The ad not only targeted the positions taken by Dukakis, it (deservedly) went after his actions:
MALE NARRATOR: Dukakis not only opposes the death penalty, he allowed first degree murderers to have weekend passes from prison. One was Willie Horton who murdered a boy in a robbery, stabbing him 19 times.
The ad attacked Dukasis’ decision in office.... as a public official of the state of Massachusetts.
It was not a personal attack.
It was a POLICY attack.