Anything for a Vote
Ranked #10,336 in Books, Poetry & Writing, #363,203 overall | Donates to Soldiers Angels
History does repeat itself. You'd think they'd know better by now!
Too tough, too soft, too smart, too dumb, too old (John McCain isn't the first to have heard it), or just downright crazy. Those are some of the kinder things presidential candidates have been accused of.
From George Washington to George Bush and on to Barack Obama, presidents and their campaigns have virtually all come with baggage, some real, some invented by the other side. The author has done a great job of putting together anecdotes for every presidential election in American history up to the current one (which may need a volume all to itself, but I digress).
Take a break from the current crazy election year politics. Read this book. Laugh a little - or a lot. It'll help take the edge off the next few months leading up to November 4th.
Have You Read this Book?
Anything for a Vote
by Joseph Cummins
Anything for a Vote
About the book: 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.
Do you think "politics" and "dirty tricks" go hand in hand?
Is there any such thing as a "clean" election?
Tell the world what you think of this year's candidates for president.
Is your favorite presidential candidate running a clean campaign?

My favorite candidate does not resort to dirty tricks!
skiesgreen says:
Nice to meet you so I joined your fan club. Have a wonderful, safe, joy filled and loving holiday season and extra special 2011 to follow. Norma
Margo_Arrowsmith says:
Yes, Obama did. But if you want dirty you should see what Liddy Dole did for the NC Senate. The dirtiest I have ever seen, but even though she was an incumbent, she lost.
JaguarJulie says:
Yes, I would say that my favorite presidential candidateS ran a clean campaign -- Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. Now, that is an interesting pair! You know, this book title would be a great subject for another lens about what people will do for a vote. ;) ;)
mulberry says:
I prefer a clean campaign, but I think it is hard as so many people are involved (including media) which dredges up even insignificant stuff that candidates are pressured into responding to off the cuff.
A clean campaign? You're kidding, right?
YayasHome says:
I'm not sure any of 'em would know a clean campaign if it hit 'em in the face. In fact, it's been so long since we've seen a clean campaign that I'm not sure I would recognize one, either. *sigh
Einsteinium says:
I wish it were possible to win while running a clean campaign.
JaguarJulie says:
Ah, did you happen to catch Blago on The Today Show today talking about the celebrity reality show -- about eating bugs in Costa Rica? Thankfully he will NEVER be a presidential candidate!!!
Cari_Kay says:
I did not care for either of the major candidates. I think, like others, both had dirty hands. I've said time and again, if Senator McCain had not running against President-elect Obama, he could easily have been the VP choice (and vice versa). Time for this country to seriously consider voting in a third party and after the next four years, I think that might happen (hopefully!).
vickiec says:
Due to my cynicism and the state of our country these days, I feel that if the candidates had anything worthwhile to say about themselves or the type of job they would do if elected, they wouldn't need to resort to "dirty" campaigning. Not to mention if they did run a clean campaign, it would probably get less than an acceptable amount of news coverage.
Media drives our society and sadly, doesn't seem to care all that much about people doing or saying the "right" things. Now let some nobody that you rarely hear from spout off something "politically incorrect" and MSNBC, Fox and CNN will trip over each other to get the story aired first.
Candidates Really Will Say Anything for a Vote!
A few quotations from the book, and some from the candidates.
1828: Andrew Jackson vs. John Quincy Adams - "Bible-thumping Republicans described Andrew Jackson's wife as a 'dirty black wench' and worse."1912: Woodrow Wilson vs. Theodore Roosevelt vs. William Howard Taft - "Taft is a fathead . . . with the brains of a guinea pig." - Theodore Roosevelt
1928: Herbert Hoover vs. Al Smith - "How bad were the anti-Catholic slurs? Consider the following: At the time of the election, New York's Holland Tunnel was just being completed. Republicans circulated pictures of Al Smith at the mouth of the tunnel, declaring that it really led 3,500 miles under the Atlantic Ocean to Rome - to the basement of the Vatican."
1960: John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon - "'Tricky Dick' Nixon actually ran a far cleaner campaign than Kennedy. Faced with attack ads, such as the glowering picture of Nixon over the headline, 'Would You Buy a Used Car from This Man?' Nixon hammered away at his opponent's 'inexperience' in foreign affairs and his lack of a really viable agenda for the country."
1992: William Jefferson Clinton vs. George H. W. Bush - "All I've been asked about by the press are a woman I didn't sleep with and a draft I didn't dodge." - Bill Clinton
(All of the quotations above are from Anything for a Vote copyright 2007 by Joseph Cummins)
Posters fit for Presidents
. . and presidential candidates
I like the campaign posters that make up the cover of Anything for a Vote. In case you like presidential posters, too, here are a few for your consideration. Note that a portion of any purchase from this page becomes a donation to Donors Choose.org. (See details at the bottom of this page.)
Poster - For All - Hillary Clinton
FREE SHIPPING on this item when you purchase 2 or more...0 points
Obama, Barack - Campaign Poster
This is a 11" x 17" (approx.) campaign p more...0 points
Poster - Political Differences - John McCain - 18.75 x 27.5
FREE SHIPPING on this item when you purchase 2 or more...0 points
Ronald Reagan Election Advertisement 80s Retro Print
Poster Reads: Make My Day!! Elect Me President Ronald more...0 points
Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon / TIME Cover: November 12, 1956, Framed Art Print by TIME Magazine
The most eagerly awaited event in the editorial cy more...0 points
Poster - Hillary Clinton For President
FREE SHIPPING on this item when you purchase 2 or more...0 points
The Author's Blog
Don't miss Joseph Cummins' posts about the current presidential election.
- Anything for a Vote - the Blog
- "What do men gain by elective goverments, if fools and knaves have the same chance to obtain the highest office, as honest men?" --Noah Webster to Thomas Jefferson, 1801
More Books by Joseph Cummins
Vote for your favorites, or add any I missed.
History's Great Untold Stories: The Larger Than Life Characters and Dramatic Events That Changed the World by Joseph Cummins
This eye-catching volume combines vivid first-hand more...0 points
The Snow Train by Joseph Cummins
"A groundbreaking first novel that tackles nothing more...0 points
Cannibals: Shocking True Tales of the Last Taboo on Land and at Sea
Twenty collected true accounts of humans eating hu more...0 points
The Greatest Search and Rescue Stories Ever Told: Twenty Gripping Tales of Heroism and Bravery (Greatest)
Human drama at its most gripping and satisfying.0 points
BeerSmarts: Tap Your Knowledge by Joseph Cummins
Do you know a porter from a stout? Or a lager from more...0 points
BabySmarts by Joseph Cummins
Overwhelmed by all those baby books? Play BabySmar more...0 points
Dirty Tricks in the News
Live news feed, updated hourly (to keep up with it all!)
- Tories ask court to throw out bid to nullify election results over alleged ...
- OTTAWA ? The Conservative party has asked a court to toss out a series of legal challenges that are attempting to overturn the results from seven ridings in the last federal election, saying the litigation offers no solid evidence that anyone was ...
- NUM leaders decry dirty tricks ahead of elections
- The leadership battle in the NUM, the Congress of South African Trade Unions' largest affiliate, is a tightly fought contest, with consequences for elections this year in Cosatu as well as in the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African ...
- Democracy at work
- Of course, there is no way of knowing if the elections have been fair. There have been enough dirty tricks and behind the scenes deals over the last year to make anyone suspicious of what is really happening. America needed to be pleased, for example, ...
More Books on Politics, Elections, and Questionable Campaigns
Like this book? You might like these, too.
Know of a good one that's missing? Add it!
Confessions of a Political Hitman: My Secret Life of Scandal, Corruption, Hypocrisy and Dirty Attacks That Decide Who Gets Elected (and Who Doesn't) by Stephen Marks
The most influential people in a political race aren't more...0 points
Going Dirty: The Art of Negative Campaigning by David Mark
Going Dirty is a history of negative campaigning i more...0 points
The Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried to Steal the Country by Laton Mccartney
Mix hundreds of millions of dollars in petroleum r more...0 points
A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign by Edward J. Larson
"They could write like angels and scheme like more...0 points
Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72 by Hunter S. Thompson
With the same drug-addled alacrity and jaundiced w more...0 points
Attack Politics: Negativity in Presidential Campaigns Since 1960 (Studies in Government and Public Policy) by Emmett H., Jr. Buell, Lee Sigelman
Ask most Americans, and they'll tell you that pres more...0 points
How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative by Allen Raymond
Fresh out of grad school, Allen Raymond joined the more...0 points
The Greatest Presidential Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy by Rick Beyer
What most of us don't know about our presidents co more...0 points
Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning by Jonah Goldberg
"Fascists," "Brownshirts," &qu more...0 points
Project President: Bad Hair and Botox on the Road to the White House by Ben Shapiro
Project President is a hilarious romp through Amer more...0 points
POSTSCRIPT OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE
by Susan52
Susan52 is a baby boomer, a retired homeschool mom, and a Giant Squid on Squidoo where she recently celebrated her five-year anniversary. She enjoys w... more »
- 249 featured lenses
- Winner of 32 trophies!
- Top lens » Buying a Kindle? Read This Before You Buy
Explore related pages
- Red Hats & the Women Who Wear Them Red Hats & the Women Who Wear Them
- Who is Susan52? Who is Susan52?
- Are You a Squidoo Nobody? How to Become a Squidoo Somebody in 6 Easy Lessons Are You a Squidoo Nobody? How to Become a Squidoo Somebody in 6 Easy Lessons
- Barack Obama Shirts and Gifts Barack Obama Shirts and Gifts
- Wear Your Politics Wear Your Politics
- Presidential Trivia: The Three U.S. Presidents With The Most Popular Votes Presidential Trivia: The Three U.S. Presidents With The Most Popular Votes























