Way back in 1988, the handlers for Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, had what they thought was a great idea. Their candidate needed to counter George H.W. Bush’s foreign policy experience. Dukakis was a governor, a Massachusetts governor, for heaven’s sake. He needed to look manly, presidential. And what’s more manly and presidential than riding in a tank? Well, just about anything, it turned out. The photo backfired, bigtime. I mean, look at this doofus.
There’s a long history of presidential campaign photo follies. John Kerry wind-surfing. For that matter, John Kerry goose-hunting. John McCain awkwardly hugging George Bush. Bill Clinton in those tiny jogging shorts. Nixon walking the beach in suit and wingtips. And there’s the famous Mitt Romney “fudge packing” photo:
But perhaps never in the history of bad presidential campaign photo ops has there been a worse idea than this one — Michele Bachmann sampling a corndog at the Iowa State Fair. Oy.
