marco Rubio on Obama: "Has deliberately weakened America."....Ted Nugent on Obama and Clinton: "They should be tried for treason and hung."....Matt Walsh on Trump: "If you vote for a man who worships himself over God, you deserve the tyranny that happens next."....Seth Meyers: "A good day for Obama only lasts the seven minutes before Repubicans s*** all over it."....Andy Borowitz: "I worry that the controversy about Ted Cruz's birth will distract people from the fact that he is a deranged sociopath."....
  • January 15, 2016

    Ted Cruz: "China is running over President Obama like he is a child."....Chris Christie on Obama: "The guy is a petulant child."....Marco Rubio on Obama: "Does not believe that America is a great global power...Doesn't believe in the Constitution."....Cruz on Obama: "Acts as an apologist for radical Islamic terrorism."....Ben Carson on Obama: "Doesn't realize we live in the twenty-first century."....Christie on Obama: "We will kick your rear end out of the White House."....Donald Trump: "Our country's a mess...Our military is a disaster."....Jeb Bush: "In this administration every weapon system has been gutted."....Christie on Obama: "Has let [our military] diminish to a point where tin pot dictators like the mullahs in Iran are taking our Navy ships."....Trump on the U.S.: "We can't be the stupid country any more. We are laughed at all over the world."....Rubio on Bush: "Desperate and spending millions on false attacks."....Trump on Rubio: "At least half of the things Marco said are flat-out false."....Rubio on Obamacare: "A certified job-killer."....Christie on Rubio: "When you're a senator, what you get to do is just talk and talk and talk."....Bush on Hillary Clinton: "She would be a national security mess."....Christie on Clinton: "If I am the nominee, she won't get within ten miles of the White House."....Trump on Bush: "We don't need a weak person being president of the United States."....Christie on Obama: "A guy who just believes that law enforcement are the bad guys."....
  • January 6, 2016

    Chris Christie on Obama: "A petulant child...Wants to act as if he is a king, as if he is a dictator."....Trump on Obama: "He doesn't want to work too hard. He wants to go back and play golf."....National Review's Charles Cooke on Obama’s tears: “Well, that was embarrassing…Irrational. Dishonest. And ultimately weak.”….Fox News’ Andrea Tantaros: “I would check that podium for a raw onion…It’s not really believable.”….Meghan McCain: “Bad political theater.”….Breitbart’s John Nolte: “Fascist tears.”….Chris Christie: "I just don't think Marco Rubio's going to be able to slime his way to the White House."....Trump on protesters at his rally: "A bunch of losers."....Rick Santorum on Ted Cruz: "Has two years of grandstanding in Washington."....Trump on Charles Krauthmmer: "The worst...He's terrible."....Krauthammer on Trump: "I'm going to conceal carry for the time being."....Mike Huckabee on Congressional Republicans: "Grow a spine."....Trump on Obama: "He doesn't like people, I guess."....Cruz website: "Obama wants your guns."....Trump on Hillary Clinton: "She's caused death. She's caused tremendous death with incompetent decisions."....Rush Limbaugh on liberals: "Some of the most vicious, mean-spirited extremists among us....Have contempt for average, ordinary Americans and every other type of person."....Trump on Obama: "A bad cheerleader."....
  • December 30, 2015

    New Hampshire Union Leader publisher Joseph McQuaid on Trump: "Has shown himself to be a crude blowhard...He reminds us of the grownup bully 'Biff' in the 'Back to the Future' series."....Trump on McQuaid: "A real lowlife... A very dishonest man."....NYC mayor Bill de Blasio on Trump: "He's now become dangerous."....Trump on de Blasio: "The worst mayor in the U.S. and probably the worst mayor in the history of NYC."....Trump on Virginia GOP: "Stupid!"....VA Republican state Rep. David I. Ramadan on Trump: "Your $$s and your bullying do not work in the Commonwealth. Moron!"....Roger Simon on Jeb Bush and Trump: "Like a mosquito biting a rhinoceros."....
  • December 24, 2015

    Trump on Jeb Bush: "Sad. So sad...Close to incompetent."....Trump on Angela Merkel: "Ruining Germany."....Trump on Hillary Clinton: "Lies like crazy about everything."....Trump on Cruz: "Frankly like a little bit of a maniac."....Hillary Clinton on Trump: "Is becoming ISIS' best recruiter."....Jeb Bush on Trump: "A jerk."....Bernie Sanders on Trump: "A pathological liar."....Trump on Hillary Clinton: "That's not a president."....Clinton on Trump: "We can't let anyone bully their way into the presidency."....Jeb Bush on Trump: "Put an F on the scorecard."....