Could Dukakis have won?

[Nym90]

A stronger Democratic candidate could have won, but not Dukakis.

[Nym90]

A better campaign could have made it closer. He wasn't all that far from getting over 200 electoral votes and making the race competitive.

Bush's percentage of the vote was about in line with Reagan's approval rating, which helps disprove the notion that Dukakis was a horrible candidate (unless you believe Bush was, as well, and the two canceled each other out). Dukakis consolidated the anti-Reagan vote, but he was unable to convince the country that the Reagan administration had been a failure and that a change was needed.

I agree that he ran a bad campaign, but there is a difference between that and being a bad candidate.

[Nym90]

Dukakis never led in the polls after the Republican convention. The 17 point lead that he held in the Gallup poll was between conventions.