Dukakis recalls crazy days on campaign trail (criticizes Bush)

[VolcanoJen]

Good words of advice from former Democratic Nominee, Mike Dukakis... and he has some choice words for the Bush Administration in this article, too!

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/11202003/news/61593.htm

Excerpt:

The former governor was not shy about sharing why he thinks he lost the election. He said he had not developed a strategy to deal with attacks from the Bush campaign.

"I ran into a bit of a buzz saw," Dukakis said.

He said he dropped eight points in one week after Bush allegedly had President Reagan refer to Dukakis as an "invalid." Dukakis said he hopes the current Democratic candidates are ready for similar encounters.

"Whoever the Democratic nominee will, in my judgment, be subjected to a brutal attack campaign by Bush," Dukakis said. "This is the worst national administration I’ve ever lived under, bar none. I want this guy out of there."

[saigon68]

1. RACIST WILLIE HORTON ADS DIDN'T HELP EITHER

Mike Dukakis is one of the finest gentlemen around.

The Bullshit aimed at him was unbelievable.

Bush Sr. used the race card and put out the most atrocious ads.

They showed a revolving door with black men shuffling in and out of prison.

These Mother Fuckers will do worse things to hold power in the election next year--Mark my words.



Edited "some" of the profanity out.

[VolcanoJen]

2. Ohhh saigon68, I will *never* forget those disgusting Willie Horton ads.

Dukakis has some good advice for our eventual nominee... he was unprepared to deal with the unprecedented vitriol aimed at his head in '88, but we know better now.

I hope they heed his warnings. I hope we all do.

Mike Dukakis was, and remains, a class act.

[Zhade]

4. And, of course, Chimpy McTraitor helped with the ads.

As documented in J.H. Hatfield's Fortunate Son.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

10. Nice to hear this: "Mike Dukakis is one of the finest gentlemen around"

Duke was a paragon of integrity and a model politician.
When my mom met him back in the early 70's at the statehouse, he was nothing but energy and genuine enthusiasm. Even though he was still a ways from formally announcing his first campaign for governor, he ended the conversation by telling her to call him anytime he could help. And geez, my mom was just another political reporter for a small weekly in Springfield!

[Lisa]

11. plus that ghastly episode with the policeman's badge

Courtesy Jimmy Breslin:

http://www.truthout.org/docs_01/0629.Breslin.Bush.htm

And I was back on a cool October day in 1988 in Christ the King High School on
Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village and George Bush the Elder was on the stage
holding up officer Edward Byrne's badge. Byrne had been killed in Jamaica. Byrne's
father had given Bush the son's badge. Bush was running for president against Michael
Dukakis.

"Dukakis wouldn't understand the grief of a dead cop's mother," he said. "This helps
define the man I'm running against. He doesn't understand police. I do."

He used the badge to inflame an auditorium that was crowded with high school girls,
who got up on their seats and shrieked, "Death Penalty! Death Penalty! Capital
Punishment."

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. and his slimy son pulled the same shit with the WTC cop's badge

said he was going to wear it close to his heart forever on. What a load of......

[eissa]

3. The problem is

that we eat our own. We've all seen on this site alone people repeating things from the RW regarding some of the candidates (usually to smear their candidate's opponent, but the damage is still done). How many times have we heard that Dean is "angry"? It's like we can't win -- if a candidate is a doormat, he risks running the same course that Dukakis did, and if he stands up and fights those bullies, then he and his supporters are just "angry."

[VolcanoJen]

6. "Angry Dean" is the Rovian meme, and it shall not stand.

Even though Dean isn't my first choice, I get pretty "angry" myself when fellow DUers use that term against him. The Rovians don't need our help; they'll be fine on their own.

Of course Dean is angry. So am I. So are all of us who love this country, and hate what it's become, in a mere three years. Our meme should be "Dean is right."

[bluestateguy]

5. I met him 5 years ago

Very nice guy, but seeing him in person I could see why he lost. He was TOO nice, didn't come across to Middle America as they kind of muscular, manly, militaristic He-Man that they wanted. Of course, there were valuable lessons to be learned from 1988, and I hope they do not need to be learned again: always, always respond to every attack, no matter how scandalous, quickly, forecefully and then go on the offensive.

[VolcanoJen]

7. There's nothing muscular, manly or militaristic about Chimpy, either.

Well, I suppose you could call his policies ultra-militaristic, but it amazes me the way conservatives have fallen for this intellectual midget, this "creative" draft-dodger, this rather skinny, smirky, cheek-biting, dangerous fool.

[msmcghee]

8. Why aren't we seeing ads showing . .

. . fat cat pharmaceutical and insurance CEO's partying with Bush & the pukes?

I can think of a dozen great ads to exploit that reality. Like Leona Helmesley running into Ken Lay at a posh event and telling him she's so happy to see that only the little people are still paying the taxes - then giving him a high five.

There's so much material there anybody could rip the pukes apart - but I never see anything close to that.

[UTUSN]

9. Every Dem Candidate Has Been Better than Any Repuke

in intelligence, decency, goals, everything. Every time whoever-it-is from the past surfaces, it's a reminder of that. If every one had won, if only.... sigh.

[jsw_81]

13. Dukakis is a great guy

Do you know one of the main reasons why he lost his race for re-election as governor in 1978? Becuase he refused to reward crooked Boston Dems with patronage jobs after he won his first term. He just didn't think it was proper to give people jobs simply because they contributed to his campaign, and they crucified him because of it.

I think he would have been an excellent president.