meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
This Day (An America 250 History Show)

2020 Favorite: Dukakis on the Tank w/ Amy Walter

This Day (An America 250 History Show)

Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia

History

4.51K Ratings

🗓️ 31 December 2020

⏱️ 21 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

To wrap up 2020, and give ourselves a week off, we’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the year. Thanks for listening all year, and we have lots more in store for 2021!

/////

On September 13th in 1988, Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis boarded an M-1 tank in order to set up a photo op, ostensibly to make him look tough on defense. It backfired horribly.

Jody and Niki are joined by Amy Walter of the Cook Political Reporter and The Takeaway to discuss the tank photo, huge polling collapses, and the power of attack ads.

Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory

This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey everyone Jody here over the next week the next four episodes we're bringing you four of our favorite conversations from this past year

0:07.2

Maybe you've heard them maybe you haven't but we're taking this week off hopefully you are getting a little down time as well.

0:13.4

And then we will be back in 2021.

0:15.9

Tuesday, the 5th of January is our first new episode of the year.

0:20.0

On behalf of everyone at the show, happy new year.

0:23.0

Thanks for listening and we'll see you soon.

0:25.5

Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia. my name is Jody Avergan.

0:37.0

This day, September 13, 1988 Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis was touring a general dynamics

0:45.0

plant that assembled the M1 battle tank.

0:48.5

During his tour, his press team arranged for him to put on a green helmet and military

0:52.3

coveralls over his suit and kind of ride the tank around for a bit on the assembly plant.

0:57.3

The cameras were rolling, photographers were clicking away, and the next day an image of Dukakis aboard the tank with the helmet

1:03.9

kind of like plopped down over his head this big goofy smile on his face.

1:07.6

That image was everywhere and many of you are probably seeing this image in your

1:12.0

head right now it kind of came to define seeing this image in your head right now,

1:12.5

it kind of came to define Dukakis in many ways.

1:15.3

So here to talk about the Tank photo, how it very likely contributed

1:19.1

to his blown lead and eventual loss to George H.W. Bush and in general the question of optics,

1:25.0

blown leads, how photo ops can go very, very wrong. Here with us is Nicole

1:29.5

Hammer of Columbia as always. Hello, Nicky. Hello Jodyody and our special guest we're very

1:34.4

excited to have her on Amy Walter National Editor of the Cook Political Report

1:38.4

host of politics with Amy Walter from WNYC's takeaway it's a Friday political show which I really really love Amy so thank you for coming on and thank you for doing this

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.