The question is whether or not McCain will authorize "Willie Horton "-type, racially-motivated attack ads on Obama. It's not McCain's style to do that, but he might have to. If the American public becomes disgusted with it, it could go badly for the GOP but it's all new territory in this election...
Quote:
William R. Horton (born August 12, 1951 in Chesterfield, South Carolina) is a convicted felon who was the subject of a Massachusetts weekend furlough program that released him while serving a life sentence for murder, without the possibility of parole, during which furloughs he committed armed robbery and rape. A political advertisement during the 1988 U.S. Presidential race was critical of the Democratic nominee and Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis for his support of the program.
In June 1988, Republican candidate George H.W. Bush seized on the Horton case, bringing it up repeatedly in campaign speeches. Bush's campaign manager, Lee Atwater, predicted that "by the time this election is over, Willie Horton will be a household name."[3] Media consultant Roger Ailes remarked "the only question is whether we depict Willie Horton with a knife in his hand or without it."
Willie Horton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
If the GOP start running ads like this ^ again, it could backfire on them.