Dukakis began his political career in local govern-
ment. He went on to serve in the state legislature
and to mount a failed campaign for lieutentant gov-
ernor, before being elected governor of Massachu-
setts in 1974. His state’s economic woes caused him
to lose a bid for reelection four years later. After a few
years in academia, Dukakis returned to the gover-
nor’s mansion in 1983 and helped bring the state
out of economic turmoil. He won two more terms
and in 1986 was named the most effective governor
in the nation by the National Governors’ Associa-
tion. In 1988, Dukakis coauthored a book detailing
his state’s economic recovery—the so-called Massa-
chusetts Miracle—and touting his abilities as a presi-
dential contender.
The 1988 Presidential Campaign In 1988, Dukakis
entered the race for the Democratic presidential
nomination. The crowded field included U.S. sena-
tor Al Gore of Tennessee, former senator Gary Hart
of Colorado, and the outspoken preacher and civil
rights activist Jesse Jackson. Dukakis secured the
nomination and named Senator Lloyd Bentsen of
Texas as his running mate. Throughout the cam-
paign, Dukakis described himself as the quintessen-
tial realization of the American Dream—a child
of immigrants who could become president of the
United States. He used the Neil Diamond song
“Coming to America” as his campaign theme.
The 1988 presidential race was a contest between
the little-known Dukakis and Ronald Reagan’s heir
apparent, Vice President George H. W. Bush.
Dukakis attempted to run a positive campaign, but
he was brutally assailed by the opposition. The Re-
publicans labeled him a typical northeastern, far-left
Democrat. A member of the American Civil Lib-
erties Union (ACLU) and self-proclaimed “proud
liberal,” Dukakis proved unable to respond effec-
tively when the Bush campaign began using the
word “liberal” as an accusation. The governor was
accused of being soft on crime, and during a presi-
dential debate, he seemed cold and callous when ad-
dressing a loaded question about capital punish-
ment. When the moderator asked Dukakis if he
would still oppose the death penalty if a criminal
raped and murdered his wife, the governor de-
fended his position without emotion. The Republi-
cans also attacked Dukakis’s policies as governor of
Massachusetts. Convicted murderer William Hor-
ton had escaped from the Massachusetts justice sys-
tem when he was released on a weekend furlough
and never came back. He later raped a woman in
Maryland. Horton’s story was used repeatedly in
anti-Dukakis television commercials.
Throughout the campaign, Dukakis struggled
with his image. With his short stature and Greek fea-
tures, the governor did not impress television view-
ers, nor was he a passionate speaker. He often seemed
cold and aloof to voters. Furthermore, Dukakis
lacked real military experience. His Army service
paled in comparison to Bush’s exploits as the youn-
gest naval aviator in World War II. In an effort to
show the governor as a worthy commander in chief,
Dukakis was photographed wearing a helmet and
driving a tank. Rather than looking presidential,300 Dukakis, Michael The Eighties in America
Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis attends a presiden-
tial campaign rally at the University of California, Los An-
geles, on the eve of the 1988 general election.(Hal O’Brien/cc-
by-sa-3.0)