Propaganda is one of the most used and effective political tactics. It offers the user the ability to move people to action in both positive and negative ways, bringing praise or shame to a selected person or idea. Propaganda is used to "sell" a candidate or belief to the public, either by ruining an opponent's chances of winning, or by falsely advertising one's idea as better than that of one of one's opponents. Negative propaganda can be used to smear the opposition and create uncertainty around their vote. This type of advertising is timeless and has been used since the founding of the first government. Negative propaganda is one of the most effective political tactics because it distorts the public's ideas using scandal, lies or fear. Much propaganda aims to belittle opponents, making them seem untrustworthy or idiotic. Insults are a tactic that gets the point across quickly and can have a detrimental effect on the receiving party. You can see politicians of all races and genders being called “stupid,” “incompetent,” and other more colorful names. Edwin Diamond and Stephen Bates wrote: “Insults and invective are themselves nothing new in American political life. Washington was called a "whore master" and a would-be monarch; Jefferson a coward and atheist; Lincoln, a "track-breaking baboon." Franklin O. Roosevelt, Jr., as John Kennedy's surrogate in the West Virginia primary in 1960, declared that Hubert Humphrey was a draft dodger. (Diamond 327). This demonstrates not only a wide variety of slander, but also that insults have always been a part of politics, even in the very first US presidential elections. In the 2010 presidential election, Sarah Palin, who was in the center of the paper, enjoyed the trust of a large number of people. Works Cited "Adolf Hitler". Jewish Virtual Library - Homepage. Network. November 28, 2011. "Beijing Made Easy | History of Beijing | The Little Red Book." Beijing made easy | The online travel guide to Beijing, China. Network. November 29, 2011.Diamond, Edwin and Stephen Bates. The Spot: The Rise of Political Advertising on Television. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1984.Gifford, Clive. Media and communication. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1999. Print. "Leftists become experts at insults | Sun Journal." Central and Western Maine News | Sun diary. Network. November 28, 2011. .7886Loomis, Roger Sherman, and Donald Lemen Clark. Readings in Modern English. Biography, short stories, poems, essays, plays. New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1942. Print.