Excerpts
From:
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Willie Horton:
True Crime and Its Influence on a Presidential Election
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The
mug shot had been taken after Horton was released from a Maryland
hospital where he had been treated for gunshot wounds. Playboy Magazine
interviewed Horton as he sat in prison in 1989. According to Horton,
while he recovered in the hospital, the police guarded him closely for
20 days. During that time he was not allowed to shower or change
regularily. This mug shot of a tired, unshaven and scary looking Horton
eventually was seen by the masses. Horton would even agree that the mug
shot was repelling. In the Playboy interview previously mentioned,
Horton commented on the mug shot, saying "Hell, I agree with you, that
picture would have scared the shit out of me, too. It was horrible,
really horrible. It makes me look incredibly evil."
(pages 99 - 100)
********************************* "Willie Horton: True Crime and Its Influence on a Presidential Election" Media Kit Press Release
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I
had become aware of Horton's existence well before the events of 1987
and 1988. It was in my hometown of Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1974
that he was arrested for a brutal murder. While serving a life sentence
without a chance of parole for the crime, he somehow managed to escape
and indulge in other heinous acts of violence. In 1987, Horton was
often the center of local press stories because of his new crimes. In
1988, his name was often included in national press stories and
presidential campaign ads.
(page 1)
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As a young policeman, I still remember sitting in the roll-call room of
the Lawrence Police Department waiting to begin work one autumn evening
in 1988. One of the still-active officers who had arrested Horton for
murder in 1974 was also present. When asked what he thought about
Horton and the intense press coverage, all he could say was, "Who would
have thought all this would happen?" All of the officers in the room
seemed somewhat intrigued that a criminal from our city was being
mentioned virtually every night in the national news. Although I never
lost track of the thought he was a cold-blooded murderer, I must admit
that such high-profile coverage was fascinating. I wanted to know
exactly what happened in 1974 so I could better understand the press
coverage of 1987 and 1988.
(page 2)
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The "Weekend Passes" commercial made by Larry McCarthy aired about 600
times across the country. Before it had concluded in early October, it
was estimated that 80 million people had viewed it at least once. Mark
Gearan, the deputy press secretary for Dukakis, commented on the impact
of the commercial and its widespread visibility saying, "I knew the
election was over when I returned a phone call to a newspaper and I was
told the reporter couldn't take my call because she was talking to
Willie Horton."
(page 103)
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It is fascinating to think that the highly publicized actions of a
violent felon contributed to the outcome of a presidential election. It
is equally fascinating to think that the Horton issue was significant
enough on its own to cost Dukakis the election. But that, in fact, may
very well be the case.
(page 119)
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