Who shaped the 1988 presidential campaign into the most mean-spirited in modern-day American political history? What really went on behind the scenes, from the self-destruction of Gary Hart to the "killer question" of the final TV debate that put the kiss of death to Michael Dukakis"s election chance? America"s premier campaign journalists, Jack W. Germond and Jules Witcover, have covered national politics and presidential campaigns for thirty years. Never have their experience and analysis been more important than now, as the questionable tactics of the Bush/Dukakis fight continue to transform how America elects its governors, mayors, and senators and other officials. All the ups and downs of the primaries, the mistakes and brilliant maneuvers, the hired guns, the attack ads, and the final winning strategy that turned a "wimp" into a near landslide winner are revealed in acidly truthful reporting and firsthand interviews with the candidates and their handlers.