To watch: https://53eig.ht/2baXKVu

Can a bad photo opportunity change history? That’s the question at the heart of “Backfire: How to Destroy a Presidential Candidate,” the latest short from FiveThirtyEight and ESPN Films’ series FiveThirtyEight Elections.

Directed by Jason Reid, the short documentary looks back at the 1988 presidential race, when Vice President George H.W. Bush overtook Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis’ campaign with series of ads demeaning the Democratic candidate.

In one of them, Dukakis is seen riding a 68-ton M1A1 battle tank in a “Snoopy” helmet — an image often noted as what single handedly sent Dukakis’ once-promising presidential campaign into a tailspin. While Dukakis himself insists that this moment was not the turning point of his campaign, other commentators and political operatives agree that it was one that he could never quite shake.

In addition to featuring an interview with Dukakis, the film introduces commentary from former ABC White House chief correspondent Sam Donaldson as well experts from both sides such as Mary Matalin and Sig Rogich from Bush’s team and Matt Bennett from Dukakis’ campaign.

“Backfire – How to Destroy a Presidential Candidate” is the fourth short from the series, which delves into some of the most iconic moments in recent U.S. election history. The series premiered on February 4 with “Dean Scream.”

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