The Mike Dukakis -George Bush Sr. race of 1988 had several moments of truth that illustrate the troubles of the Democratic Party and its activists in terms of connecting with the voters that still ring true today. In a memorable sequence in the second Presidential Debate moderator Bernard Shaw asked Dukakis this question: “Governor, if Kitty Dukakis [his wife] were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?” Of course this question was prompted by the infamous Willie Horton ads about how a prisoner out on furlough had raped a woman and beat her husband. The Republicans were demagoguing this issue for all it was worth because of Dukakis’s support for furlough programs. Mike replied academically: “No, I don’t, and I think you know that I’ve opposed the death penalty during all my life.” He went on to explain his position as well as the fact that public policy should not be made based on the emotionalism of one’s personal experience. Everything Mike said was true, everything Mike said was accurate. But he couldn’t have done more harm to his candidacy if he had taken out a hand grenade and pulled the pin.

I remember the reaction and puzzlement of the Democratic activists. Mike was correct on the issue and correct on public policy they reasoned. Why was everyone so upset? They didn’t get it then. They don’t get it now. Now to be fair, Mike did other things to put distance between himself and the American people. Whoever let him dress up like Rocky The Flying Squirrel and ride around on a tank should have been fired. Once, taking a weekend break from campaigning, Mike was photographed with Kitty on his way to the beach. Sticking out of the pocket of his windbreaker was the book he was taking to the beach. Was it the latest James Bond thriller as JFK used to read? Was it something from John Le Carre, Lawrence Block or Sidney Sheldon? No. It was a book entitled Swedish Land Planning. Mike was going to the beach to read about Swedish Land Planning. Can you say wonk? Can you say nerd? At one point Mike felt it necessary to announce that he was a card carrying member of the ACLU. I guess he thought that if he didn’t tie up the 2% of the population that supports this organization they might go Republican. Of course, these were all minor faux pas in comparison to the big one. Simply put, a man who is willing to entertain a question whose premise is the rape and murder of his wife in order to make a point of public policy is a man who has no clue of the path to the voter. He’s got plenty of company in the Democratic Party.

Dennis Kucinich is a presidential candidate who should be strapped to a chair, have his eyes propped open with toothpicks and be forced to watch the Dukakis-Shaw exchange over and over again until he gets it. Here’s a candidate who’s great on the issues and knows what he believes. His supporters believe that if only the public could hear Dennis, if only the media would stop marginalizing him, the public could find him. They’re wrong. The biggest obstacle to Dennis becoming president is Dennis. He has no clue about the path to the voter.

Activists support Dennis Kucinich in much greater numbers than the general population. That is because the path to the activists is different than the path to the voters. Activists are people who immerse themselves in the issues. The public does not. Activists do politics 24/7. The public does not. In order to win the support of the activists Dennis lists his stands on the issues. The activists listen, and if they agree they support him. From Dennis’s brain to the activists’ brains. When Dennis lists his stands to the public, they don’t listen. It’s the wrong path. He must first make an emotive connection. The path is to the heart and then to the brain. Once you make an emotional connection with the public, then they will entertain your ideas. Until you make that connection, they don’t even hear your ideas. Obama understands the path. That’s why he’s spent so little time on the issues-that will come later. Right now he’s working on his connection. Edwards went the issues route but now realizes he needs a connection badly. He’s working on it. One hopes it’s not too little too late. Hillary, perhaps unfairly, has a built-in emotive connection with millions of women because she is the first one. Dennis will continue to flounder as long as he does not find a way to expose his heart to the voters and make a connection. You can’t talk about the horrors of Iraq as if you were discussing the mating habits of whales. Don’t talk about the millions of uninsured as if you were reporting the results of the latest Pillsbury bake-off. Show us your heart. Make a connection.

Mike Dukakis would have been a good president. He’s a decent man. He did not understand the path to the voter and misunderstood what voters are looking for. The Shaw question was his moment of truth. He needed to show some heart. He should have been outraged at Bernard Shaw for using his murdered and raped wife example as a prop for a policy question. He should have dismissed the question out of hand and told Mr. Shaw in no uncertain terms that his question was inappropriate and would not be entertained. We needed some outrage. We barely got a pulse.

Of course it’s not just our politicians. We Democratic activists sometimes seem to be competing in a contest to see which one of us can annoy the voters the most. Judging by some of the things we do it is certain that we are confused about the path to the voter. Next month we will discuss Democratic activism in light of what changes we can implement to spread progressivism and elect our candidates in an editorial titled: Election 2008 - If You Have A Rap Please Stay Home. So I’d better send my holiday greetings to my activist friends now. We might not be on speaking terms next month. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years Everyone!!

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