1988 Presidential Debate: The "Kitty Dukakis" Question 
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 8:05PM
W. R. in 1988, Bernard Shaw, George HW Bush, Kitty Dukakis, Michael Dukakis, Video, debate

Democratic Presidential Candidate Michael Dukakis famously stumbled when asked a very personal question about his wife, Kitty Dukakis, during the second 1988 Presidential Debate. Challenging the governor on his opposition to the death penalty, Bernard "Bernie" Shaw asked, "if Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?" Dukakis' unemotional reply didn't seem to acknowledge the gravity of the question and thus the "Kitty Dukakis" question went down in history as a campaign blunder. In this video, The Daily Caller's Tucker Carlson tells the story and former candidate Michael Dukakis explains why he reacted as he did.

Article originally appeared on Will Rabbe, Producer, Journalist & Historian (http://willrabbe.com/).
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