Anatomy of A Disaster

(4 of 4)

Twenty-one months ago, an unknown Michael Dukakis ventured into Iowa to tell voters there why he should be President. Today his answer remains inchoate. The failing of his candidacy has more to do with the candidate himself than with poor strategy, inept aides, stylized debates, TV commercials or even George Bush. Dukakis is a decent, rational, hardworking man, dedicated to public service and the common good. But he never understood the office he sought. The presidency requires a leader who can forge an emotional bond with the people and act as a vehicle for their aspirations. Dukakis is no dreamer. His visions run to high-speed trains from New York City to Boston, not spaceships to distant planets. Forever cerebral, he proved unable to reach into his gut to discover his emotions, the heartland of any political soul. For this cautious candidate, a man slow to anger and reluctant to laugh, the risk of exploration was too great. After nearly two years of campaigning, Dukakis remains essentially the same person as when he began. He has barely grown as a candidate. And growth is the least that Americans demand of a potential President.