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"I am not Michael Dukakis, and Michael Dukakis is not me, and the first person who would tell you that is Michael Dukakis," Kerry said in a Boston Globe article Wednesday.
Kerry said he is already contemplating how to counter attacks to paint him as a Dukakis clone or as a stereotypical Massachusetts liberal. In the same article, Dukakis said that while he does not want to harm anyone's candidacy, he's willing to provide advice to Kerry on how to win the Democratic nomination. Some GOP strategists may relish the possibility of a Bush taking on another Massachusetts Democrat, and dream of an electoral rout like 1988. There are several signs that the upcoming Democratic primary will have a Yankee accent. The frontloading of primaries in other states will make winning New Hampshire even more important than usual; the 35 electoral votes in New England are likely to be a crucial block for Democrats (ask Al Gore how much he regrets not winning New Hampshire's four votes), and Boston will host the 2004 Democratic convention. And the connection between the two men isn't just geographical or ideological — Kerry served as Dukakis' lieutenant governor for two years, just before he won his Senate seat in 1984. "The Dukakis connection is not nearly as much about the state as it is about being connected to a loser," said political analyst Stuart Rothenberg. "You don't ever want to be associated with a loser when you're trying to talk about your ability to put together a winning coalition." But those GOP strategists would be wise to have more than a Dukakis comparison in their arsenal against Kerry, who, based on his war honors, Senate service, and money, has to be considered one of the Democrats' top-tier candidates for 2004. Among 312 members of the Democratic National Committee, responding to a Los Angeles Times poll, Kerry received 18 percent of the vote, second only to former Vice President Al Gore with 19 percent. Kerry's military record is perfect for Democratic politics, first serving with distinction in Vietnam and then coming home and opposing the war. He volunteered for service in Vietnam after graduating from Yale, received a Silver Star for gallantry in action on a Mekong River Navy gunboat and then became a leader of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. "This is a guy who served in Vietnam, and somebody who has a lot of foreign policy knowledge," said Jennifer Duffy, an analyst with the "Cook Political Report." "At the moment, these are the issues of the day." But Rothenberg points out that Republicans didn't hesitate to go after Sen. Max Cleland, who lost three limbs in Vietnam, on a perceived weakness on national-security issues like creating the Department Homeland Security. "He sure as heck gave enough for his country," Rothberg said. "I think that if John Kerry thinks his Vietnam record inoculates his party on national security, he's smoking something." But Kerry's other strengths include good relations with most of the party's myriad factions and an unequaled campaign fund. "I think the Democratic party is going to embrace John Kerry of Massachusetts," said Kweisi Mfume, the NAACP president, during an appearance Wednesday on The O'Reilly Factor. "I think he has the credentials, he has the leadership, he has the respect, he has the track record, but also you can't box him in a corner. You can't put him in the liberal corner, in the conservative corner, or anything else." Kerry will seed his presidential coffers with $3.1 million remaining in his Senate reelection account. But his wife, Teresa, widow of the late Sen. John Heinz, is worth some $600 million. "You have this specter of him being able to self-finance his campaign, and that may intimidate other candidates," Duffy said. Kerry's fundraising will be handled by Robert Farmer, who had similar duties in the Dukakis campaign. The possibility of Kerry using a "Dukakis strategy" in the primary is intriguing. While Dukakis is mostly remembered today for looking clumsy in a tank, he also beat two men who are likely to oppose Kerry, Gore and outgoing House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt. Dukakis maximized his New Hampshire win by raising huge sums of money focusing his campaigning in key states like Texas and Florida, and avoiding wasting resources in the south. "He has some qualities that are strong, and he doesn't have the initial drawbacks that a lot of the other big names have," Rothenberg said. "You can see how he puts together a package saying, 'I've got the best from this category and the best from that.'" One other point on the Dukakis comparison: The prison-furlough policy that released Willie Horton and let him rape a Maryland woman was put in place before Kerry became lieutenant governor — and Kerry was in the Senate when Horton was released. Kerry's 18 years in the Senate will probably provide his opponents with unpopular votes, but they will probably need more than the anti-Dukakis playbook to derail his candidacy. — Jim Geraghty, a reporter for States News Service, covers Washington for the Boston Globe and Worcester Telegram & Gazette. |
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assachusetts
Democratic Senator John Kerry, a likely presidential candidate, wants
voters to know that he isn't Michael Dukakis. 
