Did you vote for Michael Dukakis?

[kentuck]

I confess that I did.

He was running against Bush Sr and should have won.

Do you remember his strategy? He was a technocrat. He wanted a government that worked. He was not emotional. He wanted to run government like a well-oiled machine.

He did not connect emotionally with the Democratic voters. When they pulled out the Willie Horton ad and showed him in a tank looking like Snoopy, it was more or less over for him.

He was a good man but he was a model for the Democratic Party at that time. It was a model that didn't work.

[NewJeffCT]

1. Of course I voted for him

It was my first presidential election - I turned 18 a month after the 1984 election.

I thought he would have been a good president, but he ran a terrible campaign. He was up big after the DNC and ended up losing in a landslide.

[LuvNewcastle]

2. Yes I did.

It was the first Pres. election in which I was eligible to vote. I knew he didn't have a chance, but I hated Reagan and would never have voted for Bush. I don't even remember anything specific that Dukakis stood for, I just wanted the Reagan/Bush nightmare to end. Here we are 23 years later and I'm still waiting.

[Nye Bevan]

3. "Competence, not ideology". Most exciting slogan ever (nt)

[Gman]

4. I supported him in the primaries and voted for him in the GE

And I had I had no idea he was such a dork at the time. I liked his record as governor in MA. So I don't think he was a model for anything in the party. He just had the best organization in the primaries and won. Just like Obama had the best organization. But it could have easily gone the other way with Hillary who also had a great organization. But not quite good enough.

It seems to be a common misconception that the presidential candidate that wins the nomination somehow defines what the leadership of the party has preordained. It's a bottom-up process that the powers that be will try to influence. Often they're successful, as will be the case with Romney and the GOP, but sometimes they're not as in the case with Obama.

And BTW, I liked him because he was (what we now call) geeky.

[jberryhill]

5. Yes

Although I supported Biden in the primary caucus in DE.

[tomg]

6. I sure as hell didn't vote for

Bush I. But then I have never voted for a Republican in almost 40 years.

[WinkyDink]

7. "Confess"?? He was our nominee! And a da*n smart one! What's to "confess"??

[kentuck]

9. I knew someone would bite...

:-)

[no_hypocrisy]

8. Yes

Those who voted against him who might have voted for him voted for Bush Sr. out of fear thanks to Lee Atwater. He filled their minds with a Willie Horton on every street corner if Dukakis were to be elected.

[Upton]

10. Yeah, I just remember he looked really goofy ridingin that tank

in fact, his whole campaign left something to be desired..

[Bonobo]

11. I worked very hard for his campaign and was crushed when he lost Illinois. nt

[Bluenorthwest]

12. Voted for him and made a speech to young voters for him

He was the Democratic nominee, so of course. This is not something I 'admit' it was always a matter of public knowledge. I was saddened to see the bulk of the voters fall for the image fucking you speak of. Not 'cool ' enough for you, so you elected Bush. Snoopy? You bought it wholesale, and that was the problem.

[sinkingfeeling]

13. Yes, I did. Also have a couple of yard signs somewhere.

[hifiguy]

14. I certainly did

I wouldn't have pissed on Bush Sr if he had been on fire in my driveway.

Karma certainly caught ole Lee Atwater (the man behind the Horton ad) in its jaws, didn't it? That scumbag - and mentor of KKKarl Rove - got exactly what was coming to him.

[H2O Man]

15. I did.

He wasn't someone that I cared for. But I was strongly opposed to Bush the Elder.

[bigtree]

16. of course

Bush1 was a menace