Michael Dukakis secures the nomination, unifies his party and has a well-regarded convention. He’s seventeen points ahead in the polls. Is it real? Even his own campaign staff thinks it may not be. A story in Reader’s Digest is troubling. In New Orleans, Bush fires back, while dealing with questions about his choice for number two.

After a split southern primary day, the Democrats have no clear leader. Team Dukakis would like people to think he’s leader, but a loss in Illinois (ouch) and then in Michigan (double ouch) spoils that. Now the Big Three candidates, the ones with a chance, go to New York.  Subways, hotdogs, coffee table debates, subways and millions spent. It’s all fun and games until New York City’s mayor gets involved. Meanwhile, Bush is rapidly securing his nomination, but no one can tell Bob Dole that. He still has a few plans, if anyone will listen.

In the wake of a front-runner’s withdrawal, the campaigns struggle to get traction and block rival campaigns. The best weapon. An attack videotape. A story of three attack videotapes. One sent to a reporter which took out a major player in the campaign. Another in the snows of New Hampshire that saved a candidate, and a third that kept a campaign alive. Also a video that was never sent that should have been sent.

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We tell the story of Gary Hart, the frontrunner in the Democratic side of the 1988 race, but also the aftermath. After Hart’s fall, all the campaigns are lost because they had hoped to slay the Hart dragon and get the press attention off a win or “surprising showing” against Hart. Now what? We have to stand on our ideas? One campaign is OK with it. ”Jump Ball!” says an aide of new candidate Joe Biden. Biden hopes to fill the gap, with his appeal to Baby Boomers. And he’s helped by something Reagan does. ALSO: Al Gore enter the race, swinging at everyone. Dick Gephardt comes up with one TV ad that turns him from a zero to a hero. Bush just can’t get through to country people.