Michael Dukakis in an M1 Abrams tank.
Twenty years after his loss to George H. W. Bush, Michael Dukakis is perhaps his own toughest critic. In 1988, then Governor Dukakis used the "Massachusetts Miracle"—the transformation of his state into an economic engine—to spellbind Democrats in the primaries. But the magic didn't work in the general election; he won only 10 states and the District of Columbia. The photo of Dukakis with a dopey grin and a huge helmet aboard a tank was turned into an ad ridiculing him as soft on defense. And the story of Willie Horton, a Massachusetts prisoner who killed a woman while on furlough, was used as a racially charged accusation that Dukakis was no crime fighter. Today, the 74-year-old professor of public policy at Boston's Northeastern University and the University of California-Los Angeles is still actively involved in expanding the party's base. Recently, he spoke to U.S. News about his campaign. Excerpts:
How would you describe your legacy?
If I had beaten the old man, we'd never heard of the kid, and we'd be in a lot better shape these days. So it's all my fault.
So, you consider the presidency of George W. Bush your doing?
We'd never be in this mess if I had done a better job. This has been the worst national administration I've ever lived under.
Twenty years after his loss to George H. W. Bush, Michael Dukakis is perhaps his own toughest critic. In 1988, then Governor Dukakis used the "Massachusetts Miracle"—the transformation of his state into an economic engine—to spellbind Democrats in the primaries. But the magic didn't work in the general election; he won only 10 states and the District of Columbia. The photo of Dukakis with a dopey grin and a huge helmet aboard a tank was turned into an ad ridiculing him as soft on defense. And the story of Willie Horton, a Massachusetts prisoner who killed a woman while on furlough, was used as a racially charged accusation that Dukakis was no crime fighter. Today, the 74-year-old professor of public policy at Boston's Northeastern University and the University of California-Los Angeles is still actively involved in expanding the party's base. Recently, he spoke to U.S. News about his campaign. Excerpts:
How would you describe your legacy?
If I had beaten the old man, we'd never heard of the kid, and we'd be in a lot better shape these days. So it's all my fault.
So, you consider the presidency of George W. Bush your doing?
We'd never be in this mess if I had done a better job. This has been the worst national administration I've ever lived under.
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