The French ambassador in the US tried to promote Jefferson

[barryqwalsh]

The first foreign power to interfere directly in a United States presidential election was not Russia – but France. The date of this interference was not 2016 but 1796, and the intended beneficiary not Donald Trump but Thomas Jefferson. The French ambassador in the US tried to promote Jefferson, a democrat and francophile, against the federalist and anglophile John Adams. The move backfired, and helped Adams to win.

Now, fast forward 150 years. During the cold war, and even afterwards, both the US and the Soviet Union tried, mostly surreptitiously, occasionally bloodily, sometimes successfully, to shape elections in many parts of the world. So, whatever else there is to say about Russia’s alleged involvement in the 2016 US election, do not make the mistake of saying that such a thing is unprecedented – because it is not.


The Guardian view on Trump and Russia: playing Putin’s game – again | Editorial

 

[whitehall]

George Washington wasn't inaugurated as the first American President until 1789 so it seems strange that a foreign poster thinks that there was even a "French Ambassador" in the Colonies in 1796 with enough influence to do anything of consequence relating to the new Republic. It should be noted that when the British people finally overthrew the Monarchy and executed King Chuck in 1650 they chickened out and called his teenage son back from France to please, please rule us because we ain't got a freaking clue about freedom and self government. Ironically after less than 150 years of independence from England and the creation of self government and freedom the Colonies would rescue the stodgy old quasi monarchy and dumb assed Brits from speaking German.