Did Dukakis have a chance

[morgankingsley]

He did in the early campaign, picking Bensten helped quite a bit, plus the fact some people were feeling Reagan fatigue. But he just didn't capitalize on anything. He could have won Illinois and Pennsylvania easily, and while that would not have been a win, those were 49 electoral votes within such close grasp that he blew just with the snap of a finger. The other 110 would have been able to eventually follow

[morgankingsley]

Dukakis should NOT have picked Bentsen.  Bentsen was not going to carry Texas for him.  Breaux, Graham, Shelby, Nunn, Hunt, Glenn, and Gephardt would have all been better picks for Dukakis, as would have been Lee Hamilton, who was the guy Dukakis liked the best.

I brought it up as a good point because Bensten did energize some voters short term and did help with the debates, which may have given Dukakis enough votes to tip Oregon and Washington in the idea that at least the vice president would be good