Democratic Party presidential primaries, 1988

Democratic Party presidential primaries, 1988
February 8 to July 18, 1988

 
Candidate Michael Dukakis Jesse Jackson Al Gore
Home state Massachusetts South Carolina Tennessee
Delegate count 1,792 1,023 374
Contests won 30 13 7
Popular vote 10,024,101 6,941,816 3,190,992
Percentage 42.4% 29.4% 13.5%
 
Candidate Paul Simon Dick Gephardt
Home state Illinois Missouri
Delegate count 161 137
Contests won 1 3
Popular vote 1,107,692 1,452,331
Percentage 4.7% 6.1%
First place finishes by roll call vote
Previous Democratic nominee

Walter Mondale

 Democratic nominee

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. Massachusetts Governor 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. This is also the last time Illinois, Missouri, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana chose delegates for a candidate who did not win the nomination.

Primary race

Having been badly defeated in the 1984 presidential election, the Democrats in 1985 and 1986 were eager to find a new approach to win the presidency. They created the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC). They felt more optimistic this time due to the continuing Iran Contra scandal plus the large gains in the 1986 mid-term elections which resulted in the Democrats taking back control of the Senate after six years of Republican rule. They were looking for a young, inspiring candidate who could appeal to women, national security Democrats, and minorities. To this end party leaders tried to recruit the New York Governor, Mario Cuomo, to be a candidate. 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.[1] However, Cuomo chose not to run and as a result, the Democratic frontrunner for most of 1987 was former Colorado Senator Gary Hart.[2] 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.[3]

However, questions and rumors about possible extramarital affairs and about past debts dogged Hart's campaign.[4] One of the great myths is that Senator Hart challenged the media to "put a tail" on him and that reporters then took him up on that challenge. In fact, Hart had told E. J. Dionne 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 claimed to have received an anonymous tip from a friend of Donna Rice that Rice was involved with Hart. It was only after Hart had been discovered that the Herald reporters found Hart's quote in a pre-print of The New York Times Magazine.[5] On May 8, 1987, a week after the Donna Rice story broke, Hart dropped out of the race.[4]

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts had been considered a potential candidate, but he ruled himself out of the 1988 campaign in December 1985.[6] 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). The DLC dreamed of recruiting New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley, a Rhodes scholar and basketball star; Georgia senator Sam Nunn, with defense credentials; and New York Governor Mario Cuomo, who they hoped would grab the family values voters.

Joe 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.[7] 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.[8]

During the fall of 1987, Rep. Pat Schroeder briefly entered the race, which brought the number of candidates to eight and led to them being lampooned as "Snow White and the seven dwarfs".[9] In December 1987, Hart surprised many political pundits by resuming his presidential campaign.[10] He again led in the polls for the Democratic nomination, both nationally and in Iowa. However, the allegations of adultery and reports of irregularities in his campaign financing had delivered a fatal blow to his candidacy, and he fared poorly in the early primaries before dropping out again.[11]

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 is tied with 1992 as the race with the most candidates winning primaries since the McGovern reforms of 1971. Gore's effort to paint Dukakis as too liberal for the general election proved unsuccessful and he eventually withdrew. Jackson focused more on getting enough delegates to make sure African-American interests were represented in the platform than on winning outright.[12] Dukakis eventually emerged as the party's nominee.

Candidates

Potential candidates who did not run

Results

Statewide

Date State Michael Dukakis Jesse Jackson Al Gore Dick Gephardt Paul Simon Gary Hart Bruce Babbitt
February 8 Iowa caucus[13] 21% 11% 0% 28% 24% 1% 9%
February 16 New Hampshire[14] 37% 8% 7% 20% 17% 4% 5%
February 23 Minnesota[15] 33% 18% 1% 7% 22% 0% 0%
February 23 South Dakota[15] 30% 5% 9% 45% 6% 6% 0%
February 28 Maine primary[16] 42% 27% 2% 3% 4% 1% 0%
March 1 Vermont primary[17] 56% 26% 0% 8% 5% 4% 0%
March 5 Wyoming caucus[18] 26% 13% 27% 21% 3% 0% 0%
March 8 Alabama[19] 8% 44% 37% 7% 1% 2% 1%
March 8 Arkansas[20] 19% 17% 37% 12% 2% 4% 0%
March 8 Florida[21] 41% 20% 13% 14% 2% 3% 1%
March 8 Georgia[22] 16% 40% 33% 7% 1% 3% 1%
March 8 Hawaii caucus[23] 55% 35% 1% 2% 1% 0% 0%
March 8 Idaho caucus[24] 38% 19% 8% 4% 1% 0% 0%
March 8 Kentucky[25] 19% 16% 46% 9% 0% 0% 0%
March 8 Louisiana[26] 15% 35% 28% 11% 0% 0% 0%
March 8 Maryland[27] 46% 32% 9% 9% 3% 2% 1%
March 8 Massachusetts[28] 63% 17% 4% 9% 3% 0% 0%
March 8 Mississippi[29] 8% 45% 34% 5% 0% 4% 0%
March 8 Missouri[30] 12% 20% 3% 58% 4% 0% 0%
March 8 Nevada caucus[31] 26% 21% 35% 2% 1% 0% 0%
March 8 North Carolina[32] 20% 33% 35% 6% 1% 2% 1%
March 8 Oklahoma[33] 17% 13% 41% 21% 2% 3% 0%
March 8 Rhode Island[34] 70% 15% 4% 4% 3% 2% 1%
March 8 Tennessee[35] 3% 21% 72% 2% 1% 1% 0%
March 8 Texas[36] 33% 25% 20% 14% 2% 5% 1%
March 8 Virginia[37] 23% 45% 22% 4% 2% 2% 1%
March 8 Washington[38] 44% 35% 2% 1% 4% 0% 0%
March 8 American Samoa caucus[39] 39% 7% 0% 22% 0% 0% 0%
March 10 Alaska caucus[40] 31% 35% 2% 1% 1% 0% 0%
March 12 Colorado caucus[41] 43% 35% 3% 0% 0% 0% 0%
March 12 South Carolina[42] 6% 55% 17% 2% 0% 0% 0%
March 15 Illinois[43] 17% 33% 5% 2% 43% 0% 0%
March 19 Kansas caucus[44] 36% 31% 16% 2% 0% 0% 0%
March 20 Puerto Rico[45] 23% 35% 4% 18% 20% 0% 0%
March 24 Connecticut[46] 58% 28% 8% 0% 1% 2% 1%
March 26 Michigan caucus[47] 29% 54% 2% 13% 2% 0% 0%
April 5 Wisconsin[48] 47% 30% 17% 0% 5% 0% 0%
April 16 Arizona caucus[49] 54% 38% 5% 0% 1% 0% 0%
April 18 Delaware caucus[50] 27% 46% 2% 0% 0% 0% 0%
April 19 New York[51] 801,457 (50.88%) 585,076 (37.14%) 157,559 (10.00%) 0% 17,011 (1.08%) 0% 0%
April 25 Utah caucus[52] 72% 15% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
April 26 Pennsylvania[53] 66% 27% 3% 0% 1% 1% 0%
May 3 Indiana[54] 70% 22% 3% 3% 2% 0% 0%
May 3 Ohio[55] 63% 27% 2% 0% 1% 2% 0%
May 3 Washington, D.C.[56] 18% 80% 1% 0% 1% 0% 0%
May 10 Nebraska[57] 63% 26% 1% 3% 1% 3% 0%
May 10 West Virginia[58] 75% 13% 3% 2% 1% 3% 1%
May 17 Oregon[59] 57% 38% 1% 2% 1% 0% 0%
June 7 California[60] 61% 35% 2% 0% 1% 0% 0%
June 7 Montana[61] 69% 22% 2% 3% 1% 0% 0%
June 7 New Jersey[62] 63% 33% 3% 0% 0% 0% 0%
June 7 New Mexico[63] 61% 28% 3% 0% 2% 4% 2%
June 14 North Dakota[64] 85% 15% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Total popular vote results from primaries and caucuses:[65]

Convention and general election

The Democratic Party Convention was held in Atlanta, Georgia, July 18–21. The Dukakis nominating speech delivered by Arkansas governor and future president Bill Clinton was widely criticized as too long and tedious.[66]

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:[67]

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. 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

References

  1. ↑ Steve Neal for the Chicago Tribune. 26 April 1985. Democrats Think They See A Better Horse For `88 Race
  2. ↑ John Dillin for The Christian Science Monitor. 23 February 1987 Cuomo's `no' opens door for dark horses
  3. ↑ E. J. Dionne Jr. (May 3, 1987). "Gary Hart The Elusive Front-Runner". The New York Times, pg. SM28.
  4. 1 2 Johnston, David; King, Wayne; Nordheimer, Jon (1987-05-09). "Courting Danger: The Fall Of Gary Hart". The New York Times.
  5. ↑ "The Gary Hart Story: How It Happened". The Miami Herald. May 10, 1987.
  6. ↑ "Kennedy, Citing Senate Goals, Rules Out '88 Presidential Bid". The New York Times. December 20, 1985.
  7. ↑ "Biden Is Facing Growing Debate On His Speeches". The New York Times. September 16, 1987.
  8. ↑ "Professional Board Clears Biden In Two Allegations of Plagiarism". The New York Times. May 29, 1989. p. 29.
  9. ↑ Warren Weaver, Jr. for The New York Times. 29 September 1987 Schroeder, Assailing 'the System,' Decides Not to Run for President
  10. ↑ Bob Drogin for the Los Angeles Times. 16 December 1987 Hart Back in Race for President : Political World Stunned, Gives Him Little Chance
  11. ↑ Associated Press, in the Los Angeles Times. 13 March 1988 Quits Campaign : 'The People 'Have Decided,' Hart Declares
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ Robert S. Boyd; Susan Bennett (February 9, 1988). "Dole, Gephardt take Iowa". Google News Search Archive. Spartanburg, SC: Spartanburg Herald-Journal. pp. 1, 3. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  14. ↑ Robert S. Boyd; Susan Bennett (February 17, 1988). "Bush, Dukakis score big wins". Google News Search Archive. Spartanburg, SC: Spartanburg Herald-Journal. pp. 1, 4. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  15. 1 2 Robert S. Boyd; Susan Bennett (February 24, 1988). "Dole scores impressive victories". Google News Search Archive. Spartanburg, SC: Spartanburg Herald-Journal. pp. 1, 4. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  16. ↑ "Our Campaigns - ME US President - D Caucus Race - Feb. 28, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  17. ↑ "Vermont Elections Database (Search Elections)" (search results: 1976-2016). Vermont Secretary of State. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  18. ↑ "Our Campaigns - WY US President - D Caucus Race - Mar. 05, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  19. ↑ "Our Campaigns - AL US President - D Primary Race - Mar. 08, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  20. ↑ "Arkansas Primary Results" (PDF). U.S. Election Atlas (AtlasWiki). Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  21. ↑ "Florida Department of State (Election Results)" (search results: 1988 Presidential preference primary (Democratic party)). Florida Secretary of State. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  22. ↑ "Supplement to the Georgia Official and Statistical Register 1985-1988" (search results: 1988 Presidential preference primary (Democratic party)). Georgia Official and Statistical Register. p. 3. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  23. ↑ "Incomplete Statewide Data for Caucuses" (Excel worksheet). U.S. Election Atlas (AtlasWiki). Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  24. ↑ "Idaho Caucus County Results" (Excel worksheet). U.S. Election Atlas (AtlasWiki). Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  25. ↑ "Kentucky County Results" (Excel worksheet). U.S. Election Atlas (AtlasWiki). Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  26. ↑ "Louisiana County Results" (Excel worksheet). U.S. Election Atlas (AtlasWiki). Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  27. ↑ "1988 Presidential Election". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  28. ↑ "Massachusetts County, Congressional District and Town Results" (Excel worksheet). U.S. Election Atlas (AtlasWiki). Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  29. ↑ "Mississippi County Results" (Excel worksheet). U.S. Election Atlas (AtlasWiki). Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  30. ↑ "Missouri County Results" (Excel worksheet). U.S. Election Atlas (AtlasWiki). Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  31. ↑ "Our Campaigns - NV US President - D Caucus - Mar. 08, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  32. ↑ "Our Campaigns - NC US President - D Primary Race - Mar. 08, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  33. ↑ "Our Campaigns - OK US President - D Primary Race - Mar. 08, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  34. ↑ "Our Campaigns - RI US President - D Primary Race - Mar. 08, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  35. ↑ "Tennessee primary results (1972, 1988, 1992)" (PDF). U.S. Election Atlas (AtlasWiki). p. 5. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  36. ↑ "Our Campaigns - TX US President - D Primary Race - Mar. 08, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  37. ↑ "Our Campaigns - VA US President - D Primary Race - Mar. 08, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  38. ↑ "Our Campaigns - WA US President - D Caucus Race - Mar. 08, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  39. ↑ "After Super Tuesday: Caucus Tallies". New York Times. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  40. ↑ "Our Campaigns - AK US President - D Caucus Race - Mar. 10, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  41. ↑ "Our Campaigns - CO US President - D Caucus Race - Mar. 12, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  42. ↑ "Our Campaigns - SC US President - D Primary Race - Mar. 12, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  43. ↑ Rothberg, Donald M. (March 16, 1988). "Simon win clouds Democratic race". Google News Search Archive. Lawrence Journal-World. p. 1A. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  44. ↑ "KS US President - D Caucus Race - Mar. 19, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  45. ↑ "Bush Wins Puerto Rico Primary and 14 Delegates". New York Times. March 21, 1988. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  46. ↑ "Our Campaigns - CT US President - D Primary Race - Mar. 24, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  47. ↑ "Jackson wins in Michigan". Google News Search Archive. Lawrence Journal-World. March 27, 1988. pp. 1A, 13A. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  48. ↑ Espo, David (April 6, 1988). "Dukakis slows Jackson, Bush wins easily". Google News Search Archive. Gettysburg Times. pp. 1A, 2A. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  49. ↑ "Our Campaigns - AZ US President - D Caucus Race - Apr. 16, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  50. ↑ "Our Campaigns - DE US President - D Caucus Race - Apr. 18, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  51. ↑ "Dukakis' victory resounding". Google News Search Archive. Newburgh Evening News. April 20, 1988. pp. 1A, 4A. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  52. ↑ "Our Campaigns - UT US President - D Caucus Race - Apr. 25, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  53. ↑ "Our Campaigns - PA US President - D Primary Race - Apr. 26, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  54. ↑ "Our Campaigns - IN US President - D Primary Race - May 03, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  55. ↑ "Our Campaigns - OH US President - D Primary Race - May 03, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  56. ↑ "Our Campaigns - DC US President - D Primary Race - May 03, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  57. ↑ "Our Campaigns - NE US President - D Primary Race - May 10, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  58. ↑ "Our Campaigns - WV US President - D Primary Race - May 10, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  59. ↑ "Our Campaigns - OR US President - D Primary Race - May 17, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  60. ↑ "Our Campaigns - CA US President - D Primary Race - Jun 07, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  61. ↑ "Our Campaigns - MT US President - D Primary Race - Jun 07, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  62. ↑ "Our Campaigns - NJ US President - D Primary Race - Jun 07, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  63. ↑ "Our Campaigns - NM US President - D Primary Race - Jun 07, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  64. ↑ "Our Campaigns - ND US President - D Primary Race - Jun 14, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  65. ↑ "Our Campaigns - US President - D Primaries Race - Feb 01, 1988". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  66. ↑ Brummert, John (1988-07-22). "I just fell on my sword". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
  67. ↑ "Our Campaigns - US President - D Convention Race - Jul 18, 1988". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
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