Politics of personal destruction

"The politics of personal destruction--a phrase popularized by Bill Clinton during his impeachment--has been in vogue since long before Clinton's impeachment. Although the tactic of demonizing the opposition has been practiced with varying intensity throughout the history of politics, this current round of hyper-partisan warfare can be traced back to 1987, when President Ronald Reagan nominated Robert H. Bork for the Supreme Court."

Related SourceWatch articles

 * propaganda techniques
 * smear

External articles

 * The politics of personal destruction. A panel including Sidney Blumenthal, James Carville, Maxine Waters and Ann Lewis, greenspun.com, January 1999.
 * The Politics of Personal Destruction. Discussed by Robert Bork, Eric Dezenhall and Gertrude Himmelfarb. Independent Women's Forum, October 14, 1999.
 * Clinton laments 'politics of personal destruction' as she hawks book. 'This is my story', CNN.com, June 9, 2003.
 * Jeff Coop, The Politics of Personal Destruction, CoopedUp, July 22, 2003: "The administration has taken an ill-advised turn from defending its actions to attacking its critics."
 * Ray Thomas, Politics of Personal Destruction, sierratimes, October 6, 2003.