Bush vs. Dukakis

The 1988 presidential campaign featured a sharp rise in the negative tone of television advertisements. The Republican nominee was George H. Bush, father of the current president and Ronald Reagan's vice president for eight years. On Bush's behalf, but supposedly without Bush's knowledge or consent, an independent political action committee sponsored one of the most infamous negative ads of all time, the "Willie Horton" spot. Like the 1964 "Daisy" commercial, this ad was broadcast only once as a paid spot, but it was so controversial that news organizations continued to discuss it -- and show it -- as part of their campaign coverage.

The "Willie Horton" ad suggested that Bush's Democratic opponent, Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis, was "soft on crime," a reputation no politician wanted in the late 1980s, as the violent crime rate appeared to be increasing at a substantial pace. Other Bush ads, such as "Harbor," "Revolving Door," and "Tank Ride," also attacked Dukakis' record as governor.

Bush's well-orchestrated television campaign put Dukakis on the defensive throughout the election season. Ads such as "Bay," "Counterpunch," and "Furlough from the Truth," responded to Bush's claims and tried to blame Bush for being too negative and for distorting Dukakis' positions. Although there were a number of potential issues that Dukakis could have exploited to go on the offensive against Bush, such as the Iran-Contra scandal and the savings-and-loan scandal, Dukakis was never able or willing to do so. In the end, Bush carried 40 states on his way to an easy victory in the November election.