National Politics & Government Forget 2016, Author Ronald Shafer Says 1840 Was When Campaigns Got Ugly 5:19pm November 06, 2016 elections News U.S. Politics History Share URL copied to clipboard! Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit NPR. 300x250 Ad More All Things Considered Arts Yiddish is making a comeback National Pedestrians hear AI-generated messages from billionaires at hacked crosswalks 300x250 Ad Support quality journalism, like the story above, with your gift right now. Donate