Former Massachusetts Governor and 1988 Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis made an unpublicized visit to Tufts on Monday, speaking to a small group of freshman enrolled in first-semester advising groups that discuss the American political process.
Close to 40 students sat in on the conversational meeting organized by seniors Greg Propper and Megan Dooley for their explorations advising class, "The Making of a President: the 2000 Election."
Students from two other explorations classes also attended, but Propper did not advertise the visit because he wanted to be able to maintain the conversational atmosphere afforded by a small group.
A self-proclaimed "grassroots politician," Dukakis criticised the current candidates for ignoring door-to-door campaigning in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 7 election.
"I had volunteers knocking on doors and handing out pamphlets," he said. "Because of that grassroots campaigning, there has been a higher voter turnout since the 1988 election."
Dukakis also said Al Gore's campaign failed to remind Americans about "what it was like in 1992." He described many of George W. Bush's policies as "warmed-over Reaganism," though he credited the candidate with focusing on specific issues that concern voters.
There was also no shortage of praise for Bill Clinton, who Dukakis said was one of the few politicians who had successfully connected with voters through mass media.
"Giving people a real sense of who you are on television is very difficult," he said. "Bob Dole is the funniest, wittiest guy I've ever met. But on TV, he looked like an undertaker."
Dukakis also fielded student questions ranging from the future of third parties to the abolition of the Electoral College system.
"It's not all that often that you get to have a small group discussion with a presidential candidate," said Matt Cravens, a sophomore who sat in on the session.
Many students said that Dukakis was not only an interesting person to meet, but that he also taught them about politics.
"If anything, it was a neat experience and informative. Seeing a politician in person is always more personal than on television," said freshman Adam Blickstein, who commented that he admired Dukakis' ability to laugh at himself. "He was very personable and had great insight into political life."
Dukakis, who teaches at Northeastern University and the University of California, Los Angeles, frequently speaks at colleges for his crusade to get youth interested and active in politics. He said young people were always an integral part of his campaigns, and suggested getting involved in a campaign as the best way to get into politics.
"This is where the kids are that are going to get involved in this," he said. "I hope they see that politics is not a big, bad thing."
Dukakis has been involved in the Massachusetts political scene since 1959, when he was elected to a small local office while still at Harvard Law School. He later served as the state's governor from 1975-1979 and again from 1983 until 1991. He announced his bid for the presidency in 1987, but lost to George Bush Sr. in the general election.
The former governor attributed his loss in part to his campaign's failure to respond to personal attack ads launched by the Bush camp.
"There's nothing that compares with running for president," he said. "Candidates are subject to a level of scrutiny found nowhere else in politics."
Despite Dukakis' national stature, Propper and Dooley had no trouble luring him to campus.
"He was unbelievably approachable," said Dooley, who picked up Dukakis in Boston and brought him to campus in her car.
While seemingly surprising, Dukakis has made a reputation about being down-to-earth. As governor, he continued to live at his Brookline home (the state does not have a Governor's mansion) and ride the T.
"I also did my shopping at the local Stop & Shop and bought my suits at Filene's Basement," he said. "I refused to be walled in from my constituents."
Propper and Dooley's explorations class also hosted Jim Shannon, chairman of Democrat Bill Bradley's Massachusetts primary campaign and Jean Inman, who spearheaded Republican John McCain's efforts in the state. Matthew Bai (LA '90), a national political correspondent for Newsweek and former editor of The Observer, also addressed the class.
