‘Monster’: Insult
To the Art of Political Slander

Whether or not you agree that Samantha Power, one of Barack Obama’s foreign policy advisors, should have resigned after calling Hillary Clinton a ‘monster,’ one thing is clear:

That’s the best she could come up with?

Her remarks were an insult to the art of political slander, which has a long history in this country and around the world.

In fact, maybe she should have stepped down in shame for her lack of creativity.

The last few presidential campaigns have been woefully lacking in poisonous putdowns – even the Canadians have been more acid-tongued.

So, herewith we present some of the better political insults in history:

“A slur upon the moral government of the world”
- John Quincy Adams on Thomas Jefferson

“He is certainly the basest, meanest scoundrel that ever disgraced the image of God, nothing is too mean or low for him to condescend to”
- Henry Clay, orator and statesman, on Andrew Jackson

“A rigid, fanatic, ambitious, selfish partisan, and sectional turncoat with too much genius and too little common sense, who will either die a traitor or a madman”
- Clay on John Calhoun, Vice President and Senator

“I didn’t shoot Henry Clay and I didn’t hang John Calhoun”
- Jackson describing things he had left undone

“He’s nothing more than a well meaning baboon”
- General George B. McClellan on Abraham Lincoln

“If he became convinced tomorrow that coming out for cannibalism would get him the votes he surely needs, he would begin fattening a missionary in the White House backyard come Wednesday.”
- H. L. Mencken talking about Franklin D. Roosevelt

“The kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree and then mount the stump to make a speech for conservation.”
- Adlai Stevenson on Richard Nixon

“The enviably attractive nephew who sings an Irish ballad for the company and then winsomely disappears before the table clearing and dishwashing begin.”
- Lyndon B. Johnson on JFK

“Ronald Reagan doesn’t dye his hair, he’s just prematurely orange”
- Gerald Ford on Ronald Reagan

“An empty suit that goes to funerals and plays golf.”
- Ross Perot talking about Dan Quayle

“The Hon. leader of the Opposition knows all about butts. He has had his hands on more butts than there are members of this House.”
– Canadian Transport Minister John Crosbie in November 1987 to Liberal Leader John Turner.

“Slut.”
– In the Canadian Parliament, Tory backbencher William Kempling about Sheila Copps in 1991.

“Sambo.”
– Tory MP Jack Shields about NDP MP Howard McCurdy, the only black member in the House of Commons, in 1991.

“Sheila, that a was a shitty thing to do and confirms you are one bitch.”
– Ian McClelland, Reform MP for Edmonton Southwest, to Sheila Copps during a debate in April 1997.

“Little chubby little sucker.”
– Reform MP Darrell Stinson about Progressive Conservative Leader Jean Charest after Charest accused him of being a bigot, Dec. 4, 1997.

“We’re not interested in the views of painted, perfumed gigolos.”
- Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating on opponent Andrew Peacock

“Codd will be lucky to get a job cleaning shithouses if I ever become Prime Minister.”
- Keating on longtime Australian government official Michael Codd

“They’re a conga line of suckholes”
- Australian opposition leader Mark Latham on the Liberal cabinet

“Indeed, Madam, and you are ugly. But tomorrow I shall be sober.”
- Winston Churchill’s response to MP Bessie Braddock, after she accused him of being drunk

“A sheep in sheep’s clothing.”
- Winston Churchill on Clement Attlee

“A shiver looking for a spine to run up”
- Harold Wilson describing Prime Minister Edward Heath

“Attila the Hen”
- Clement Freud on Margaret Thatcher

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This entry was posted on Saturday, March 8th, 2008 at 8:20 am and is filed under Media, Politics, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “‘Monster’: Insult
To the Art of Political Slander”

1. Batocchio Says:
   March 10th, 2008 at 12:13 pm

   Funny post. Of course, with Power, it was off the cuff, was supposed to be off the record, and the interview wasn’t even supposed to be about the campaign.