| ‹ 1984 | ||||
| United States presidential election, 1988 | ||||
| 8 November 1988 | ||||
| Nominee | George H. W. Bush | Michael Dukakis | ||
| Party | Republican | Democratic | ||
| Home state | Texas | Massachusetts | ||
| Running mate | Dan Quayle | Lloyd Bentsen | ||
| Electoral vote | 426 | 111 | ||
| States carried | 40 | 10+D. The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate and former Vice President The United States presidential elections of 1992 featured a battle between incumbent President, Republican George H Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 Michael Stanley Dukakis (born November 3, 1933) is an American Democratic politician former Governor of Massachusetts, and was the Democratic The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. James Danforth "Dan" Quayle (born February 4 1947 is an American politician and a former Senator from the state of Indiana. Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr ( February 11 1921 – May 23 2006) was a four-term United States senator (1971 until 1993 from Texas C. | ||
| Popular vote | 48,886,597 | 41,809,476 | ||
| Percentage | 53. 4% | 45. 6% | ||
Presidential election results map. Red denotes states won by Bush/Quayle, Blue denotes those won by Dukakis/Bentsen. Light grey is the electoral vote for Lloyd Bentsen (and Dukakis for V. P. ) by a West Virginia faithless elector. West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Faithless electors are members of the Electoral College who do not cast their electoral votes for the people they have pledged to vote for Numbers indicate the number of electoral votes allotted to each state. | ||||
The United States presidential election of 1988 featured an open primary for both major parties. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 Ronald Reagan, the incumbent President, was vacating the position after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the Twenty-second Amendment. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The Twenty-second Amendment ( Amendment XXII) of the United States Constitution sets a Term limit for the President of the United States. Reagan's Vice President, George Bush, won the Republican nomination, while the Democrats nominated Michael Dukakis, Governor of Massachusetts. The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Michael Stanley Dukakis (born November 3, 1933) is an American Democratic politician former Governor of Massachusetts, and was the Democratic The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. Bush capitalized on Reagan's popularity while Dukakis's campaign suffered from several miscues; the result was a third consecutive lopsided Republican presidential election victory.
Contents |
In the 1984 presidential election the Democrats had nominated Walter Mondale, a traditional New Deal-type liberal as their candidate. The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate and former Vice President Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (born January 5, 1928) is an American politician and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party The New Deal was the name that United States President Franklin D When Mondale was defeated in a landslide, party leaders became eager to find a new approach to win the presidency. After Reagan's image was tarnished in the Iran-Contra scandal, and after the Democrats won back control of the Senate in the 1986 congressional elections, the party's leaders felt more optimistic about winning the Presidency in 1988. The Iran-Contra affair was a political scandal which was revealed in November 1986 as a result of earlier events during the Reagan administration.
One goal of the party was to find a new, fresh candidate who could move beyond the traditional New Deal-Great Society ideas of the past and offer a new image of the Democrats to the public. To this end party leaders tried to recruit the New York Governor, Mario Cuomo, to be a candidate. The Governor of New York is the head of the Executive branch of New York 's government and the Commander-in-chief of the state's military Mario Matthew Cuomo (born Queens New York, June 15, 1932) served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994 Cuomo had impressed many Democrats with his stirring keynote speech at the 1984 Democratic Convention, and they believed that he would be a strong candidate. However, Cuomo chose not to run. As a result, the Democratic frontrunner for most of 1987 was former Colorado Senator Gary Hart. For the football player see Gary Hart (footballer. Gary Hart (born Gary Warren Hartpence, November 28, 1936 He had made a strong showing in the 1984 presidential election, and after Mondale's defeat had positioned himself as the moderate centrist many Democrats felt their party would need to win. The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate and former Vice President
However, questions and rumors about possible extramarital affairs dogged Hart's campaign. One of the great myths is that Senator Hart challenged the media to 'put a tail' on him. Mass media are the means through which information is transmitted to a large audience In fact, Hart had told reporters from The New York Times who questioned him about these rumors that, if they followed him around, they would "be bored". However, in a separate investigation, the Miami Herald had received an anonymous tip from a friend of Donna Rice's that Rice was involved with Hart. The Miami Herald is a daily Newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered in Downtown Miami Florida. Donna Rice Hughes (born January 7, 1958) was a figure in the 1987 Sex scandal that ended the second presidential campaign 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. After the Herald's findings were publicized, many other media outlets picked up the story and Hart's ratings in the polls plummeted. On May 8, 1987, a week after the Donna Rice story broke, Hart dropped out of the race. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) In December of 1987, Hart surprised many political pundits by resuming his presidential campaign. However, the allegations of adultery had delivered a fatal blow to his candidacy, and he did poorly in the primaries before dropping out again. Adultery is the voluntary Sexual intercourse between a married person and another person who is not his or her Spouse, though in many places it is
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. Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (born February 22 1932 is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) 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, he felt that he wasn't ready for the Presidency in 1988, and that he would wait until 1992 or 1996 before trying). Dale Leon Bumpers (born 12 August 1925) is an American Politician who served as Governor of Arkansas from 1971 to 1975 and then in the The Governor of the State of Arkansas is the chief executive of the state and Commander-in-chief of its military forces. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States [1] Among the field of candidates were the following:
Former Governor Bruce Babbitt of Arizona | |||
Reverend Jesse Jackson of Illinois, a civil rights activist | |||
Representative Patricia Schroeder of Colorado | Senator Paul Martin Simon of Illinois |
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. The Governor of Arizona is the head of the Executive branch of Arizona 's government and the Commander-in-chief of the state's military forces Bruce Edward Babbitt (born June 27, 1938) a Democrat, served as United States Secretary of the Interior and as Governor of Arizona The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Delaware ( is a state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. Michael Stanley Dukakis (born November 3, 1933) is an American Democratic politician former Governor of Massachusetts, and was the Democratic The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. David Ernest Duke (born July 1, 1950) is a former Louisiana State Representative, a Candidate in Presidential primaries for the The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Richard Andrew "Dick" Gephardt (born January 31, 1941) is a former prominent American politician of the Democratic Party. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Albert Arnold Gore Jr (born March 31 1948 is an American environmental Activist, author Businessperson, former Politician, and former Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. For the football player see Gary Hart (footballer. Gary Hart (born Gary Warren Hartpence, November 28, 1936 The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr (born October 8 1941 is an American Civil rights activist and Baptist minister. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Patricia Nell Scott Schroeder popularly known as Pat Schroeder (born July 30, 1940) American politician, was a Democratic The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. Paul Martin Simon ( November 29, 1928 &ndash December 9, 2003) was an American politician from Illinois. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Plagiarism is the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work Neil Gordon Kinnock Baron Kinnock PC (born 28 March 1942 is a British Politician. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the 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. In the video Biden is filmed repeating a stump speech by Kinnock, with only minor modifications. This would lead him to drop out of the race. Dukakis later revealed 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. The Supreme Court of Delaware is the sole Appellate court in the United States ' state of Delaware. [2]
After Hart withdrew from the race, no clear frontrunner emerged before the primaries and caucuses began. In the Iowa caucuses, Richard Gephardt, the House Majority Leader, came in first place; that had been expected since he came from next-door Missouri. The Iowa caucuses are an electoral event in which residents of the U Richard Andrew "Dick" Gephardt (born January 31, 1941) is a former prominent American politician of the Democratic Party. Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door (private Caucus. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee However, Illinois Senator Paul M. Simon finished a surprising second, and Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis finished third. Paul Martin Simon ( November 29, 1928 &ndash December 9, 2003) was an American politician from Illinois. Michael Stanley Dukakis (born November 3, 1933) is an American Democratic politician former Governor of Massachusetts, and was the Democratic In the New Hampshire primary, Dukakis came in first place, Gephardt fell to second, and Simon came in third. The New Hampshire primary is the first in a series of nationwide Political party Primary elections held in the United States every four years as part of In an effort to weaken Gephardt's candidacy, both Dukakis and Tennessee Senator Al Gore ran negative television ads against Gephardt. Albert Arnold Gore Jr (born March 31 1948 is an American environmental Activist, author Businessperson, former Politician, and former The ads convinced the United Auto Workers, which had endorsed Gephardt, to withdraw their endorsement; this crippled Gephardt, as he relied heavily on the support of labor unions. Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The United Automobile Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America International A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming
In the Super Tuesday races, Dukakis won six primaries, to Gore's five, Jesse Jackson five and Gephardt one, with Gore and Jackson splitting the Southern states. In the United States Super Tuesday, in general refers to the Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold Jesse Louis Jackson Sr (born October 8 1941 is an American Civil rights activist and Baptist minister. The next week, Simon won Illinois. 1988 remains the race with the most candidates winning primaries since the McGovern reforms of 1971. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. However, thanks to his successes on Super Tuesday, Dukakis was dubbed the frontrunner by most political pundits. Dukakis' advantage was that he drew support from all sections of the nation, while most of the other candidates' support was limited to their native regions. Eventually the other candidates withdrew as it became clear that they could not win enough delegates to challenge Dukakis' growing lead. The only candidate who did not withdraw before the Democratic Convention was Jesse Jackson; he remained in the race to ensure that the interests of African-Americans would be represented at the convention and in the party platform. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa [3]
Michael Dukakis
Jesse Jackson
Dick Gephardt'
| Al Gore
|
The Democratic Party Convention was held in Atlanta, Georgia from July 18 - 21. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee John David Dingell Jr (born in Colorado Springs Colorado, July 8, 1926) is a Democratic United States Representative from Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. Michael Jay Andrews (born July 9, 1943 in Los Angeles California) is a former Major League Baseball Second baseman who played Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Albert Garza Bustamante (born April 8, 1935) is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Solomon Porfirio Ortiz (born June 3, 1937 in Robstown, Texas) is an American politician from the State of Texas who currently Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. John Wiley Bryant (born February 22, 1947) is a Texas politician who represented Texas's 5th congressional district in the 98th to 104th Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Samuel Augustus Nunn Jr (born September 8, 1938) is an American Lawyer and Politician. The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule James Terry Sanford (August 20 1917 – April 18 1998 was a United States politician and educator from North Carolina. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States John Bennett Johnston Jr (born June 10, 1932) is a Washington D The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America David Lyle Boren (born April 21, 1941) is an American politician from the state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. Colonial period (French and Spanish governors See also List of colonial governors of Louisiana United States territorial period Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer III (born October 4, 1943) is a former Governor of Louisiana, having served from 1988 to 1992 The Governor of North Carolina is the top executive of the government of the U James Baxter Hunt Jr (born May 16, 1937 in Wilson NC) is a former four-term Democratic Governor of the U The Mayor of New York City is the head of the executive branch of the Government of New York City. Edward Irving Koch (born December 12, 1924;) was a United States Congressman from 1969 to 1977 and the Mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989 This is a List of Lieutenant Governors of the US state of Alabama, 1868 to present James Elisha Folsom Jr (born 14 May, 1949) is an American Democratic Politician who was the governor of Alabama This is a List of Lieutenant Governors of the US state of Alabama, 1868 to present William Joseph Baxley II (born June 27 1941) is an American Democratic politician and attorney The Georgia House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state Legislature) of Georgia Thomas, Thom, Tom, Tommy or Tommie Murphy may refer to Government military law business and clergy The Alabama House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U James S Clark of Eufala, Barbour County Alabama, served as the Mayor of the City of Eufaula from 1976 to 1978 and served four consecutive terms in the Senate of The Texas House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Texas Legislature. James Richard "Rick" Perry (born March 4, 1950) is a Republican Politician and the current Governor of Texas The Alabama Senate is the Upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U Ryan DeGraffenried Sr William Ryan deGraffenried Jr (born 1950 &ndash died December 7 2006) was an American Politician who served as President The 1988 National Convention of the US Democratic Party was held at The Omni in Atlanta Georgia from July 18 &ndash July In his first major national speech, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton placed Dukakis' name in nomination. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States The speech lasted for so long that some delegates began booing to get him to finish. [16]
The most memorable speech given at the Democratic Convention was by Texas State Treasurer Ann Richards, who two years later became the state governor. This article is about the American politician/teacher for the Australian-American actress see Ann Richards (actress. Governors of Texas Richards uttered the famous line: "Poor George [Bush], he can't help it, he was born with a silver foot in his mouth. " Six years later, Bush's son and future President George W. Bush would defeat Richards in her re-election campaign for Texas Governor. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States.
With only Jackson remaining as an active candidate to oppose Dukakis, the tally for president was:
Jesse Jackson's advisors said that since their candidate had finished in second place, he was entitled to the vice presidential spot. Michael Stanley Dukakis (born November 3, 1933) is an American Democratic politician former Governor of Massachusetts, and was the Democratic Jesse Louis Jackson Sr (born October 8 1941 is an American Civil rights activist and Baptist minister. Richard Andrew "Dick" Gephardt (born January 31, 1941) is a former prominent American politician of the Democratic Party. For the football player see Gary Hart (footballer. Gary Hart (born Gary Warren Hartpence, November 28, 1936 Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr ( February 11 1921 – May 23 2006) was a four-term United States senator (1971 until 1993 from Texas Jesse Louis Jackson Sr (born October 8 1941 is an American Civil rights activist and Baptist minister. Dukakis refused, and instead selected Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas. Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr ( February 11 1921 – May 23 2006) was a four-term United States senator (1971 until 1993 from Texas Bentsen's selection led many in the media to dub the ticket as the "Boston-Austin" axis, and to compare it to the more famous pairing of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson in the 1960 presidential campaign. John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of Like Dukakis and Bentsen, Kennedy had been from Massachusetts and Johnson from Texas.
Bentsen was selected in large part to help win the large electoral vote of the state of Texas. Because of Bentsen's status as an elder statesman, more experienced in elected politics, some Democrats believed that Dukakis' selection of Bentsen as his running mate was a mistake; they noted that Bentsen, although only the vice-presidential candidate, 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. James Danforth "Dan" Quayle (born February 4 1947 is an American politician and a former Senator from the state of Indiana. " Senator you're no Jack Kennedy " was a phrase spoken during the 1988 United States vice-presidential Debate by Democratic
Vice President George H. W. Bush had the support of President Ronald Reagan, and pledged to continue Reagan's policies, but also pledged a "kinder and gentler nation" in an attempt to win over some more moderate voters. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993
Bush had several challengers for the nomination. Among them were:
Former Governor Pierre S. du Pont, IV of Delaware | RNHA chairman Ben Fernandez of California | Former Secretary of State Alexander Haig | |
Former Senator Paul Laxalt of Nevada | Televangelist Pat Robertson of Virginia | Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld of Illinois | |
Former Governor Harold E. Stassen of Minnesota |
Bush unexpectedly came in third in the Iowa caucus, which he had won in 1980, behind Dole and Robertson. The Senate Majority and Minority Leaders (also called Senate Floor Leaders) are two United States Senators who are elected by the party conferences Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole (born July 22 1923 is an attorney and retired United States Senator from Kansas from 1969–1996 serving part of that time Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " The Governor of Delaware is the executive officer of the US state of Delaware. Pierre Samuel "Pete" du Pont IV (born January 22 1935) is an American Lawyer and Politician from Delaware Delaware ( is a state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Benjamin “Ben” Fernandez (February 24 1925 - April 25 2000 was an American Politician, financial consultant World War II veteran ambassador California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs Alexander Meigs Haig Jr (born December 2 1924 is a retired four-star General in the United States Army who served as the U The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Jack French Kemp Jr (born July 13 1935 is an American politician and former professional American football player New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Paul Dominique Laxalt (born August 2, 1922) was a Republican Governor and U Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22 1930 is a controversial Televangelist from the United States. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state The United States Secretary of Defense ( SECDEF) is the head of the U Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9 1932 is a United States Businessman, Politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the US state of Minnesota, leading the state's Executive branch. Harold Edward Stassen ( April 13, 1907 March 4, 2001) was the 25th Governor of Minnesota from 1939 to 1943 and a later Perennial Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers The Iowa caucuses are an electoral event in which residents of the U Dole was also leading in the polls of the New Hampshire primary, and the Bush camp responded by running television commercials portraying Dole as a tax raiser, while Governor John H. Sununu campaigned for Bush. The New Hampshire primary is the first in a series of nationwide Political party Primary elections held in the United States every four years as part of John Henry Sununu (born July 2, 1939 in Havana Cuba is a former Governor of New Hampshire (1983–89 and former White House Chief Bush won, gaining crucial momentum. Dole was bitter about his defeat in New Hampshire, going on TV to tell Bush to "stop lying about my record. "[17]
Once the multiple-state primaries such as Super Tuesday began, Bush's organizational strength and fund raising lead were impossible for the other candidates to match, and the nomination was his. The Republican party convention was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Bush was nominated unanimously. Bush selected U. S. Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana as his running mate. James Danforth "Dan" Quayle (born February 4 1947 is an American politician and a former Senator from the state of Indiana. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union
In his acceptance speech, Bush made an energetic pledge, "Read my lips: No new taxes", a comment that would come to haunt him in the 1992 elections. " Read my lips no new taxes " is a now-famous phrase spoken by former American president and candidate George H
George H. W. Bush
Bob Dole
Jack Kemp
During the election, the Bush campaign sought to portray Governor Dukakis as a "Massachusetts liberal" who was unreasonably left-wing. Massachusetts liberal is a phrase that in American politics is generally used as a political epithet by Republicans against Democrats who are from the state Dukakis was attacked for such positions as opposing mandatory recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools, and being a "card carrying member of the ACLU" (a statement Dukakis made himself early in the primary campaign). History The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931 a Baptist minister a Christian Socialist, and the cousin of Socialist Utopian The American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU) consists of two separate Non-profit organizations the ACLU Foundation a 501(c(3 organization which focuses Dukakis responded by saying that he was a "proud liberal" and that the phrase should not be a bad word in America. The Dukakis camp tried to tie Bush to some of the recent scandals of the Reagan Administration, such as Iran-Contra, and argued that Republicans were too hawkish on foreign policy. The Iran-Contra affair was a political scandal which was revealed in November 1986 as a result of earlier events during the Reagan administration.
Governor Dukakis attempted to quell criticism that he was ignorant on military matters by staging a photo op in which he rode in an M1 Abrams tank outside a General Dynamics plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan. A photo op (sometimes written as photo opp) short for photograph opportunity ( photo opportunity) originally referred to an opportunity that resulted in The M1 Abrams is a main battle tank produced in the United States. General Dynamics Corporation ( is a defense conglomerate formed by Mergers and Divestitures and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest Defense contractor Sterling Heights (sometimes referred to as The Heights) is a city in Macomb County of the U [23] The move ended up being a massive public relations blunder, with many mocking Dukakis's appearance as he stuck his smiling, helmeted head out one of the tank's hatches to wave to the crowd. Footage of Dukakis was used by the Bush campaign as evidence he would not make a good commander-in-chief, and "Dukakis in the tank"--or the "Snoopy Incident"--remains shorthand for backfired public relations outings. Snoopy is a Fictional character in the long-running Comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M [24]
One reason for Bush's choice of running mate, Senator Dan Quayle, was to appeal to a younger generation of Americans. James Danforth "Dan" Quayle (born February 4 1947 is an American politician and a former Senator from the state of Indiana. Quayle's good looks were praised by Senator John McCain: "I can't believe a guy that handsome wouldn't have some impact. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives "[25] Quayle was not a seasoned politician, however, and made a number of embarrassing statements. The Dukakis team attacked Quayle's credentials, saying he was dangerously inexperienced to be first-in-line to the presidency. [26]
During the Vice Presidential debate, Quayle attempted to dispel such allegations by comparing his experience with that of former Senator John F. Kennedy, who had also been a young political rookie when running for the presidency. John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of During the Vice Presidential debate, Quayle said, "I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency. " (Kennedy had served fourteen years in Congress to Quayle's twelve. ) Dukakis' running mate, Lloyd Bentsen, responded, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr ( February 11 1921 – May 23 2006) was a four-term United States senator (1971 until 1993 from Texas I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy. " Senator you're no Jack Kennedy " was a phrase spoken during the 1988 United States vice-presidential Debate by Democratic "[27]
Quayle responded, "That was really uncalled for, Senator," to which Bentsen said, "You are the one that was making the comparison, Senator, and I'm one who knew him well. And frankly I think you are so far apart in the objectives you choose for your country that I did not think the comparison was well-taken. "
Quayle's reaction to Bentsen's comment was played and replayed by the Democrats in subsequent television ads as an announcer intoned: "Quayle: just a heartbeat away. " Despite much press about the Kennedy comments, this did not reduce the Bush-Quayle lead in the polls. Quayle had sought to use the debate to criticize Dukakis as too liberal rather than go point for point with the more seasoned Bentsen. Bentsen's attempts to defend Dukakis received little recognition, with greater attention on the Kennedy comparison.
Dukakis' campaign suffered a setback when staff member Donna Brazile resigned after she spread rumors that Bush was having an extramarital affair with Jennifer Fitzgerald, who had been his secretary throughout the 1970s (the relationship of George H. Donna Brazile (born December 15, 1959) is an American Author, Educator, and political activist and strategist affiliated with Jennifer Fitzgerald (born Jennifer Ann Isobel Patteson-Knight in 1932 is a British -born retired U W. Bush and Jennifer Fitzgerald would be briefly rehashed during the 1992 campaign). [28][29]
Dukakis was badly hurt by the Republican "Willie Horton", "Revolving Door" and "Boston Harbor" campaign ads, which attacked the governor's failure to clean up environmental pollution in the harbor. "Revolving Door" is a famous negative television commercial made for the 1988 United States Presidential Campaign. Dukakis was a supporter of a state prison furlough program, which had begun before he was governor. The program had resulted in the release (furlough) of convicted murderer Willie Horton, who then committed a rape and assault in Maryland. William R Horton (born August 12, 1951 in Chesterfield, South Carolina) is a convicted Felon who was the subject of a Massachusetts As Governor, Dukakis had actually vetoed a 1976 plan to bar inmates convicted of first-degree murder from the furlough program. The program was abolished by the state legislature in April 1988 after public outcry over the Willie Horton case.
A number of false rumors were reported in the media about Dukakis, including the claim by Idaho Republican Senator Steve Symms that Dukakis's wife Kitty had burned an American flag to protest the Vietnam War, as well as the claim that Dukakis himself had been treated for a mental illness. Steven Douglas Symms (born April 23 1938 in Nampa, Idaho) was a four-term congressman (1973–81 and two-term U Katharine Dickson Dukakis (born December 26, 1936) known as Kitty Dukakis, is the wife of former Massachusetts governor and U The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Lee Atwater was accused of having floated these rumors. Harvey Leroy "Lee" Atwater ( February 27, 1951 &ndash March 29, 1991) was an [30]
Although Dukakis did well in the first presidential debate, Bush seemed to score a triumph in the second debate, with a Gallup Poll giving him a 49-43 lead. The Gallup Poll is the division of Gallup that regularly conducts public Opinion polls in the United States and more than 140 countries around the world [31] Before the second debate, Dukakis had been suffering from the flu and spent quite a bit of the day in bed. His performance was poor and played to his reputation as being intellectually cold. The most memorable moment came when reporter Bernard Shaw asked Dukakis whether he would support the death penalty if his wife were raped and murdered. Bernard Shaw (born May 22 1940 is an American journalist and former News anchor for CNN from 1980 until his retirement in March 2001 Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. Dukakis's answer discussed the statistical ineffectiveness of capital punishment. Several commentators thought the question itself was unfair, in that it injected an irrelevant emotional element into the discussion of a policy issue, but many observers felt Dukakis' answer lacked the normal emotions one would expect of a person asked about a loved one's rape and death. [32] Tom Brokaw of NBC reported on his October 14 newscast: "The consensus tonight is that Vice President George Bush won last night's debate and made it all the harder for Governor Michael Dukakis to catch and pass him in the 25 days remaining. Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw (born February 6, 1940) is an American Television Journalist and Author, and Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces In all of the Friday morning quarterbacking, there was common agreement that Dukakis failed to seize the debate and make it his night. "
The election on November 8, 1988 was a majority for Bush in the popular vote and a lopsided majority (40 states) in the Electoral College. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar)
Bush performed very strongly among suburban voters, perhaps owing to his campaign themes of law and order, punctuated by his criticisms of the Massachusetts furlough program. This was a boon in several swing states. In Illinois, Bush won 69% in DuPage County and 63% out of Lake County, suburban areas which adjoin Chicago's Cook County. DuPage County is a county located in the US state of Illinois. Lake County is the farthest north-east County in the US state of Illinois. In Pennsylvania, Bush swept the group of suburban counties that surround Philadelphia, including Bucks, Delaware, Chester, and Montgomery. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Bush also won most of the counties in Maryland, perhaps fallout from the fact that Willie Horton committed his infamous criminal acts there. New Jersey, known at the time for its many suburban voters and its moderate Republicanism, went easily for Bush; Bush also gained victory for attacking Dukakis' furlough program he had while he was Governor of Massachusetts [1], though Dukakis still maintained popularity in Massachusetts. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. ˈfɝloʊ}} is a temporary leave of absence especially from duty in the [[armed services]] or from a [[prison]] term
Contrary to the suburbs was the decrease among rural counties, easily falling below the support they gave Reagan in 1980 and 1984. In Illinois, Bush lost a number of downstate counties that previously went for Reagan. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. He lost the state of Iowa by a surprisingly wide margin, losing counties all across the state even in traditionally Republican areas. The State of Iowa ( is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. The rural state of West Virginia remained handily in the Democratic column. West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Bush also performed weaker in the northern counties of Missouri, making the state a close win. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Three typically solid Republican states, Kansas, South Dakota, and Montana, came much closer than usual. Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " South Dakota ( is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern The farm states had fared poorly during farm recession of the 1980s. It is not surprising that the Democrat Dukakis was the beneficiary of these farm problems in America's heartland.
Bush's greatest area of strength was in the south, winning most states by wide margins. He also performed very well in the northeast, winning Maine (where he had a residence), New Hampshire (at the time a Republican stronghold), Vermont (at the time a bastion of moderate Republicanism), and Connecticut (where his father had been a senator). The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean New Hampshire ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Bush lost New York by a margin of just over 4 percent. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous He also won Delaware, at the time a swing state. Delaware ( is a state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Despite the presence of Lloyd Bentsen on the Democratic ticket (and other Texans getting prominent roles at the Democratic convention), Bush won the Lone Star State by a convincing margin. He lost the Pacific northwestern states but kept California in the Republican column for the sixth straight time, albeit very narrowly. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.
Although his victory was not a landslide in the popular vote (though it was substantial), Bush in 1988 was the last Republican to carry certain states which have since gained a reputation as "blue states" that favor the Democratic Party in presidential elections. See also Electoral geography of the United States Red States and Blue States refer to those states of the United States of America These states are California, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Vermont, Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, Connecticut, Maine, and Michigan. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Delaware ( is a state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. New Mexico used to be in this category, but George W. Bush won it in 2004, making him the first Republican to carry it since 1988. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. His victory percentage--53. 4%--has not (as of 2008) been surpassed by any subsequent election, and he was the last to secure an absolute majority(>50. 0%) win at all until his son's 2004 victory. This may have been because the election of 1988 was the last one not to feature a consequential third party candidate until 2004.
Overall, Bush's relatively big win (at least in the electoral college) can be attributed to general satisfaction with the status quo in the country, giving the Republican Party its third consecutive presidential win. Reagan's popularity and Bush's position as Vice President did more to help his cause than any great dissatisfaction with Dukakis. Bush had essentially no coattails, and he came into office with a Democratic Congress angry and vindictive after the negative campaign he ran against Dukakis. Even though the Democrats lost their presidential bid, they were able to strengthen their majorities in Congress by 2 seats in the House and 1 seat in the Senate. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses
| Presidential Candidate | Party | Home State | Popular Vote | Electoral Vote | Running Mate | Running Mate's Home State | RM's Electoral Vote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | Pct | |||||||
| George H. W. Bush | Republican | Texas | 48,886,597 | 53. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. 4% | 426 | James Danforth Quayle | Indiana | 426 |
| Michael S. Dukakis | Democratic | Massachusetts | 41,809,476 | 45. James Danforth "Dan" Quayle (born February 4 1947 is an American politician and a former Senator from the state of Indiana. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union Michael Stanley Dukakis (born November 3, 1933) is an American Democratic politician former Governor of Massachusetts, and was the Democratic The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. 6% | 111 | Lloyd M. Bentsen | Texas | 111 |
| Lloyd M. Bentsen | Democratic | Texas | —(a) | —(a) | 1 | Michael S. Dukakis | Massachusetts | 1 |
| Ronald E. Paul | Libertarian | Pennsylvania | 431,750 | 0. Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr ( February 11 1921 – May 23 2006) was a four-term United States senator (1971 until 1993 from Texas Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr ( February 11 1921 – May 23 2006) was a four-term United States senator (1971 until 1993 from Texas The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Michael Stanley Dukakis (born November 3, 1933) is an American Democratic politician former Governor of Massachusetts, and was the Democratic The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The Libertarian Party is a United States political party founded on December 11 1971 The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern 5% | 0 | Andre V. Marrou | Alaska | 0 |
| Lenora Fulani | New Alliance | 217,221 | 0. Andre Verne Marrou (born December 4 1938) is an American political figure affiliated with the Libertarian Party. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Lenora Branch Fulani (b April 25, 1950, birth name Lenora Branch) is an American Psychologist, psychotherapist, and The New Alliance Party (NAP was an American political party formed in New York City in 1979 2% | 0 | —(b) | — | 0 | |
| Other | 249,642 | 0. 3% | – | Other | – | |||
| Total | 91,594,686 | 100 % | 538 | 538 | ||||
| Needed to win | 270 | 270 | ||||||
Source (Popular Vote): Leip, David. 1988 Presidential Election Results. Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections (August 7, 2005). Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Source (Electoral Vote): Electoral College Box Scores 1789–1996. Official website of the National Archives. (August 7, 2005). Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
(a) West Virginia faithless elector Margaret Leach voted for Bentsen as President and Dukakis as Vice President in order to make a statement against the U.S. Electoral College. West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Faithless electors are members of the Electoral College who do not cast their electoral votes for the people they have pledged to vote for The Electoral College consists of 538 popularly elected representatives who formally select the President and Vice President of the United States.
(b) Fulani's running mate varied from state to state. [33] Among the six vice presidential candidates were Joyce Dattner, Harold Moore,[34] and somebody with the last name of "Burke". Joyce Dattner is a US Life coach and works and resides in San Francisco, California. [35]
Red-colored states were won by Bush, blue by Dukakis.