On This Day 12 Years Ago: Bush’s “Mission Accomplished Mistake”

On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush’s top political consultant Karl Rove executed an audacious PR stunt: have the President co-pilot a U.S. Navy S-3B Viking, land on an aircraft carrier, exit in a fighter pilot suit, and then after a wardrobe change, declare the end to major combat operations in Iraq in front of a “Mission Accomplished” banner.







George W. Bush Fighter Pilot Stunt Became Democratic Ad Fodder

It was widely assumed the staged event was designed to create footage for 2004 campaign ads. That turned out to be correct, except that it was Bush’s opponent running the ads.

The Democratic National Committee produced the attack ad “Guard” in September 2004, which begins with Bush’s declaration, and includes the infamous banner and a shot of a giddy Bush in what looked more like a fighter pilot costume in the ad.

Quickly the camera shifts to scenes of carnage in Iraq, as text on the screen informs that 867 Americans have died in Iraq since the speech. The ad continued to charge Bush with prematurely declaring economic success, concluding with the rhetorical question: “How can you solve problems when you won’t even admit they’re there?”

Karl Rove’s Biggest Mistake?

As humiliating as it was for Bush and Rove to see their military theatrics used against them, they had the last laugh by winning re-election. The nation wasn’t quite ready to punish Bush for the Iraq quagmire, though comeuppance for Republicans did come in the 2006 midterms and 2008 presidential election.

But just because Bush survived didn’t make it wise for Rove to turn a military vessel into a campaign prop. The mere fact that the footage was never used in Bush’s own ads proves Rove knew he had made a mistake. Political consultants need to plan ahead, but they also need to be constantly aware that they can’t predict the future.

What looks good today can easily look bad tomorrow.