The Next Willie Horton

Some events in a presidential campaign turn out to be so pivotal that they can end up influencing the outcome. Examples that come to mind include:

· The televised debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon in 1960.

· George McGovern's decision to drop Tom Eagleton from the Democratic ticket in 1972.

· Gerald Ford's famous declaration in a presidential debate on Oct. 6, 1976, that "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration."

· Jimmy Carter's Iranian hostage crisis in 1980.

· The 2004 book "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak out Against John Kerry."