1988 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION : Delegates Sense Victory if Dukakis Joins Managerial Skills With Message of Hope

ATLANTA — The question was: How does Michael Dukakis, basically an unexciting candidate, sell himself to the American voters? And, to a person, the answer was: sell his competence, his managerial skills--and blend them in with Jesse Jackson’s hopes and dreams.

Mix it into a campaign package that tells the voters that under the hands-on leadership of a President Dukakis, their dreams of affordable housing, better schools, health care and decent jobs can all come true, the delegates agreed.

“He’s the businessman, he’s the administrator, he’s the manager--the quiet man of action,” said Michael Keating, a Dukakis delegate from Camden, N.J., outlining his candidate’s strengths. “Obviously, the best orators in both parties are not going to be the candidates.”

A Jackson delegate, Sandra Fields, of Apple Valley, Minn., interrupted: “It’s going to take a little more than Michael Dukakis talking about being the businessman. It will take, if you will, the whole idea of keeping hope alive.”

That message of hope, said Dukakis delegate Sam Garst, a businessman now living in England and representing “Democrats abroad,” could focus on the voters’ aspirations for “a number of fundamental changes” in the nation--health insurance, control of drugs, reducing the deficit.

Never mind that Dukakis may seem dull, agreed a cross-section of 11 Democratic convention delegates brought together by The Times to discuss campaign issues and strategy. “The ‘Boring Issue,’ if that’s an issue, it cuts both ways. Real well,” said Garst, referring to Republican George Bush.

Anyway, said West Virginia Democratic Chairwoman Sally Richardson, voters in her state “have had enough of someone who can get up and with a flowing manner and great words tell you things are going to be better. And then you have to turn around and live with a situation where you can’t get a decent job. They’re not looking for that anymore. They’re looking for somebody they really believe can make a change in the focus of the United States.”

‘Looking for Competence’

Rather than excitement, agreed Margaret Kelley, a kindergarten teacher and Dukakis delegate from Lebanon, Ind., voters “are looking for competence.”

“Dukakis says he’s a manager. That’s what we haven’t had for the last eight years. We’ve had someone who told the American people one thing and then went out and put up this trillion dollars’ worth of debt by building defense systems that won’t work. Michael Dukakis is a manger and can manage those things.”

She later added: “We can give people hope. There are a lot of people out there on drugs because there is no hope. We can give them hope (about) jobs, health care, better education.”

These delegates--all loyal Democrats and highly partisan, eager to point out the strengths and downplay the weaknesses of their candidate--dismissed President Reagan as a major plus for Vice President Bush.

“Ronald Reagan is very popular as a person, but I think his policies are not popular,” said Kelley, echoing what pollsters generally have found.

Keating of New Jersey, an elected county clerk attending his seventh national convention, noted: “The Reagan era is coming to an end, come January. Two candidates, Michael Dukakis and George Bush, have got to be compared.”

Bobby Smith, a municipal judge, union leader and Dukakis delegate from Clute, Tex., said the most important issue in the campaign will be “credibility.” He continued: “Bush seems never to be present when anything happens. And if he was present, he doesn’t remember it. . . . He claims to be a Texan. He’s the only Texan I know that has to rent a room when he comes home. He can’t even tell the truth about where he’s from.”

Bush was born in Massachusetts, grew up in Connecticut, lived much of his adult life in Texas and has a summer home in Maine. He maintains a hotel room voting address in Houston.

In what seemed a gentle nudge at Dukakis to outline his views more to the electorate, Jackson delegate Barbara Maddox, an economic development official for the state of Michigan, said that the presidential nominee “has to come out as a problem solver.”

“America has enough politicians. We need leaders right now. And in order to be a leader, you’ve got to say those things people may not want to hear,” she asserted. “You may have to take a few bumps and bruises along the way. But I think America is ready for a problem solver.”

Jackson’s role in all this occupied much of the 90-minute discussion. Everyone but Jackson delegate Sandra Fields, an official of the National Education Assn., agreed that the civil rights leader would not have been a good vice presidential candidate. “I was totally disappointed in Michael Dukakis’ selection of a running mate,” Fields said.

But, she predicted, blacks will turn out to vote for Dukakis in November. “Jesse Jackson has not told us to stay home and not vote. In fact, he’s told us the very opposite,” she said.

“We’re moving ahead now and our agenda includes grass-roots organizing, putting Democrats in every legislative seat. In fact, we are going to include local school boards. So, I’m here to say, local school boards, look out.”

Veteran delegate Keating, who is white, said: “It’s unfortunate, but you have a very, very large bigoted America out there that’s not gonna vote for a black man for President or vice president at this time. The day’s gonna come when there’s gonna be a black President of the United States. . . . Jesse Jackson has awakened the conscience of America.”

Jackson was described by many present as “the conscience” of the Democratic Party. But Jackson delegate Maddox said she was “not disappointed” to see him passed over for vice president.

“Jesse has a No. 1 personality. He does not have a No. 2 personality. And as a vice president, you have to demonstrate loyalty to the President. And I think Jesse would have had to give up his role of being the conscience, the advocate,” she said.

CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS

4:17 p.m. Call to Order.

4:56 p.m. Nomination of vice presidential candidates.

5:14 p.m. Roll call of states.

6:04 p.m. Announcement of results.

6:12 p.m. Introduction of the vice presidential nominee by Sen. John Glenn of Ohio.

6:17 p.m. Acceptance speech by Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas.

6:42 p.m. Fanfare for Michael S. Dukakis, written by John Williams, orchestra led by Harry Ellis Dickson, father of Kitty Dukakis.

6:53 p.m. Introduction of Michael Dukakis by Olympia Dukakis.

7:02 p.m. Acceptance speech by Michael Dukakis.

7:48 p.m. Celebration, with closing music from Jennifer Holliday.

CBS will provide live coverage of the convention from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and NBC and ABC from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. CNN will broadcast the entire event. Times listed are PDT.