How a presidential front-runner's dare to the press ended his political career in 1987.
In short: Gary Hart was the clear front-runner for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination until a media firestorm erupted over his private life. After a reporter asked about rumors of womanizing, Hart challenged the press to follow him around, claiming they would be bored. They did, and the resulting scandal forced his withdrawal.
Gary Hart, born Gary Warren Hartpence in 1936, rose to prominence as a strategist for George McGovern’s 1972 campaign before serving as a U.S. Senator from Colorado from 1975 to 1987. Known as an 'Atari Democrat' for his focus on technology and new ideas, Hart narrowly lost the 1984 Democratic presidential nomination to Walter Mondale. By 1987, he was the clear favorite for the 1988 nomination.
The turning point occurred in May 1987, when the Miami Herald staked out Hart’s Washington townhouse following an anonymous tip about an extramarital affair. Simultaneously, Hart gave an interview to The New York Times in which he frustratedly invited the media to 'follow me around,' insisting they would find nothing of interest. When the Herald’s report on his relationship with Donna Rice and the Times interview appeared on the same day, it created a political firestorm.
Despite polling data suggesting that a majority of voters found the media's coverage unfair and considered marital infidelity irrelevant to presidential fitness, the pressure proved insurmountable. Facing threats of further tabloid exposés regarding his past, Hart suspended his campaign on May 8, 1987. He later lamented the invasive nature of the coverage, famously remarking that he had watched journalists become 'animals' while warning that the country might end up with the leaders it deserved.
Hart’s career was marked by contradictions, including his 1961 name change, inconsistent use of birth dates, and a brief commission in the Naval Reserve that drew criticism as a political maneuver. Though he returned to public life in various roles, including as a special envoy, his 1987 withdrawal remains a landmark moment in the evolution of political reporting and the scrutiny of candidates' private lives.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Gary Hart
- Also: Wikidata — Gary Hart · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Gary Hart · CC0
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