| Michael Dukakis for President 1988 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Campaign | 1988 Democratic primaries 1988 U.S. presidential election |
| Candidate | Michael Dukakis 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts (1975–1979, 1983–1991) Lloyd Bentsen U.S. Senator from Texas (1971–1993) |
| Affiliation | Democratic Party |
| Status | Announced: March 16, 1987 Presumptive nominee: June 7, 1988 Official nominee: July 21, 1988 Lost election: November 8, 1988 |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Key people | Susan Estrich (campaign manager) Paul Brountas (campaign chair)[1] John Sasso (campaign manager; resigned on October 1, 1987; returned as vice chairman on September 3, 1988)[2][3] Paul Tully (political director; resigned on October 1, 1987)[2] Donna Brazile (deputy field director; resigned on October 20, 1988) |
| Slogan | We're on your side Good jobs at good wages Because the Best America has yet to Come |
The 1988 presidential campaign of Michael Dukakis began when he announced his candidacy for the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States on March 16, 1987, in a speech in Boston. After winning the nomination, he was formally selected as the Democratic Party's nominee at the party's convention in Atlanta, Georgia on July 21, 1988.[4][5] He lost the 1988 election to his Republican opponent George H. W. Bush, who was the sitting Vice President at the time. Dukakis won 10 states and the District of Columbia, receiving a total of 111 electoral votes compared to Bush's 426 (Dukakis would have received 112, but one faithless elector who was pledged to him voted for Lloyd Bentsen for president and Dukakis for vice president instead out of protest). Dukakis received 45% of the popular vote to Bush's 53%.[6] Many commentators blamed Dukakis' loss on the embarrassing photograph of him in a tank taken on September 13, 1988, which subsequently formed the basis of a successful Republican attack ad.[7][8] Much of the blame was also laid on Dukakis' campaign, which was criticized for being poorly managed despite being well funded.[9][10] Had Dukakis been elected, he would have been the first Greek American president, the first non-Western European American president, and the second governor of Massachusetts to accomplish this feat, after Calvin Coolidge. Bentsen would have been the second senator from Texas to be elected vice president, after Lyndon B. Johnson.
- ^ Welch, William M. (13 July 1988). "Paul Brountas: Dukakis' Friend and Adviser". apnews.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Two Top Aides to Dukakis Resign As One Admits Role in Biden Tape". New York Times. 1 October 1987. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Sasso Offers A Familiar Hand To A Political Friend". Associated Press. 3 September 1988. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Finding aid for Michael S. Dukakis Presidential Campaign Records". Northeastern University. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
- ^ Dionne, E. J. Jr.; Times, Special to the New York (1988-07-21). "Democrats Acclaim Dukakis and Assert Unity". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
- ^ "United States presidential election of 1988". Encyclopedia Britannica.
- ^ Drogin, Bob (1988-11-10). "How Presidential Race Was Won-and Lost: Michael S. Dukakis". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
- ^ King, Josh (2013-11-17). "Dukakis and the Tank". Politico. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
gallerywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Rheem, Donald L. (1988-10-27). "Michael Dukakis: The precarious politics of 'competence'". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2017-09-16.