The Lusty Month of May

From the Artleytoons Archives

Leading up to the 1988 Presidential elections, Gary Hart was considered the Democratic frontrunner. In May of 1987, reports of his "womanizing" antics provoked Hart to issue a dare to reporters. He challenged them to follow him around, saying "go ahead. You'll be bored." Miami Herald Reporters who took him up on the dare by staking out his Washington DC townhouse, spotted a young woman leaving the house during the night. On May 8, a week after the story was published, Hart dropped from the race. Later that summer, the National Enquirer published a photo of Hart on his yacht, 'Monkey Business" with the same young woman sitting on Hart's lap. Despite the controversy, in December with his wife at his side, Gary Hart announced that he was re-entering the race.

So, here is my cartoon from December of 1987:

(click on image for a larger view)

Regardless of Hart's general support in opinion polls, election primaries the following year showed voter support for Hart had eroded. Once the nearly undisputed frontrunner who many thought would take the presidency, resigned again. Michael Dukakis became the Democratic Nominee. Dukakis lost the election and George Herbert Walker Bush became the 41st president of the United States.