Sept. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Media debacles are a recurrent
nightmare for presidential candidates. Yet few have ever
confronted a more devastating publicity firestorm than the
Republican candidate James G. Blaine did on a fateful day
in October 1884.
Not even Mitt Romney -- who is now facing the blowback
from some arrogant remarks that he made in private at a
fundraiser with high-rolling supporters -- has had a day
quite as damaging as the one “the Plumed Knight” (as
Blaine was known in the press) suffered in the final days
of his presidential campaign.
