Presidential Nomination Bid on Hold Says Dukakis

The Washington Post, the New York Times, and soon Time and Business Week. The national news media is projecting Governor Michael Dukakis as a national political figure and a possible presidential candidate in 1988.

But political observers and analysts here suggest the Massachusetts governor is waiting for the results of his re-election race before committing himself.

Dukakis' stock is also high at the Democratic National Commitee, according to DNC communications specialist James Flarescu.

"The national party is burdened by Gramm-Rudman and service cuts. The party looks to Governor Dukakis as a man who knows how to balance the budget and provide services," he said yesterday.

Flarescu sees Dukakis as a potential power at the convention even if he should decide not to seek the nomination. "It is very likely that a national candidate would offer him a position."

Flarescu downplayed any potential movement away from Eastern candidates. "There's a sense that the electoral strength of the South and the West would respond positively to candidates from those areas, but by no means is that exclusive."

Political consultant Michael Goldman agreed that the field is wide open for Dukakis.

"There's nobody out there. No dominant, charismatic leader of the Democratic party. Babbitt, Bumpers, who has ever heard of these guys? If he enters the race he has as good a chance as anyone."

Dukakis' official position is that his entire energies are focused on winning gubernatorial re-election, which many predict will be far from difficult. Dukakis press secretary James Dorsey said "He's very serious about running for governor."

Dukakis' position far from precludes his moving onto the national scene in 1988, however. A serious race for governor, according to Goldman, is absolutely essential for any ambitions Dukakis might harbor for bigger things in 1988.

Dukakis stands to lose his current position in the Democratic party only if a Republican candidate poses any sort of effective challenge in what is widely expected to be a one-man race.

"He has to win the election by a massive margin in order to be taken seriously on the national level," said Goldman. "This is a mandate election."

Moreover, Goldman sees a late entry into the race as an advantage. "You don't want to be the expected. Hart's kiss of death is being the front-runner. Mondale was the front-runner and he emerged so beaten and battered that he was dead before the election was over."

Dukakis could be waiting for the results of November's election before making the decision to move onward and upward in 1988. And this might turn out to be his best move in the race for the Presidency.