Most negative election ever ?

[American2020]

What is the most negative, angriest and darkest election in the US history ?
As for me, I consider 1968 and 2016 as the most negative and angriest elections in US history.
For 2016, there were too many scandals, angry mobs at convention, violent summer, conspiracies and others.
With the two candidates, many people were very pessimistic about America's future, it will disappear without come back.

[The Mikado]

1828 without a doubt.

[LLR]

1796 and 1800 were very, very insult-driven.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

As others have noted, the Adams-Jefferson campaigns of 1796 and 1800 were absolutely brutal. Jefferson was maligned as an "athiest," the "son of a half-breed Indian squaw and a Virginian mulatto farmer" under whose administration "rape and murder will be openly taught and practiced" and "children [ left ] writhing on pikes." His supporters countered that Adams was "a bald, blind, crippled, toothless man," a "hideous, hermaphroditical character with neither the strength and firmness of a man nor the gentle sensibility of a woman" who, as president, had sent his running mate to procure four European mistresses to split between the two of them (German-Americans were outraged to hear that Adams allegedly preferred his French mistress to her German colleague, a rumor that may have helped Jefferson to carry Pennsylvania). Even more damning, Jefferson was allegedly in favor of "democracy" (the horror!), whilst Adams, ever the monarchist, was rumored to have attempted to marry one of his daughters to Prince George.

[America Needs R'hllor]

As others have noted, the Adams-Jefferson campaigns of 1796 and 1800 were absolutely brutal. Jefferson was maligned as an "athiest," the "son of a half-breed Indian squaw and a Virginian mulatto farmer" under whose administration "rape and murder will be openly taught and practiced" and "children [ left ] writhing on pikes." His supporters countered that Adams was "a bald, blind, crippled, toothless man," a "hideous, hermaphroditical character with neither the strength and firmness of a man nor the gentle sensibility of a woman" who, as president, had sent his running mate to procure four European mistresses to split between the two of them (German-Americans were outraged to hear that Adams allegedly preferred his French mistress to her German colleague, a rumor that may have helped Jefferson to carry Pennsylvania). Even more damning, Jefferson was allegedly in favor of "democracy" (the horror!), whilst Adams, ever the monarchist, was rumored to have attempted to marry one of his daughters to Prince George.

Wow. and I thought 2016 was bad.

[SingingAnalyst]

1988 somehow managed to be both negative and boring at the same time.

Having said that, 2016 was the most negative election in modern times. Per CNN only 2%--2 percent!--of voters had a favorable view of both Clinton and Trump.  Only 2% thought both Clinton and Trump were honest and trustworthy. On the other hand, 18% of voters had an unfavorable view of both and 29% thought neither was honest or trustworthy.