Dukakis: 'Obama, not McCain, is the conservative'

On Fox News, The Duke Weighs In On '08

Former Gov. Michael Dukakis: Getty ImagesFormer Gov. Mike Dukakis has a few pieces of advice to offer to Barack Obama.

The 1988 Democratic presidential nominee appeared on Fox News' 'Hannity and Colmes' this evening and had a very general discussion about the 2008 presidential contest with Democrat Alan Colmes and his Republican guest host, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele.

Steele pressed Dukakis on what he perceived to be Obama's greatest weakness: the 'most liberal senator' label from the National Journal's 2007 rankings. An identical rating of 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry was a constant bother throughout his campaign.

But Dukakis brushed aside such concerns, replying, "I don't think [the label] really means anything," as the "fiscal irresponsibility" and other policies of George W. Bush's administration leave the Republicans with no claim to the 'conservative' mantle.

"There's nothing conservative about invading Iraq," he said, noting that Ron Paul and Pat Buchanan oppose the conflict "because they're conservatives."

"[W]hen it comes to foreign policy [Barack Obama]'s a lot more conservative than John McCain."

On what advice he would give to the Illinois senator on being the nominee, he provided two items "based on some very serious mistakes" of his own campaign: a) expect a daily attack and be ready to respond to it and b) have the Democratic Party organize every single precinct in the country.

"This thing is not going to be won on television; it's going to be won in precincts and in neighborhoods," a comment that echoed an interview he did with the New York Observer's Steve Kornacki in August 2007.

“We have to organize every damn precinct in the United States of America — all 185,000,” he said then. “I’m serious. I’m deadly serious. I didn’t do it after the primary [in 1988]. Don’t ask me why, because that’s the way I got myself elected from the time I was running for town meeting in Brookline to the time I ran for governor.”

The only difference between now and last summer is that Dukakis was under the impression that the Democrats would be vastly outspent by the GOP nominee and independent expenditure groups. But with Obama's huge fundraising numbers and abandonment of the public financing system – not to mention the surplus energy on the Democratic side – and it seems that prediction was wrong.

Still, Dukakis stands by his grassroots organizing idea, saying tonight, "If we do both of those things, Barack Obama is going to be president."

Conversely, he was mum on who he thought Obama should pick as his vice presidential candidate.

"I wouldn't even begin to venture there" because it's the nominee's choice.

He offered only scant advice on making the selection, suggesting, "You've got to go through a very careful process."

Still pleased by his own vice presidential choice of Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, Dukakis encouraged Obama to look at a lot of candidates, get lots of suggestions from many different people, winnow down the list and vet away. While he said that Bentsen didn't make much of a difference for their ticket, he believes it might have had the race been closer.

The former governor demurred when asked if he ever wondered whether things might have been different had he won, saying, "I'm not one of those guys that replays stuff, but I want Sen. Obama to win this election."

And so, he offered a warning to the 2008 Democratic nominee, who is currently sitting on a double-digit lead in numerous national polls.

"Let me tell you something, and no one knows this better than I do: these poll numbers are absolutely worthless at this point."

Yet, this is 2008 and not 1988, and the conversation ultimately drifted back to the present and the nominees' flaws.

"There isn't much about John McCain that suggests we're going to get any significant change from George Bush, and that's his greatest weakness."

Returning once more to Obama's challenge of shaking the liberal label, he insisted, "This was the one guy I know running for the presidency who strongly opposed this stupid war."

"A very conservative response to a dumb decision."