Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 1988

Democratic Presidential Primaries, 1988

1984 ← February 8, 1988 to July 18, 1988 → 1992

Nominee Michael Dukakis Jesse Jackson Al Gore Party Democratic Democratic Democratic Home state Massachusetts Illinois Tennessee States carried 30 9+D.C. 7 Popular vote 9,898,750 6,788,991 3,185,806 Percentage 42.51% 29.15% 13.68%   Nominee Dick Gephardt Paul M. Simon Gary W. Hart Party Democratic Democratic Democratic Home state Missouri Illinois Colorado States carried 3 1 Popular vote 1,399,041 1,082,960 415,716 Percentage 6.00% 4.65% 1.78%

Democratic presidential candidate before election Walter Mondale Democratic presidential candidate-elect Michael Dukakis

The 1988 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 1988 U.S. presidential election. Governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1988 Democratic National Convention held from July 18 to July 21, 1988 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Primary race

Having been badly defeated in the 1984 presidential election, the Democrats were eager to find a new approach to win the presidency. They felt more optimistic this time due to the continuing Iran Contra scandal plus the large gains in the 1986 mid-term election which resulted in the Democrats taking back control of the Senate after six years of Republican rule.

In early 1987, Senator Gary Hart was the clear frontrunner in the field (Democratic party efforts to recruit New York Governor Mario Cuomo aside). Hart had put in a strong showing in the 1984 presidential election, and had refined his campaign in the intervening years, and the eight candidates were lampooned as "Gary Hart and the seven dwarfs".^[1]

However, questions about extramarital affairs dogged the charismatic candidate. One of the great myths is that Senator Hart challenged the media to 'put a tail' on him. In actuality, the Miami Herald had received an anonymous tip from a friend of Donna Rice's that Rice was involved with Hart. It was only after Hart had been discovered that the Herald reporters found Hart's quote in a copy of The New York Times Magazine. On May 8, 1987, a week after the Donna Rice story broke, Hart dropped out of the race. In December 1987, Hart returned to the race. However, the damage had been done.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts had been considered a potential candidate, but he ruled himself out of the 1988 campaign in the fall of 1985. Two other politicians mentioned as possible candidates, both from Arkansas, didn't join the race: Senator Dale Bumpers and Governor (and future President) Bill Clinton (Clinton said in 2007 he changed his mind the day before he was to announce a run).

Joseph Biden's campaign also ended in controversy after the Delaware Senator was accused of plagiarizing a speech by Neil Kinnock, then-leader of the British Labour Party. Though Biden had correctly credited the original author in all speeches but one, the one where he failed to make mention of the originator was caught on video and sent to the press by members of the Dukakis campaign. In the video Biden is filmed repeating a stump speech by Kinnock, with only minor modifications. Allegations were also leaked to the press that Biden had been guilty of plagiarism years before, in law school. Though Biden professed his integrity, the impression lingering in the media as the result of this double punch would lead him to drop out of the race. Dukakis later acknowledged that his campaign was responsible for leaking the tape, and two members of his staff resigned. The Delaware Supreme Court's Board on Professional Responsibility would later clear Biden of the law school plagiarism charges.^[2]

In the Iowa caucuses, Gephardt finished first, Simon finished second, and Dukakis finished third. In the New Hampshire primary, Dukakis finished first, Gephardt finished second, and Simon finished third. Dukakis and Gore campaigned hard against Gephardt with negative ads, and eventually the United Auto Workers retracted their endorsement of Gephardt, who was heavily dependent on labor union backing.

In the Super Tuesday races, Dukakis won six primaries, Gore five, Jackson five and Gephardt one, with Gore and Jackson splitting the southern states. The next week, Simon won Illinois. 1988 remains the race with the most candidates winning primaries since the McGovern reforms of 1971. Dukakis eventually emerged as the winner, with Gore's effort to paint Dukakis as too liberal for the general election being unsuccessful and causing him to withdraw. Jackson focused more on getting enough delegates to make sure African-American interests were represented in the platform than on winning.^[3]

Candidates

• Michael Dukakis, governor of Massachusetts^[4]
• Jesse Jackson, reverend and civil rights leader from South Carolina^[5]
• Al Gore, U.S. senator from Tennessee^[6]
• Dick Gephardt, U.S. representative from Missouri^[7]
• Paul Simon, U.S. senator from Illinois^[8]
• Gary Hart, former U.S. senator from Colorado^[9]
• Bruce Babbitt, former governor of Arizona^[10]
• Joe Biden, U.S. senator from Delaware^[11]
• Lyndon LaRouche, activist from Virginia^[12]
• David Duke, activist from Louisiana^[13]
• James Traficant, U.S. representative from Ohio^[14]
• Douglas Applegate, U.S. representative from Ohio^[15]
• Andy Martin, perennial candidate from Connecticut^[16]

Candidates gallery

• 

  Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts

• 

  Reverend Jesse Jackson of South Carolina (campaign)

• 

  Senator Al Gore of Tennessee (campaign)

• 

  Representative Dick Gephardt of Missouri

• 

  Senator Paul Simon of Illinois

• 

  Former Senator Gary Hart of Colorado

• 

  Former Governor Bruce Babbitt of Arizona

• 

  Senator Joe Biden of Delaware (campaign)

• 

  Lyndon LaRouche of Virginia

• 

  David Duke of Louisiana

• 

  Representative Jim Traficant of Ohio

• 

  Andy Martin of Connecticut

Potential candidates who did not run

• 

  Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey

• 

  Senator Dale Bumpers of Arkansas

• 

  Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas

• 

  Governor Mario Cuomo of New York

• 

  Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts

• 

  Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia

Total popular vote results

Total popular vote results from primaries and caucuses^[17]:

• Michael Dukakis - 9,898,750 (42.46%)
• Jesse Jackson - 6,788,991 (29.12%)
• Al Gore - 3,185,806 (13.67%)
• Dick Gephardt - 1,399,041 (6.00%)
• Paul M. Simon - 1,082,960 (4.65%)
• Gary Hart - 415,716 (1.78%)
• Unpledged delegates - 250,307 (1.07%)
• Bruce Babbitt - 77,780 (0.33%)
• Lyndon LaRouche - 70,938 (0.30%)
• David Duke - 45,289 (0.19%)
• James Traficant - 30,879 (0.13%)
• Douglas Applegate - 25,068 (0.11%)

Convention and general election

Main articles: 1988 Democratic National Convention and United States presidential election, 1988

The Democratic Party Convention was held in Atlanta, Georgia, July 18–21. The Dukakis nominating speech delivered by Arkansas governor Bill Clinton was widely criticized as too long and tedious.^[18]

Texas State Treasurer Ann Richards (who two years later became the state governor) delivered a memorable keynote address in which she uttered the lines "Poor George [Bush], he can't help it, he was born with a silver foot in his mouth." Six years later, Bush's son George W. Bush would deny Richards re-election as Texas Governor.

With most candidates having withdrawn and asking their delegates to vote for Dukakis, the tally for president was as follows^[19]:

• Michael Dukakis - 2,877 (70.09%)
• Jesse Jackson - 1,219 (29.70%)
• Richard Stallings - 3 (0.07%)
• Joe Biden - 2 (0.05%)
• Dick Gephardt - 2 (0.05%)
• Lloyd Bentsen - 1 (0.02%)
• Gary Hart - 1 (0.02%)

Jesse Jackson's campaign believed that since they had come in a respectable second, Jackson was entitled to the vice presidential spot. Dukakis refused, and gave the spot to Lloyd Bentsen.

Bentsen was selected in large part to secure the state of Texas and its large electoral vote for the Democrats. Because of Bentsen's status as something of an elder statesman who was more experienced in electoral politics, many^[who?] believed Dukakis' selection of Bentsen as his running mate was a mistake in that Bentsen, number two on the ticket, appeared more "presidential" than did Dukakis. During the vice-presidential debate, Republican candidate and Senator Dan Quayle ignored a head-on confrontation with Bentsen (aside from the "Jack Kennedy" comparison) and spent his time attacking Dukakis.

See also

• Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 1988

References

1. ^ "Long shots crowd Republican 2012 field". The Politico. February 10, 2011. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/49203.html#ixzz1DZsJRhUh. 
2. ^ "Professional Board Clears Biden In Two Allegations of Plagiarism". The New York Times: p. 29. 1989-05-29. 
3. ^ Williams, Juan (1988-07-17). "Waiting for The Jackson Reaction; Will Jesse End His Crusade With a Bang or a Whimper?". The Washington Post: p. C1. 
4. ^ "Dukakis announces bid for presidential nomination". The Milwaukee Sentinel. April 30, 1987. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rI5QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hxIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4542,7945718&dq=dukakis+announces&hl=en. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
5. ^ Mattiace, Peter (September 8, 1987). "Jesse Jackson announces plan to seek nomination". Gettysburg Times. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LMElAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qvwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1944,5920744&dq=jesse+jackson+announces&hl=en. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
6. ^ "Sen. Gore announces presidential aspiration". Bangor Daily News. April 12, 1987. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4q1JAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pQ4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=7016,1631410&dq=al+gore+announces&hl=en. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
7. ^ "Gephardt Announces Bid For White House". The Dispatch. February 23, 1987. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=m44bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3VEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4320,5734439&dq=dick+gephardt+announces&hl=en. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
8. ^ "Sen. Simon announces candidacy". The Lewiston Daily Sun. April 10, 1987. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SjspAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cmUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3173,1888124&dq=al+gore+announces&hl=en. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
9. ^ "Gary Hart announces he will seek the presidency in 1988". The Fort Scott Tribune. April 13, 1987. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZP8fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MAYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4910,4333290&dq=gary+hart+announces&hl=en. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
10. ^ Gailey, Phil (8 January 1987). "BABBITT OF ARIZONA FIRST DEMOCRAT TO FORM KEY PRESIDENTIAL GROUP". The New York Times: p. 24. http://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/08/us/babbitt-of-arizona-first-democrat-to-form-key-presidential-group.html. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
11. ^ "Sen. Biden announces candidacy". The Milwaukee Journal. June 9, 1987. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oV0aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8yoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5986,167224&dq=biden+announces&hl=en. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
12. ^ "LaRouche announces candidacy". Eugene Register-Guard. January 27, 1987. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZCgzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=feEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2541,5939742&dq=larouche+announces&hl=en. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
13. ^ "Former Klan leader announces bid". Spokane Chronicle. June 9, 1987. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=woZOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7_oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1841,1553457&dq=duke+announces&hl=en. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
14. ^ Wilkinson, D.A. (December 4, 1987). "Traficant hat tossed into ring". The Vindicator. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B84_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=61cMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3639,1284676&dq=traficant+announces&hl=en. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
15. ^ "Applegate To Run As Favorite Son". Portsmouth Daily Times. November 24, 1987. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nJA_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=r1UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5474,1827674&dq=douglas+applegate&hl=en. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
16. ^ "Man causes Statehouse Stir". The Day. May 8, 1987. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hiAiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KnIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4418,1973583&dq=anthony+martin-trigona&hl=en. Retrieved 11 July 2011. 
17. ^ Our Campaigns - US President - D Primaries Race - Feb 01, 1988
18. ^ Brummert, John (1988-07-22). "I just fell on my sword". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. 
19. ^ Our Campaigns - US President - D Convention Race - Jul 18, 1988