Outside Counsel

I have been less worried about Howard Dean being this year's George McGovern (or Gene McCarthy) than about seeing this race repeat 1988. Poor Michael Dukakis-- he is almost forgotten today, but not only was he the nominee (beating Al Gore, among others, to get there), but for a while it looked like he was going to win. The reason he didn't can be put down to the Bush campaign's ruthlessness-- although George appeared to be a bumbling fool, Lee Atwater assembled a machine that turned an important race, with a lot of real issues, into endless pointless debates about the Pledge of allegiance. And although Bush's patrician disconnect from most Americans appeared goofy, there was never anything goofier than Dukakis in the tank. It was a slick piece of work-- Dukakis came in wounded, from a bruising primary season, and Atwater finished him off with ads about Willie Horton and Boston Harbor. Up to now, I have been concerned that something similar might happen with Dean, but now I don't think so. Dukakis' problem was that he was never all that popular with his base-- he managed to win the nomination by being everyone's second choice. That doesn't seem to be how it will shake out this time-- if Dean nails it, it will be because he has mobilized and motivated a broad base of support. I was thinking about this yesterday, stuck in traffic on the Belt, when I heard that Senator Paul Simon had died. Simon was my second choice in '88 (I liked Jessie Jackson, as if anyone who knows me would be surprised by that). Simon was a classic Midwestern populist, as ugly as a mud fence, with a nice sense of humor. Much was made of Al Sharpton's appearance on SNL last week-- Senator Simon was a guest, back in the day, and was actually funny. (Thanks to Backup Brain for the tip about the New York Times Link Generator.)