Michael Dukakis

Using the phenomenon termed the “Massachusetts Miracle” to promote his campaign, Dukakis sought the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States in the 1988 United States presidential election, prevailing over a primary field that included Jesse Jackson, Dick Gephardt, Paul Simon, Gary Hart, Joe Biden and Al Gore, among others. Touching on his immigrant roots, Dukakis used Neil Diamond’s ode to immigrants, “America”, as the theme song for his campaign. Famed composer John Williams wrote “Fanfare for Michael Dukakis” in 1988 at the request of Dukakis’s father-in-law, Harry Ellis Dickson. The piece was premiered under the baton of Dickson (then the Associate Conductor of the Boston Pops) at that year’s Democratic National Convention. Dukakis won the Democratic nomination, with 2,877 out of 4,105 delegates. He chose Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas to be his vice presidential running mate. Dukakis was pro choice on the issue of abortion.