It does put things in perspective, but just because things are at about the same level doesn't make it acceptable. Remember, this was on the heels of the Alien and Sedition Acts that made it a federal crime to criticize ANY office holder for ANY reason (I often wonder how they managed to campaign when "going negative" was a federal crime, even if restricted to policy issues). They probably should've been thrown out as unconstitutional, but IIRC Jefferson had to repeal them (back then politicians actually KEPT campaign pledges, usually). Politics can get ugly; the third TX Presidential election featured Sam Houston calling Revolutionary President David Burnet calling Sam Houston a horse thief (they hung people for that then) but refusing to duel because, as a cavalry commander, he considered attacking downhill an unfair advantage (Burnet was famously short).

That doesn't mean we can't aspire to a better standard. It just doesn't work; ask Russ Feingold how much good running a positive campaign on his record is doing while Johnson calls him an Obama/Pelosi clone as if that ends all debate. Which takes a lot of cheek, IMHO, since just a few months ago the man was telling the Legislature to keep the statute of limitations on pedophilia to preserve state commerce. Frankly, if sending child rapists to jail will impact Wisconsins economy THAT badly, maybe they need some closer scrutiny.