Ortega, Dukakis, and Bush

When Michael Dukakis announced his choice of Lloyd Bentsen as his running-mate, the political wisdom was evident: Bentsen gives Dukakis regional and ideological balance. Much less evident is the political tension arising from such a forced conjunction of a liberal with a (comparative) conservative.

To spring the tension, Daniel Ortega’s invincibly poor timing is serving nicely. Ortega could have waited a few months to toss the U.S. ambassador out of Managua, and to close the newspaper La Prensa and the Catholic radio station. Instead, he chose to take these actions just before the Democratic convention.

JM

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John McLaughlin

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When Michael Dukakis announced his choice of Lloyd Bentsen as his running-mate, the political wisdom was evident: Bentsen gives Dukakis regional and ideological balance. Much less evident is the political tension arising from such a forced conjunction of a liberal with a (comparative) conservative.

To spring the tension, Daniel Ortega’s invincibly poor timing is serving nicely. Ortega could have waited a few months to toss the U.S. ambassador out of Managua, and to close the newspaper La Prensa and the Catholic radio station. Instead, he chose to take these actions just before the Democratic convention.