The Political Interest Fears and Choices on the Road to '92

Fears and Choices on the Road to '92

At this time four years ago, the Democratic presidential contenders were roundly derided as "the seven dwarfs." Ten months later, Michael Dukakis began the general election campaign with a double-digit lead and George Bush seemed doomed. "It is always volatile," says Roger Ailes, the media magician who helped guide Bush's comeback in 1988, "and it is sure to be volatile again. If 75 years of communism can collapse in three days, anything is possible, anywhere."

Ailes' caution is not surprising. Overconfidence is congenitally avoided so far in advance of an election. But G.O.P. strategists privately point to eight potential pitfalls capable...

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