I wonder if Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan were running in 1988, would they have used the Willy Horton ad?
Probably not. They would have preferred to lose to Dukakis.
Just my opinion.
Willie Horton was first exposed by Al Gore in the Democrat primary. Then, the ads that ran in the general election were not run by the Bush campaign. They were run by a 3rd party.
You’re probably right. Just four years ago, the McCain team was totally aghast when Palin accused Obama of “palling around with terrorists” on the stump. It’s been milksop city for the GOP ever since. I’m genuinely embarrassed by how far the Party I’ve always voted for has devolved into such cowering timidity.
Course, our OH absentee spreadsheet shows an entirely different story than ANY poll out there. But, hey, those are only actual ballot requests, not "opinions."
Keep in mind that came from Gore. A freebie. Bobo had no primary opponent (well, there was that felon in W. Va. who got 41%).