I had no idea Jesse Jackson came in 2nd behind Dukakis in the 1988 primaries

[skipos]

I was too young at the time, but I always thought he had a Kucinich level of primary success. I didn't know Gore and Biden were in running too, with Gore doing well.

Check out the map and info here:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Agora/8088/Dem1988.html

[Dean Martin]

1. I remember that now

I voted for Dukakis for prez that year. I would have voted for Rev. Jackson had he won the nomination.

Maybe remembering that consciously now is why I think Obama can do better than most do.

[brazos121200]

2. I remember that super tuesday in 1988, which back then included

virtually every southern state. Dukakis carried Texas and Florida, and I think Maryland, and Rev.Jackson carried everything else in the South that day. The media kept rattling on about the "bookends" Dukakis carried meaning Texas and Florida on each end of the south, but what about all the 'books' that Jackson carried?

[skipos]

4. Did people think Jackson had a chance?

Or did they dismiss his candidacy?

[Dean Martin]

7. no Dem does for Prez around here

In Indiana Democrat for President is pretty much a non-existent proposition.

[brazos121200]

9. Nobody, especially the commentators, thought he stood any chance to actually get the nomination at

the time. That's why they made such a point of stressing the 'bookends' angle. It had pretty well been decided by the 'powers that be' that Dukakis would be the nominee, so they were sort of 'humoring' Jackson's candidacy. Most Demo strategists believed that a Jackson candidacy would be political suicide, bringing down many Congressinal and local candidates with him. Of course, none of this was said in public, much less on the TV stations, it was just taken for granted that an African American could never win the Presidency.

[Vidar]

3. I remember it well. I was pulling for Jesse.

[Omaha Steve]

5. My wife voted for him in the 84 Ne. primary

We both voted and donated and had a yard sign in 88. Before the 88 primary, we took our three young children to see Jesse in person. We were right down front. Near the end of the show, they let children get up on the stage with him. The next morning my two girls (both in grade school at the time) appeared standing next to him in a photo on the front page. He got 25% of the Ne. vote. He did so well in early primaries that there was a stop Jesse movement. That was how we got Dukakis.

[Jim Sagle]

6. Neither did I, but I 'm not surprised.

Dukakis was a whining, snivelling half-Democrat, half-Republican political morphodite.

[bigtree]

8. he was ahead in the popular vote before NY

I had a moment there where I thought . . .

[crispini]

10. That was the first election I ever voted in!

And a primary too! And I voted for JESSE JACKSON! I had his campaign signs up in my dorm room window. OMG I'm sooooo old! :rofl: I even don't remember Al Gore running, haha. I just knew I wanted to go out and vote for Jesse and I damn well did.