Will Dukakis run in 2016?

[JonathanSwift]

I don't see any reason why he shouldn't. At a spry 83, Dukakis will not be out of place in terms of age with the rest of the prospective Democratic field, including Sanders (who will turn 75 in 2016), Biden (74), Webb (70), Clinton (69), and Warren (67). As far as his potential opponent in the general election, the prospective Republican field includes men like Bush and Pataki who haven't run for office in over a decade, as well as already failed presidential candidates like Huckabee and Santorum. Why, before deciding against another campaign last month, Romney (who is a former Massachusetts governor and failed presidential candidate, just like Dukakis) was polling at the top of the pack.

As a Greek-American Orthodox Christian with a Jewish wife, former governor Dukakis adds a much needed streak of diversity to the Democratic field, which, with the exception of Sanders (who is Jewish), is entirely composed of either Irish Catholics (O'Malley, Biden) or WASPS (Clinton, Warren, Webb).

The demographic changes of the past quarter century have made Dukakis much more electable than he was in 1988; after all, among white voters, Romney beat Obama by roughly the same margin that the first Bush defeated Dukakis, and yet while Dukakis only won ten states and 111 electoral votes, Obama sailed into his second term with 26 states and 332 electoral votes.

As for Dukakis' choice of running mate, I'd like to nominate former Georgia governor and 39th President of the United States, James Earl Carter. There's no law which would prevent a former president from being vice president, and Carter would bring the same sort of folksy grandfather appeal to the office that Biden did. On top of that, I think Carter could really help win back some of the white Southern voters that the Democratic party has lost in recent years.

[JonathanSwift]

Jason Carter only lost due to low midterm year voter turnout among young people and minorities.  In a presidential year,  everything is different.

[JonathanSwift]

Oh and while we're at it, George HW Bush needs to save the Republican Party from his son. Run again, POP!

Why, I was just thinking the same thing! There's certainly no reason why he shouldn't run, given that he's in good health and is still eligible for another term. He could market himself as the president who actually knows how to WIN an Iraq War. Given the ISIS crisis and other foreign troubles (Bush won the Cold War -- maybe he can resolve the current tension with Russia, too), I'm sure he'd win in a landslide against anyone but Dukakis.

[JonathanSwift]

Dukakis and Jerry Brown for 2016 presidency.

That could work, but part of the reason that I suggested Carter is that he's from a state and region that's starting to trend Democratic. With Carter on the ticket, Dukakis would almost certainly retain Virginia and Florida for the Democrats, would probably win North Carolina, and might even take Georgia, or at least make it highly competitive. California is a safe state, so I don't see much reason to pick Brown.