Thursday, Sep. 18, 2008
John Quincy Adams
The 1828 election was a rough one for incumbent John Quincy Adams, who faced serious opposition from his popular rival, Andrew Jackson. Things weren't looking good for the Adams camp — his vice president, John C. Calhoun had even switched sides to support Jackson. So instead of a self-promoting jingle, Adams went for the jugular. Little Know Ye Who's Coming — definitely one of the weirder campaign songs ever penned — warns of fire, slavery, pestilence and plague if John Quincy Adams loses the election: "Fire's a-comin', swords a-comin'/pistols, guns and knives are comin'/...if John Quincy not be comin'." Unfortunately it didn't work: Jackson won in a landslide.
—By Claire Suddath