The Lessons of Mike Dukakis (incredible article)

[WilliamPitt]

The lessons of Mike Dukakis

Nearing 70, the former governor, now a professor, reflects on what he's learned

By Don Aucoin, Globe Staff, 10/30/2003

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2003/10/30/the_lessons_of_mike_dukakis/

The phone rings in the Northeastern University office where professor Michael S. Dukakis is scribbling away at his desk. On the other end of the line is a friend who wants to know how he is doing. Asked of anyone else, it would be an innocuous question.

"Well, I'm living under the worst national administration of my lifetime," Dukakis barks in his trademark staccato, his caterpillar eyebrows arched to signal a punchline is coming. "If I'd beat his old man, you'd never have heard of this guy, so blame me."

(snip)

As he prepares to mark his own milestone, Dukakis seems a bit surprised by the swift passage of time. It was 40 years ago that Dukakis entered the Legislature as a young reformer bent on changing the ethical climate in a state legendary for political corruption. "I'm not sure I was the most loved guy in the place," he says dryly. But back then, he says, "this state, sadly, was one of the three or four most corrupt states in the country. Crime commissions, indictments, convictions . . . It was everywhere. I remember ringing doorbells, and people would literally look at me and say, `You look honest. I'll vote for you.' "

A lot of people reached that conclusion about Mike Dukakis over the years. And even if he didn't make it to the political summit, he seems content with the peaks he was able to reach. "It's been a great run, with all the ups and downs, the support, the successes, to have been able to live the kind of life that I've been able to lead," he says. "It was a rare privilege."

...more...

[RBHam]

1. Good one

I remember Dukakis as being the victim of Lee Atwater's negative campaigning. At that time, George Jr and Karl Rove were both just learning the ropes from the guitar strumming, political spinning ubermeister.

How soon they grow up.

(tear wells up)

[RandomKoolzip]

2. Dukakis was a great guy...And Lloyd Bentsen would've been a great veep

Too bad an "ethnic" surname and a picture of him in a tank cost him the presidency....Sometimes American voters can be pretty shallow.

[CMT]

3. The Duke is a good guy

who would have been a far better president than the first Bush. The problem is he ran a terrible campaign once nominated. He had a 17-point lead out of the Atlanta Convention and decided to take the month of August off to rest up and do some gubernatorial duties--this was clearly a mistake because it allowed Bush ("Read my Lips" and "Kinder, Genler President") to seize the agenda and label the Duke as a "card carrying ACLU liberal"--which he was and should have proudly said, "so what"??

Still it should be remembered that the Duke did better in the popular vote than Bill Clinton would four years later--46% to Clinton's 43% and was the first Dem nominee to win Iowa since LBJ, Oregon since LBJ and Washington state since HHH.

[boxster]

13. "46% to Clinton's 43%" is, of course, misleading, considering...

that Perot got 19% of the vote in 1992.

Nothing against Dukakis - I love the guy. Just noting that a comparison of 1988 to 1992 is apples to oranges.

[janekat]

4. Another interesting part that we might be able to learn from....

"Kerry has "got to be ready with a well thought out strategy that not only blocks the attacks but turns them into a character issue on the guy who's doing them. Which I didn't do."


http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2003/10/30/the_lessons_of_mike_dukakis/
Dukakis has warned Kerry that if he wins the Democratic presidential nomination, "He'd better be ready from the get-go for a massive attack campaign by a president who's going to have more resources to use on such an attack campaign than any presidential candidate in history." So far, he says, Kerry is "running a good campaign. He's just got to go out and win it now.

"If they try to attack his patriotism as they did mine and Clinton's," Dukakis adds, it will backfire because Kerry "was getting shot at on the Mekong River while these guys were filing for deferments and going AWOL." Still, he says, Kerry has "got to be ready with a well thought out strategy that not only blocks the attacks but turns them into a character issue on the guy who's doing them. Which I didn't do."

He is referring to 1988. In August of that year, a poll gave Dukakis a 17-point lead over George H. W. Bush. By the end of the month -- as the Bush campaign and its surrogates hammered Dukakis on issues such as the Massachusetts prison furlough system and the environmental condition of Boston Harbor -- the Democrat had fallen 10 points behind. Dukakis concedes that he "failed miserably" when it came to responding to Bush's attacks. Then, returning to Massachusetts in defeat, he cemented his unpopularity by pushing through massive tax increases to cope with a state budget crisis. In Anderson's view, "He ran for president and wrecked the economy." In Johnston's view, "People needed a scapegoat, and this can be a very mean town. It was never meaner than in 1989-1990."

[flpoljunkie]

5. Thanks for posting this, Will.

Informative and interesting article.

[charlie]

6. "...got to be ready with a well thought out strategy"

"...that not only blocks the attacks but turns them into a character issue on the guy who's doing them. Which I didn't do."

Indeed you didn't, Mike. And we've been paying for it since.

No campaign has exasperated me more than watching Dukakis play oblivious punching bag to Bush.

[janekat]

8. He's right - our candidates need to listen to this....

n/t

[VelmaD]

7. Thankd for the reminder Will...

of the reasons I was so excited to vote for Dukakis in 1988. That was the very first election I was ever old enough to vote in and sometimes I forget that it wasn't just that I was getting to vote - I was also excited about the contrast between our guy and Bush I. I get really tired of hearing Dukakis bashed to this day. Yes, he could've done a lot of things different in that campaign but that's much easier to say in hindsight.

I remember him coming to my hometown. I remember meeting him and shaking his hand and talking to him for a second and getting that feeling it talked about in the article - that this is a man you can trust to do the right thing for the country. I had never really been able to put that feeling into words before. :-)

[eissa]

11. Dukakis was the first presidential candidate

I ever voted for as well. I went to a rally for him when he came to my hometown. Even then I remember being frustrated at his doormat-like demeanor. Funny how we see history repeating itself -- only it's not the candidates that are acting like doormats this time, but our stupid democratic leadership.

[indigo32]

15. me too

eom

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

9. The Lion in Winter

.

[andym]

10. Atwater destroyed him

They had a 17% lead.

Atwater attacked:

1) Flag ammendment,
Duke wasn't for it
"anti-patriotic"

2) Wille Horton
"soft on crime"

3) card carrying member of ACLU (echoes of mcarthyism)
"liberal communist"

4) used tank photo against him
"no dignity"

5) No response from Dukakis on wife rape murder question at debate
(his own fault), but used to characterize him as non-human.
"dehumanized him"

6) Boston harbor pollution made him to look like hypocrite
"liar" "not for the environment

7) "Massachusetts miracle" turned against him
Made it to appear that Mass economy wasn't really great.
"liar"

Basically, they smeared him very badly. He was as clean a candidate as one could get, and more liberal than most of this crop of
candidates.

"liberal" has become alot more conservative since Dukakis' day.


I was disgusted at the time.

[RummyTheDummy]

12. "Atwater destroyed him"

Yes, he did and you saw what happend to Lee. The lesson: Karma is a bitch.

[ramblin_dave]

14. But who has learned the lesson of Lee Atwater?

Certainly no one at the White House today. They probably consider Atwater to have wimped out at the end.

[charlie]

16. Neither did Atwater

until he was staring at the likelihood he was going straight to Hell in less than a year. Self-involved opportunist to the end, he was.

[Shakespeare]

17. Rove was Atwater's protege....

So I wouldn't be terribly surprised. To paraphrase a great line from West Wing last night--he makes Machiavelli look like a social worker.

[KittyWampus]

18. Thanks, Great Article!

:)