Torpedoed by a tank ...
October 16, 2008 11:12 AM Subscribe
Why did Dukakis-in-a-Tank backfire?
Michael Dukakis' ride in tank is widely considered to be one of the biggest PR disasters in modern Presidential election history.
OK, he really did look silly in the tank. That said, I have never seen a good explanation of why it was considered soooo disastrous to his campaign. Was it really any worse than some of the silly photo-ops that every candidate eventually gets roped into?
Michael Dukakis' ride in tank is widely considered to be one of the biggest PR disasters in modern Presidential election history.
OK, he really did look silly in the tank. That said, I have never seen a good explanation of why it was considered soooo disastrous to his campaign. Was it really any worse than some of the silly photo-ops that every candidate eventually gets roped into?
The United States, for better or worse, is a military nation. The President is also Commander in Chief of the armed forces. In order to feel comfortable about voting a president into office, many people need to be able to imagine that person leading the troops. The ride in the tank was supposed to bolster Dukakis' image as a potential commander in chief. It's because it backfired, and because he looked so silly in it, that the idea of him has commander in chief became similarly ridiculous to some.
And yeah, the death penalty question hurt him a lot. It was a dumb question, honestly. I doubt that you'd ever ask a pro-life candidate: "What if you found out that your wife or daughter was pregnant with a child with a severe birth defect that meant they would only live for a year or two in horrible pain? Would you still want her to keep the baby, even though that baby's life would be nothing but misery?"
posted by Deathalicious at 11:21 AM on October 16, 2008
And yeah, the death penalty question hurt him a lot. It was a dumb question, honestly. I doubt that you'd ever ask a pro-life candidate: "What if you found out that your wife or daughter was pregnant with a child with a severe birth defect that meant they would only live for a year or two in horrible pain? Would you still want her to keep the baby, even though that baby's life would be nothing but misery?"
posted by Deathalicious at 11:21 AM on October 16, 2008
Because it was used in Bush ads. And he looks like a real dufus when he's driving the tanks and smiles and gives a thumbs-up.
posted by smackfu at 11:25 AM on October 16, 2008
posted by smackfu at 11:25 AM on October 16, 2008
From the Election 1988 Wikipedia:
Governor Dukakis attempted to quell criticism that he was ignorant on military matters by staging a photo op in which he rode in an M1 Abrams tank outside a General Dynamics plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan.[22] The move ended up being a massive public relations blunder, with many mocking Dukakis's appearance as he stuck his smiling, helmeted head out one of the tank's hatches to wave to the crowd. Footage of Dukakis was used by the Bush campaign as evidence he would not make a good commander-in-chief, and "Dukakis in the tank"--or the "Snoopy Incident"--remains shorthand for backfired public relations outings.
Really, he looked like a big kid playing dress-up in that tank, like a tourist. He had few military credentials and his ride on the tank made him look like a beauty queen on a parade float rather than a president.
posted by Alison at 11:27 AM on October 16, 2008
Governor Dukakis attempted to quell criticism that he was ignorant on military matters by staging a photo op in which he rode in an M1 Abrams tank outside a General Dynamics plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan.[22] The move ended up being a massive public relations blunder, with many mocking Dukakis's appearance as he stuck his smiling, helmeted head out one of the tank's hatches to wave to the crowd. Footage of Dukakis was used by the Bush campaign as evidence he would not make a good commander-in-chief, and "Dukakis in the tank"--or the "Snoopy Incident"--remains shorthand for backfired public relations outings.
Really, he looked like a big kid playing dress-up in that tank, like a tourist. He had few military credentials and his ride on the tank made him look like a beauty queen on a parade float rather than a president.
posted by Alison at 11:27 AM on October 16, 2008
All of the above, plus, the way I remember the ad (no YouTube here at work) there was something about the editing that made the tank ride look even more comical than it was, almost as if it was sped up a bit like an old silent movie.
Without the ads, it probably would not have been seen more than a news cycle or two. I doubt it had any chance of having a positive impact on his image, though. I'm sure it serves as a lesson about image to politicians to this very day.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 11:36 AM on October 16, 2008
Without the ads, it probably would not have been seen more than a news cycle or two. I doubt it had any chance of having a positive impact on his image, though. I'm sure it serves as a lesson about image to politicians to this very day.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 11:36 AM on October 16, 2008
Are you sure it wasn't the eyes brow? In a nutshell MD looked so out of place that he should never have been put in that position. The audible equivalent is John Kerry asking about hunting licenses or George HW Bush asking about the price of a gallon of milk.
posted by Gungho at 11:39 AM on October 16, 2008
posted by Gungho at 11:39 AM on October 16, 2008
Though it should not be forgotten that Dukakis had served briefly in the Army.
posted by johngoren at 11:39 AM on October 16, 2008
posted by johngoren at 11:39 AM on October 16, 2008
Also, making a spectacle of himself as a fake army guy just invited comparison to Bush Sr.'s military record - and regardless of your opinion of him, there's nothing fake about his military record.
posted by nanojath at 11:46 AM on October 16, 2008
posted by nanojath at 11:46 AM on October 16, 2008
(johngoren is of course correct, Dukakis served in Korea but it was not the sort of war-hero stuff Bush Sr. got up to in WWII)
posted by nanojath at 11:51 AM on October 16, 2008
posted by nanojath at 11:51 AM on October 16, 2008
To me, he looked an awful lot like Captain Yossarian (Alan Arkin) in Catch-22. Not something to inspire confidence in anything military or Dukakian (and I loved Dukakis, used to ride the T with him).
posted by cocoagirl at 12:04 PM on October 16, 2008
posted by cocoagirl at 12:04 PM on October 16, 2008
Best answer: It was also such an obvious campaign STUNT.
Every candidate does them, of course, but the best candidates make 'em look smooth, spontaneous and unrehearsed. Riding in a tank when you have no other reason to be doing so besides playing look-at-me-dress-up only calls attention to the fact that you are, in fact, performing a stunt.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:12 PM on October 16, 2008
Every candidate does them, of course, but the best candidates make 'em look smooth, spontaneous and unrehearsed. Riding in a tank when you have no other reason to be doing so besides playing look-at-me-dress-up only calls attention to the fact that you are, in fact, performing a stunt.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:12 PM on October 16, 2008
Best answer: Here's the Bush ad about the whole incident.
I'd say Dukakis failed because it was so easy to manipulate the narrative to give the exact opposite meaning to it all.
posted by blue_beetle at 12:17 PM on October 16, 2008
I'd say Dukakis failed because it was so easy to manipulate the narrative to give the exact opposite meaning to it all.
posted by blue_beetle at 12:17 PM on October 16, 2008
I remember reading that part of the issue was that Dukakis had a markedly less militaristic stance on foreign policy than Bush did, so when he got into a tank it seemed like an obvious pander. The idea, as sold by the Bush campaign, was that Dukakis was a peace-nik playing dress up in a tank.
posted by shmegegge at 12:33 PM on October 16, 2008
posted by shmegegge at 12:33 PM on October 16, 2008
When I saw him in that ad when I was younger, I saw a potential presidential candidate smiling and waving from a vehicle meant to break things and kill people with extreme prejudice, and I saw Bozo the clown. I expect a little gravitas next time. Lesson learned.
posted by jaimev at 12:35 PM on October 16, 2008
posted by jaimev at 12:35 PM on October 16, 2008
How effective was that ad? Here's my take: I was 11 years old when I saw that ad, and what I remember taking away from the media coverage of the stunt at the time was here's a guy who is blatantly anti-military and wants to cut military spending, yet he rides in a tank as a goofy political stunt. This is clearly hypocritical and he's a big dummy. Considering I was 11 at the time and had no real grasp of politics that goes beyond propaganda, this completely made me think he was an idiot.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 12:51 PM on October 16, 2008
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 12:51 PM on October 16, 2008
He was in a tank. He is supposed to look flinty-eyed and resolute, ready to blast bad guys on sight without hesitation for thinking ill of America and her allies. Instead, he's riding in a circle next to a parking lot with a helmet that looks too big and SMILING.
posted by Mcable at 1:12 PM on October 16, 2008
posted by Mcable at 1:12 PM on October 16, 2008
america's media is in the business of self-fulfilling prophecy:
"how will america respond to the fact that john kerry is a bicycle-riding elitist?"
"can dukakis be a strong president?"
these things are not important until the media makes them important and the knuckle-dragging voters, knowing that they have essentially no insight, make themselves feel plugged into the issues by climbing in to the echo chamber.
the campaigns, attempting to counter these bogus prejudices with even more bogus photo-ops, fall into the trap and make caricatures of themselves. it becomes suddenly apparent that dukakis really does look ridiculous in a tank and kerry doesn't know which of a gun to point at its target. it never occurs to them that dukakis' lack of military experience, and kerry's sophistication are selling points.
posted by klanawa at 1:56 PM on October 16, 2008
"how will america respond to the fact that john kerry is a bicycle-riding elitist?"
"can dukakis be a strong president?"
these things are not important until the media makes them important and the knuckle-dragging voters, knowing that they have essentially no insight, make themselves feel plugged into the issues by climbing in to the echo chamber.
the campaigns, attempting to counter these bogus prejudices with even more bogus photo-ops, fall into the trap and make caricatures of themselves. it becomes suddenly apparent that dukakis really does look ridiculous in a tank and kerry doesn't know which of a gun to point at its target. it never occurs to them that dukakis' lack of military experience, and kerry's sophistication are selling points.
posted by klanawa at 1:56 PM on October 16, 2008
Best answer: It failed because Dukakis was a boring stiff. If you're given the chance to be in tank, then for god sakes, either drive it or be firing the gun*. Seriously he should have been doing donuts in the parking lot and taking it offroad, seeing "just how far can this damn thing shoot." Instead he was being driven around like a putz and looking around like a chimp strapped in rocket.
* If I was President, I'd be in the cockpit occasionally, license or no.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:16 PM on October 16, 2008 [1 favorite]
* If I was President, I'd be in the cockpit occasionally, license or no.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:16 PM on October 16, 2008 [1 favorite]
. . .not even tough enough to want an imaginary man who raped & killed his wife to be executed . . .
I would say that position would take a great deal of toughness.
posted by Neiltupper at 3:46 PM on October 16, 2008
I would say that position would take a great deal of toughness.
posted by Neiltupper at 3:46 PM on October 16, 2008
Between the helmet and the size of the tank, everything about it makes him look small.
posted by drezdn at 7:05 AM on October 17, 2008
posted by drezdn at 7:05 AM on October 17, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
Michael Dukakis was not the type of person the American people ever imagined to be dressed in camoflauge and riding in a tank.
By getting in the tank, he highlighted his own weaknesses (not even tough enough to want an imaginary man who raped & killed his wife to be executed).
posted by BobbyVan at 11:19 AM on October 16, 2008 [1 favorite]