1988 Dukakis-Bentsen Campaign Commercials
1988 Dukakis-Bentsen Presidential Campaign Commercials: The High Road to Nowhere
The playlist of videos above serves as a fascinating, if somewhat melancholic, time capsule. It documents one of the most significant “what ifs” in modern American political history. The 1988 Dukakis-Bentsen presidential campaign commercials tell the story of a candidate who brought a resume to a knife fight, a campaign that bet heavily on the rationality of the American voter, and a strategy that ultimately collapsed under the weight of its own restraint.
In the summer of 1988, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis and his running mate, the distinguished Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen, looked like a formidable, perhaps even unstoppable, force. They left their convention in Atlanta with a 17-point lead over Vice President George H.W. Bush. The theme was “The Massachusetts Miracle”—a testament to Dukakis’s technocratic competence in revitalizing his state’s economy. The mood was optimistic. The plan was to run on a platform of “Good Jobs at Good Wages.”
But as you watch the commercials in this collection, you will see that lead evaporate. You will witness a campaign struggling to find its footing, shifting uneasily between high-minded policy lectures, awkward attempts at warmth, and late-game counter-punches that failed to land.
The Strategy: Competence Over Ideology
The central philosophy of the Dukakis-Bentsen media effort was encapsulated in Dukakis’s own convention declaration: “This election is not about ideology; it’s about competence.” This belief permeated their advertising.
The early commercials in the playlist focus heavily on biography and administrative success. We see the “Marathon Man”—Dukakis the disciplined runner, the son of Greek immigrants who achieved the American Dream. These spots were well-produced, warm, and intended to introduce a relatively unknown governor to the national stage. They highlighted his record: balancing budgets, cutting crime (ironically, given what was to come), and creating jobs.
The aesthetic was earnest. There were no ominous synthesizers or grainy, frightening imagery. The voiceovers were calm, reasoned, and adult. The underlying assumption was that after eight years of the charismatic but sometimes disengaged Reagan style, the country was ready for a CEO—a sober, serious manager who would get things done.
The “Handlers” Series: A Meta-narrative Misfire
One of the most unique, and controversial, experiments in the 1988 Dukakis-Bentsen presidential campaign commercials was the “Handlers” series. In an attempt to counter the slick, aggressive packaging of George Bush by Roger Ailes and Lee Atwater, the Dukakis team decided to break the fourth wall.
These ads depicted a group of cynical corporate executives sitting in a boardroom, plotting how to “package” Bush. They were satirical, mocking the artificiality of the Bush campaign’s sudden interest in environmentalism and “kindness.” The tagline was memorable: “They’d like to sell you a package. Wouldn’t you rather choose a President?”
While intellectually clever, the ads largely failed to resonate with the average voter. To the political class, they were witty commentary. To the family watching TV at home, they were confusing and inside-baseball. They spent precious airtime talking about the process of the campaign rather than the substance of the candidate’s vision. While Dukakis was mocking Bush’s handlers, Bush’s handlers were successfully defining Dukakis as a danger to society.
The Bentsen Factor: Gravitas and The Debate
Senator Lloyd Bentsen was, in many ways, the perfect counter-balance to Dukakis. While Dukakis was the cool, northern technocrat, Bentsen was the courtly, powerful southern baron. The campaign utilized Bentsen in commercials to shore up the ticket’s defense and foreign policy credentials, areas where Dukakis was perceived as weak.
Bentsen’s commercials often featured him looking every inch the statesman—silver-haired, authoritative, speaking from a library or a Senate office. He provided the reassurance that the ticket understood the realities of Washington and the Cold War.
Of course, Bentsen is most famous for his debate dismantling of Dan Quayle: “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.” The campaign attempted to capitalize on this moment in subsequent advertising, using the contrast between the seasoned Bentsen and the inexperienced Quayle to question Bush’s judgment. However, as history has shown, voters ultimately vote for the top of the ticket, and Bentsen’s popularity could not mask Dukakis’s vulnerabilities.
The Response: Too Little, Too Late
The defining tragedy of the Dukakis media strategy was its silence. For weeks, as the Bush campaign hammered the airwaves with the “Revolving Door” and “Tank” ads, the Dukakis campaign refused to respond in kind. They believed the attacks were so hyperbolic that the public would see through them. They believed that “going negative” would tarnish their brand of high-minded competence.
By late October, the internal polling was catastrophic. The campaign finally unleashed a flurry of response ads, some of which you can view above. These spots were darker and more urgent. They accused Bush of lying about Dukakis’s record. Dukakis began to use the phrase “I’m on your side,” trying to pivot to a populist economic message and paint Bush as a protector of the wealthy elite.
One particularly poignant late ad featured Dukakis looking directly into the camera, acknowledging the roughness of the campaign but asking voters to look at his heart. It was a moment of genuine connection, but it was the “Hail Mary” pass of a team that was already down by three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The narrative had already hardened. The “Iceman” label had stuck.
The Legacy of the 1988 Democratic Ads
The failure of the 1988 Dukakis-Bentsen presidential campaign commercials had a profound impact on the Democratic Party. It traumatized a generation of consultants and strategists. The lesson they took from 1988 was simple: never let an attack go unanswered.
The “War Room” mentality of the 1992 Clinton campaign was a direct reaction to the passive strategy of Dukakis. The “speed kills” philosophy—responding to an attack ad within the same news cycle—was born from the ashes of the Dukakis defeat.
As you explore these commercials, you are watching the end of an era. You are watching the last gasp of a political style that believed facts alone were sufficient persuasion. The Dukakis ads are often well-crafted, logical, and decent. But in the face of the visceral, emotional warfare of 1988, decency was not enough. The playlist above is a testament to a campaign that won the argument on paper, but lost the battle for the American imagination.
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