Revolving Door (advertisement)

Revolving Door
A frame from Revolving Door
Client1988 George H.W. Bush presidential campaign
LanguageEnglish
Release date(s)October 5, 1988
CountryUnited States

"Revolving Door" was a famous negative television commercial made for Republican nominee George H. W. Bush's campaign during the 1988 United States presidential election. Along with the Willie Horton ("Weekend Passes") commercial, it is considered to have been a major factor in Bush's defeat of Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis. The ad was produced by political consultant Roger Ailes with help from Bush campaign manager Lee Atwater, and first aired on October 5, 1988. "Revolving door syndrome" is a term used in criminology to refer to recidivism; however, in the ad, the implication is that prison sentences were of an inconsequential length.