ANYTHING FOR A VOTE A History  of Mud-Slinging, Character Assassination, And Other Election Strategies  Today’s political pundits express shock and disappointment when  candidates resort to negative campaigning. But history reveals that  smear campaigns are as American as apple pie. Anything for a Vote is an illustrated look at 200-plus years of dirty tricks and bad  behavior in presidential elections, from George Washington to Barack  Obama and John McCain. Let the name-calling begin!       •  1836: Congressman Davy Crockett accuses candidate Martin  Van Buren of secretly wearing women’s clothing: “He is laced up in  corsets!”     •  1864: Presidential candidate George McClellan  describes his opponent, Abraham Lincoln, as “nothing more than a  well-meaning baboon!”      •  1960: Former president Harry Truman advises voters that “if you  vote for Richard Nixon, you ought to go to hell!” Full of sleazy  anecdotes from every presidential election in United States history, Anything  for a Vote is a valuable reminder that history does repeat itself,  that lessons can be learned from the past (though they usually aren’t),  and that our most famous presidents are not above reproach when it comes  to the dirtiest game of all—political campaigning.