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Post being replied to

People died in an election fight in Philly by 88_92WSND

around the time the first Frigates were being built. I'm aware of the level of partisanship that existed around elections - one of the CDs we have sitting one room over is a collection of campaign songs from most of the US elections through the middle of the 20th Century (crossing the streams of folk music interest and history interest can be a dangerous thing). But a fever pitch every few years in the past, requiring people to opt in (ie buy the paper, vs it being the headline on a thousand media outlets), and the sheer scale of communications today vs the need for proximity in the past completely changes the equation.
Ie if I want to complain to John Quincy Adams, I have to write him a letter. Drumming up a thousand of my followers to harangue him takes time, money, and lots of paper. The reason political machines worked was because they could harness manpower, which was necessary to get anything concerted and coordinated to happen. Today, a letter to the congressman is quaint because hundreds of causes every day are 'reaching out' to their representative. Lighting up the switchboard is a common occurrence.