Archive

Mike Dukakis' Revenge

Who would have thought his disastrous 1988 presidential campaign would create so many Washington stars? From Elena Kagan to Madeleine Albright to Larry Summers, The Daily Beast rounds up staffers who succeeded.

articles/2010/05/10/mike-dukakis-revenge/dukakis-elena-kagan_f0r8ik
AP Photo
articles/2010/05/10/mike-dukakis-revenge/dukakis-elena-kagan_r44k39

Elena Kagan

Dukakis Campaign: Researcher Subsequent Fame: Supreme Court nominee

articles/2010/05/10/mike-dukakis-revenge/dukakis-madeleine-albright_cdkvxb

Madeleine Albright

Dukakis Campaign: Foreign policy adviser Subsequent Fame: Secretary of State under Bill Clinton

articles/2010/05/10/mike-dukakis-revenge/dukakis-george-stephanopolous_ov9luk

George Stephanopoulos

Dukakis Campaign: Rapid Response Team Subsequent Fame: Clinton administration adviser; ABC News chief political correspondent

articles/2010/05/10/mike-dukakis-revenge/dukakis-lawrence-summers_puawh2

Larry Summers

Dukakis Campaign: Unpaid economic adviser, Harvard professor Subsequent Fame: President of Harvard University 2001-06; top economic adviser, Obama administration

Michael Aronson

Dukakis Campaign: Speechwriter Subsequent Fame: New York Daily News editorial page editor; 1988 and 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner

articles/2010/05/10/mike-dukakis-revenge/author-photo---susan-rice_lp1j43

Susan Rice

Dukakis Campaign: Foreign policy aide Subsequent Fame: U.S. ambassador to the United Nations

articles/2010/05/10/mike-dukakis-revenge/author-photo---john-podesta_gnnrkm

John Podesta

Dukakis Campaign: Lieutenant on Issues staff Subsequent Fame: Clinton chief of staff (1998-2001); president of Center for American Progress

Mark Katz

Dukakis Campaign: Rapid Response Team, wrote daily hotline briefings Subsequent Fame: Humor speechwriter for President Clinton 2000-08; principal of the Soundbite Institute (and Daily Beast contributor)

Tom Donilon

Dukakis Campaign: Senior adviser, responsible for debate preparation Subsequent Fame: Deputy national security adviser for the Obama administration

James Steinberg

Dukakis Campaign: Deputy issues director Subsequent Fame: Deputy Secretary of State for the Obama administration

Matt Tyrnauer

Dukakis Campaign: Assistant to the campaign manager Subsequent Fame: Write-director of Valentino: The Last Emperor, Vanity Fair staff writer

Dayton Duncan

Dukakis Campaign: National press secretary Subsequent Fame: Filmmaker in collaboration with Ken Burns; author

Michael Barr

Dukakis Campaign: Issues staff Subsequent Fame: Assistant secretary for financial institutions

Rosa deLauro

Dukakis Campaign: Campaign director for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut Subsequent Fame: Connecticut congresswoman

Gene Sperling

Dukakis Campaign: Issues staff, famous for putting in 21-hour days Subsequent Fame: Counselor to Timothy Geithner, former head of National Economic Council

Joe Lockhart

Dukakis Campaign: Deputy press secretary Subsequent Fame: Clinton campaign press secretary

Sylvia Matthews Burwell

Dukakis Campaign: Researcher Subsequent Fame: President of Global Development Program at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Josh Steiner

Dukakis Campaign: Issues staff Subsequent Fame: Co-president and managing partner, Quadrangle

Michael Whouley

Dukakis Campaign: Adviser, field operative Subsequent Fame: President, Dewey Square Group; portrayed by Dennis Leary in HBO’s Recount, based on the 2000 Gore campaign

Todd Stern

Dukakis Campaign: Issues staff Subsequent Fame: Special envoy for climate change

Tony West

Dukakis Campaign: Assistant to Bob Farmer Subsequent Fame: Assistant attorney general, Civil Division

Keith Boykin

Dukakis Campaign: Traveling press aide Subsequent Fame: Prominent blogger and talking head

Bob Farmer

Dukakis Campaign: Head fundraiser Subsequent Fame: Fundraiser who became consul general to Bermuda under Clinton

Bob Boorstin

Dukakis Campaign: Issues staff, ran convention logistics Subsequent Fame: Runs Google’s lobbying efforts; director of corporate and policy communications in Google's Washington, D.C., office

Vicky Rideout

Dukakis Campaign: Issues staff

Subsequent Fame: Vice president of Kaiser Family Foundation & Spartacus Media Enterprises; Hollywood social activist, power player

Chris Edley

Dukakis Campaign: Ran Issues office; Harvard professor Subsequent Fame: Dean of UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), adviser to Obama during campaign

Mark Gearan

Dukakis Campaign: Ran headquarters press office, campaign spokesman Subsequent Fame: Former head of Peace Corps; president of Hobart William Smith College

Leslie Dach

Dukakis Campaign: Communications director Subsequent Fame: As special counselor to CEO of Walmart, launched major public-relations campaign improving the company’s image

Mindy Lubber

Dukakis Campaign: Senior adviser and communications director Subsequent Fame: President of Ceres, an environmentally focused investment group

Dwight Holton

Dukakis Campaign: “Advance man,” sent to events ahead of the candidate Subsequent Fame: U.S. attorney for the District of Oregon

Vanessa Kirsch

Dukakis Campaign: Field coordinator Post-Dukakis: Leading social venture capitalist, president and founder of New Profit Inc.

Clay Constantinou

Dukakis Campaign: New Jersey campaign Subsequent Fame: U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg (1994-99); member of Patton & Boggs Public Policy and International Practice Groups

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.