Karl Christian Rove

In my mind the nasty, ethically compromised political campaigning of recent years by Republicans can be traced to a 19 year old college kid (University of Utah) named Karl Rove. He rose to top level national prominence with George W Bush which brings to my mind a gang of rowdies who disrupted the vote counters in Florida and the eventual law suit, Bush v Gore. Although Rove apologized later, it is my perception that to a significant extent he maintained his ethically challenged approach to politics long term and inspired various others to function at that level.

"In the fall of 1970, Rove used a false identity to enter the campaign office of Democrat Alan J. Dixon, who was running for Treasurer of Illinois. He stole 1000 sheets of paper with campaign letterhead, printed fake campaign rally fliers promising 'free beer, free food, girls and a good time for nothing,' and distributed them at rock concerts and homeless shelters, with the effect of disrupting Dixon's rally... Rove's role would not become publicly known until August 1973 when Rove told The Dallas Morning News."
- Wikipedia

Interesting coincidence: The events referred to as Watergate began in June, 1972.