Dukakis Shares Lessons Learned

San Fernando Valley Democrats filled the auditorium at Dixie Canyon Avenue Elementary School to listen to former Governor and former Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis look back on the 1988 presidential election and the lessons he learned when he lost that race to George H.W. Bush.

Dukakis offered up some advice to Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton when either becomes the Democratic Party's nominee by reflecting on the mistakes he made during is own presidential campaign and emphasizing the importance of organizing the campaign locally.

Admitting that one of the biggest mistakes he made was his decision not to respond to attacks from the Bush campaign, he advised the party's eventual nominee to be ready for "the attack campaign [that] will begin within minutes after that nomination's decided" by having a strategy, "preferably one that turns it into a character issue of the guy who's doing it."

The event, sponsored by the Democrats of the San Fernando Valley, also provided the approximately 50 attendees an opportunity to get fired up about the November general election, despite the fact that the Democrats still do not have a nominee.

In stark contrast to the optimism Democrats across the country are voicing, the mood was more somber at the gathering in Sherman Oaks. Both Dukakis and Ken Maxie, a local director for the Democratic National Committee, warned that whoever the Democratic candidate is should not underestimate the presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain.

"As we move into 2008, one of the things that I'm afraid of is Sen. McCain going into these areas where independent voters, where decline-to-state voters are and will talk to them like he's one of them . . .," Maxie said. "[McCain] is a unique person, as far as the Republican machine, because of his ability to reach out to independent voters.

Like Dukakis, Maxie also emphasized the importance of local organization to a Democratic victory in the fall. He encouraged audience members to sign up to campaign within their own neighborhoods.

Agi Kessler, chair of the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley, explained why events like this are necessary.

"We need to get Democrats active. You know, a lot of times people think that there is this party organization that is unknown out there that's going to get the job done and we want to make sure that they understand that the job gets done by every Democrat."

Anita Horn, who attended a Dukakis campaign rally in Los Angeles in 1988 said, "It's inspiring and it's true, but really the person-to-person contact is very important."