Dukakis on the Election: Obama Knows How to Win, 'McCain Has Nothing'
When John McCain’s campaign made it clear over the weekend that their stretch-run strategy would lean heavily on raising questions about Barack Obama’s personal history and past “associations,” Obama’s communications director provided a simple, almost indifferent reaction to The Washington Post: “This isn’t 1988.”
Michael Dukakis, the Democratic presidential nominee whose campaign was eviscerated that year by tactics ripped from the same playbook from which Mr. McCain now seems intent on borrowing, tends to agree.
“Well, it happens every time,” the former Massachusetts governor said in an interview on the afternoon of Oct. 6 in his college office. “They’re desperate, they’re slipping, and all of that stuff. So here we go.”
Mr. Dukakis, now 74 and teaching at Northeastern University in Boston (and UCLA for spring semesters), admits that he’s “concerned” about the coming McCain onslaught. But he says that his trepidation is balanced by confidence in Mr. Obama and the team he has assembled.
“This is a much better campaign than I ran in 1988, and I’m impressed,” he said.
Specifically, Mr. Dukakis credits Mr. Obama with responding more swiftly and aggressively to attacks from his opponent and with building sophisticated grass-roots operations in numerous states – two areas in which Mr. Dukakis faults his own campaign (and John Kerry’s in 2004, for that matter) for having been deficient.
More than a year ago, Mr. Dukakis began arguing that this year’s Democratic nominee ought to mount an unprecedented effort to mobilize supporters as block and precinct captains in their own neighborhoods. He envisioned a meaningful grass-roots presence in every city, town and village of every state – more than 200,000 precincts in all. That’s not quite the model that Mr. Obama has embraced, but still, Mr. Dukakis calls his operation “the best thing that’s been put in the field, in my opinion, since John Kennedy.”
“I would have preferred a 50-state operation,” he said, “because there are some states out there like West Virginia and Mississippi and Georgia that are close, that are quite close.
“Mississippi’s only down six or seven. I’ve got some friends down there who say it’s a hell of a lot closer than the numbers say. But if you don’t have an organized effort, people are going to say, ‘Hey, where’s the campaign?’ But certainly in 18 or 20 states, they’ve got some great stuff going. And McCain has nothing. Nothing.”
Mr. Obama’s grass-roots efforts, Mr. Dukakis stressed, are a major reason why he believes that McCain attacks will not register.
“When this stuff starts flying, in addition to doing what [Obama’s campaign has] been doing – which is going up within 24 hours after one of these ads with one of their own – it’s that grass-roots operation that’s your best line of defense against this crap, because they’re out there and they’re talking to people and getting back to them with stuff and so on,” he said.
Republicans are fond of pointing to the many built-in advantages that Mr. Obama enjoys – an unpopular two-term Republican president who presides over an unpopular war and a collapsing economy – and suggesting that the race shouldn’t even be close. The fact that it is, they argue, suggests that voters have serious reservations about Mr. Obama. But Mr. Dukakis isn’t surprised that the polls are (relatively) close.
“Obama has faced some formidable hurdles,” he said. As an example, Mr. Dukakis pointed to a McCain campaign ad from a few weeks ago that sought to portray a tenuous connection between Mr. Obama and Franklin Raines, a former Fannie Mae CEO and the White House budget director under Bill Clinton, as an intimate association.
“That ad with Frank Raines was despicable,” he said. “I mean, what was that anyway? First, it was bald-faced lies. Right? These guys had met once, and Raines is not his housing adviser. Secondly, he put two black guys up there with this older white woman who’s losing her house or whatever. What do you think that’s all about? It isn’t even subtle.”
And yet, Mr. Dukakis pointed out, it was just last week that Mr. McCain essentially ceded Michigan, a state his campaign had targeted early and aggressively, to Mr. Obama.
“I think the interesting thing is that after spending a ton of money in Michigan, he is out of Michigan, which tells you something – maybe – about people’s willingness to believe all of this stuff,” he said.
Then there’s the matter of Sarah Palin, whose name provokes a strong response from Mr. Dukakis.
“I made a ton of mistakes in ’88, needless to say,” he said. “But one of the things I did right was picking my running mate [Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen]. And I think it’s been kind of the model that people have followed ever since.
“I was governor for 12 years, so I picked lots of people, and I liked doing it. I mean, that’s 90 percent of your job – picking good people and building a team and turning them loose. But when it comes to [the vice presidency], the single most important criteria always – I mean it just dwarfs everything else – is: Can this person be a good president if, God forbid, something happens to you? By that criteria, this is a pathetic selection.” Next Page >
There's no fool like an old fool.
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MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT --- OBAMA WOULD BE A BIG LEAP TOWARDS SOCIALISM.
OBAMA BELIEVES IN THE SOCIALIST GOAL OF "REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH."
OBAMA WANTS TO REDISTRIBUTE INCOME --- THROUGH TAXATION --- FROM THOSE WHO HAVE IT, TO THOSE WHO DO NOT.
OBAMA WANTS TO TAKE MONEY FROM THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED FOR IT and EARNED IT --- AND GIVE IT TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT.
OBAMA'S APPROACH TO ECONOMICS IS THE ""SAME OLD"" SOCIALIST SCHEME.
TAKE FROM THOSE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED THE MOST TO SOCIETY --- AND GIVE IT TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT.
HE CALLS IT "ECONOMIC JUSTICE." . IT'S CLASS WARFARE. . THE SCAM WORKED IN RUSSIA ;;DON’T LET IT SUCCEED HERE!
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Isn't Dukakis an expert on losing????
I'm sorry can you tell me how the CEO's who deceived people to make a disgusting amount of money worked hard for their billion dollar bonus'? How does someone so slimy and calculated deserve more than the people who risk their lives to defend our country, or teachers who educate our children or blue-collar laborers who work with integrity to make ends meet? This country needs a redistribution of wealth to save it from downfall...have you been paying attention to the economy for the past few weeks or were you too busy feeding into the rhetoric of a desperate GOP smear campaign? If Obama is a socialist than McCain is a facist you tell me which is worse... At least Obama is addressing the most important issue facing Americans --- the ECOMNOMY rather than pulling out the desperate attempts to play on the ignorance and racism of mindless voters. John McCain said himself in 200 "When you are running a campaign of smear you have no vision for the future"...
Thank you for sharing Mr. Dukakis's insight into this election! This article reminds me of the story told about Thomas Edison who, when trying to create the first commercially practical incandescent light, performed 1,200 experiments testing over 6,000 vegetable growths [e.g., baywood, boxwood, hickory, cedar, flax, bamboo] as filament material. He eventually succeeded when he made a light bulb using carbonized filaments from cotton thread. Someone remarked that he had wasted so much time with the experiments to which he replied, "It was not a waste of time. I learned that those other filament materials don't work."
For some Americans, it's all about winning, not necessarily about action that will produce the greater good or the learning process that takes place when one embarks in a major project such as a national presidential campaign. So, in the election of 1988 Michael Dukakis's campaign lost to George H. Bush’s. There is more to be said about his hard work and the experience that he gained that future politicians running from office can learn from. It seems that Obama has learned from Dukakis's campaign experiences, from the grassroots effort necessary to create a solid base to countering personal attacks in kind swiftly and with equal force. This seems to be the reason that Obama has become a formidable opponent of John McCain's. McCain seems to have thought that he had the presidential election in his pocket because of his war hero status and Obama's race and ethnicity: it's surely been a surprise to McCain which, like the economic woes, he “didn’t see coming”.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
Totally agree, Ron. I think of this adage every time I see or hear something of or by John McCain. It's too bad McCain chickened out on running with Lieberman. Perfect bumper sticker: "No fool like 2 old fools".
Still the "old fool" is a bit off as it implies he's just losing it. McCain has always been a dirty rat, however, who never understood what honor is. Now he's just a dirty OLD rat.
John McCain, George Bush, and the Washington Republicans are the closest thing the U.S. has ever had to a Soviet-style communist party. They give all the money to the insiders and the top 5% of taxpayers (the people who then contribute to their reelection campaigns) and vote against or threaten to veto any bill that directly benefits working Americans. All that, while lining the pockets of insiders in the defense and finance industry. Everything for the ruling class (Communist party), nothing for the average citizens.
All these bloviating conservatives on blogs and comment boards like to talk about taxes, yet they also don't seem to understand basic economics. A DEFICIT is a delayed action TAX. Good luck cashing out your retirement account in the future. While you are getting screwed when you need the money the most, think back to your beloved George Bush and John McCain, and mumble all of the empty slogans they fed you while you were staring at Sarah Palin.
John McCain, George Bush, and the Washington Republicans are the closest thing the U.S. has ever had to a Soviet-style communist party. They give all the money to the insiders and the top 5% of taxpayers (the people who then contribute to their reelection campaigns) and vote against or threaten to veto any bill that directly benefits working Americans. All that, while lining the pockets of insiders in the defense and finance industry. Everything for the ruling class (Communist party), nothing for the average citizens.
All these bloviating conservatives on blogs and comment boards like to talk about taxes, yet they also don't seem to understand basic economics. A DEFICIT is a delayed action TAX. Good luck cashing out your retirement account in the future. While you are getting screwed when you need the money the most, think back to your beloved George Bush and John McCain, and mumble all of the empty slogans they fed you while you were staring at Sarah Palin.
"ron h. (not verified) says:
There's no fool like an old fool."
I wouldn't insult McCain that way if I were you!!
LOL!!!
In case you hadn't noticed, we need some wealth and income redistribution if we are going to remain a world power. Due to the Reaganomics policies that have dominated our economy for the past 25 years, the top 1% in the U.S. now has more than the bottom 50%. That's what you find in banana republics, not world powers. If we don't rebuild the middle class economically, we'll be on a long downward slide to widespread poverty and illiteracy. We are on our way now. Wake up America!
"...one of the things I did right was picking my running mate [Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen]. And I think it’s been kind of the model that people have followed ever since."
What in the world is he talking about? Clinton chose Gore, Gore chose Lieberman, Kerry chose Edwards, and Obama picked Biden because Dukakis picked Bentson!?
Well, one of the things the Democrats did wrong was nominating this fool for President, but it's a sorry trend among Democrats that has continued to this day. Anyone that thinks Obama is a shoe-in is a fool.
In other news, Marlee Matlin thinks Britney knows how to sing.
What's wrong with Socialism, Pray?
You idiots just stood by and watched American go DOWN to Capitalism? Roughly translated: Greed and indifference to your fellow man.
Obama Biden 2008 THANK GOD!
Toutatis and Justforkix just seem 2 2 dumb for 2 many words.
Lets take advice from a guy that lost an election, maybe we should take advice from Gore, Kerry and Mondale while we are at it-
Oh God, what a complete moron. I forgot what a loser that idiot was.
For a really short guy, Dukakis sure uses the word "dwarfs" a lot.
Freudian?
Admit it. McCain's campaign is floundering, and Palin is a CLEAR liability, and the GOP is scared to death and desparate. The polls support it, secretly the Republican leaders know it, and the Palin-McCain wierd-science alliance(yep, I put her first) is just simply not the ticket for real change. I voted Republican the last election, but I am ashamed of this foolish campaigning (as well as my vote in "04) rife with meanness and a lack of substance. The young voters are watching this McCain-sponsored, last gap mudslinging, and at a 2 to 1 clip(see Gallup Polls if you're not afraid of going blind) are flocking to Obama. Another telling statistic-folks with advanced degrees are overwhelmingly supporting the Obama-Biden ticket. You have to be smart to sift through all the bull that the GOP is unsuccessfully trying to ram down the world's throat!!!
Admit it. McCain's campaign is floundering, and Palin is a CLEAR liability, and the GOP is scared to death and desparate. The polls support it, secretly the Republican leaders know it, and the Palin-McCain wierd-science alliance(yep, I put her first) is just simply not the ticket for real change. I voted Republican the last election, but I am ashamed of this foolish campaigning (as well as my vote in "04) rife with meanness and a lack of substance. The young voters are watching this McCain-sponsored, last gap mudslinging, and at a 2 to 1 clip(see Gallup Polls if you're not afraid of going blind) are flocking to Obama. Another telling statistic-folks with advanced degrees are overwhelmingly supporting the Obama-Biden ticket. You have to be smart to sift through all the bull that the GOP is unsuccessfully trying to ram down the world's throat!!!
Mike Dukakis was torn down by George Bush Sr, who had no record to run on and no new ideas for the future of our great country. George Bush Sr. distorted Gov. Dukakis's record and used false ads to scare the public into voting against his opponent, rather than FOR his candidacy. Gov. Dukakis should have responded sooner to the false ads, but he wanted to run a clean campaign on the issues. Live and learn, I guess. You can’t play “positive politics” with the Republican Party in a Presidential Election.
Gov. Dukakis was the best choice for America and history has shown it. Mike Dukakis would have been an excellent President and he speaks the truth. Thank you, Governor, for your service to Massachusetts and our Country.
You want to discuss class warfare? Warren Buffet (a fairly rich man, I hear) says there's been plenty of class warfare -- and his class won. The huge disparity of wealth brought on by Republican policies does not bode well for this country. If you're rich, voting Republican is a rational choice. If you aren't, voting Republican makes you a fool.
Dukakis, get back into the tank and stay there!
Well, we now have the opinion of one of the worst landslide losers in American history. Glad to now know the truth according to this loser. 'Tanks' alot, Dukakis
Michael Dukakis broke my heart in 1988 by seizing defeat out of the jaws of victory. (I worked at his state & national headquarters for hundreds of hours that year.) But, despite his flaws, he has always been a gracious and intelligent person. It's good to hear from him again! And I'm so glad to have a gracious and intelligent candidate in Sen. Obama, who has obviously learned from the mistakes of Gov. Dukakis and others.
Dukakis!?
I thought he was dead.
I wouldn't take insider tips from losers of previous campaigns...
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I remember the 60's and 70's. I remember being a hippie. I was an idealist who thought that rich people were good-hearted, too. I was wrong. If rich people want to 'EARN' their money with interest, they can be taxed more , too. They have ALWAYS waged class warfare upon us.
WOMEN VOTE~VOTE FOR PALIN! And -crew the commies!
Michael Dukakis is a wonderful, honorable, smart man who was taken down by smear tactics. He would have made a terrific president -- he definitely knew how to govern. It's too bad his name and reputation were ruined following the 1988 loss, because he could have continued to be of great service to the country.
You people are all lost. Ducocky is a moron who wants a legacy of relevance. He's a loser plain and simple. Like Clinton who was a joke as President but is searching for a legacy. Jimmy (Jim Jim) Carter too. Dukaki should keep his mouth shut as nothing relevant comes out. NoBama will turn this country to a Socialist Nation with confiscatory policies that will eliminate the Middle Class. If you make $200K you're not rich like Kerry's $800M, Clintons $110M, Pelosi's $140M, even NoBama's $8M. By the way how does a community organizer accumulate $8M? But folks that make $200K are the targets. Cool, now we can earn $200K and take home less than $25K. $200k less 15% Fica on all, then 55% Fed tax on total, minus church, minus state taxes = $24,000. then I get to pay taxes on everything I buy, plus real estate tax and car tax. Oh, and thanks, because I've been trying to save for my own retirement, which Barney Frank just pissed away, I'll be means tested out of Social Security. So who is the Socialist Marxist? I think I'll just quit working and maybe make $50K and I'll let the govt pay for everything. This is your future. Why do we fight this, because its Unconstitutional, and this is not what America was founded to be. This is Tyranny plain and simple. NoBama