Posted on 01/03/2017 5:07:35 AM PST by Kaslin
In an otherwise observant Politico article, “The Death of Clintonism,” Todd Purdum unwittingly reminded conservative readers why they distrust the major media.
For the article, Purdum interviewed Elaine Kamarck, a senior domestic policy adviser under Bill Clinton whose White House Purdum covered as a reporter. Having been around long enough to remember George W. H. Bush’s 1988 campaign against Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis, Purdum and Kamarck have no excuse for misrepresenting the campaign’s most decisive ad.
The subject of the ad was Dukakis’s support of his state’s insane furlough program for convicted killers as a form of criminal rehabilitation. The most notorious example of this insanity was the furlough of a thug named Willie Horton.
To merit his life in prison, Horton robbed a 17-year-old gas station attendant, fatally stabbed him 19 times, and dumped him in a trash can to die. Twelve years later, despite a life term without parole, Horton received a weekend furlough, during which he knifed, blinded, and gagged a man in Maryland, raped his fiancée, and stole their car. Dukakis supported the furlough program even after this incident. So perversely liberal was the idea that Al Gore cited the Horton incident in his primary campaign against Dukakis.
The Bush campaign did not show or name Willie Horton in the ad it produced on this subject. The ad showed prisoners passing through a revolving door while telling how liberal Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis had supported this program. Of the thirty prisoners shown in the Bush ad, only three were black. In fact, during the general campaign Horton’s name rarely, if ever, came up. In November 1988, the great majority of voters had no idea who Horton was.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
When a stupid idea like that results in tragedy and death, the people responsible should be punished along with the perpetrators.
I agree, however, sadly that will never happen.
How is the ‘furlough’ program much different than the revolving door we maintain for criminal illegal aliens?
They rob, rape, assault and murder Americans and are released repeatedly to do it again.
There is no accountability and Americans suffer at the hands of imported violent criminals.
The only Willie Horton that matters is the former Detroit Tigers great.
Good rebuttal. However, I think the media is now hate by both sides, and they deserve that hate I might add.
Good rebuttal. However, I think the media is now hated by both sides, and they deserve that hate I might add.
Once the DIMS establish a narrative, it is maintained until the end of time.
#23!
Was in attendance at the REAL Tiger Stadium when 23 hit his 10th professional grand-slam. Willie and the Gator were my favorites along with the silver-fox, Jimmy Northrup (an alum of my Div III college).
I wonder how much we consider as “fact” from the 60s and 70s is nothing more than “FAke News,” creted by the MSM? Uncle Walter Cronkite, I beleive, is the Dean of Fake News (Tet Offensive).
Sorry, his _6th_ GS.
In before the onslaught of George H.W. Bush corrections
My own recall is that the Horton ad wasn’t even paid for by the Bush campaign, it was an outside ad in support of Bush/against Dukakis.
I thought the original Horton ad was run by Algore’s campaign when he was running against DukakAss in the 1988 primaries?
I thought Al Gore’s campaign ran the Willie Horton ad.
THAT is a very good point.!
“The only Willie Horton that matters is the former Detroit Tigers great.”
RIGHT ON!!!
Wow! I thought the WiIlie Horton story, as portrayed by the media/progs was true as stated in the article. I thought it was true that the Bush campaign used the story of Horton (specifically, showing his mug shot) to defeat Dukakis. I was not against using the story, since a fact is a fact. But it’s interesting to find out yet again how twisted the media makes everything.
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