US Presidency
1988

You see, despite all of George Washington's warnings about the divisiveness of the partisan spirit, Federalists and Republicans were constantly at each other in those days. The Federalists of the Northeast had held power for a long time and were not anxious to relinquish it. Years later, a New York Congressman honored the good old days when, as he put it, a Federalist could knock a Republican down in the streets of New York and not be questioned about it. The Federalists referred to Mr. Jefferson as and here I quote a mean-spirited, low lived fellow, raised wholly on hotcake made of seakeeping Southern corn, bacon, and hominy, with an occasional fricasseed bullfrog. Well, by the way was the 1800 equivalent of what I believe is known here at UVA as a Gus Burger. And an editorial in the Federalist Connecticut Courant also announced that as soon as Mr. Jefferson was elected, Murder, robbery, rape, and adultery and incest will be openly taught and practiced. Well, that was politics in 1800. So, you see, not all that much has changed.