[Crowd chants] Dukakis!

Dukakis!

Dukakis!

Dukakis!

Dukakis!

-(upbeat music) -!My friends, four years from now, -when our citizens walk -along Pennsylvania Avenue, -in Washington, DC, -or when they see a picture of -!the White House on television, -I want them to be proud -of their government.

-(audience cheers) -I want them to be proud -of a government -that sets high standards not -just for the American people, -!but high standards for itself.

-(audience applauds) -We will fight for the ideals -of this, our country.

-!We will revere and obey the law.

-(audience applauds) -And that is my pledge to you, -my fellow Americans.

-!Thank you all very, very much.

-(audience cheers) -(lively music) -(train rumbling) -[Dukakis] Hi there.

-Okay.

-We'll see tonight how we are.

-Of course.

-Early.

-- Oh, boy.

-Are we doing that these days?

-I guess so.

-They're not supposed to.

-- I don't think so.

-- Yeah, very unfortunate... -I mean, your name -is in the book?

-Yeah.

Your name and address.

-That's all you need.

-[Dukakis] Hi there!

-Happy Election Day!

-(cheerful music) -But it is an interesting -process, isn't it?

-!All this work, all this effort, -and all of a sudden, -on a given day... -I'm 85 now, -so a lot of these kids -weren't alive -when I was governor.

-And they don't know me -from a cord of wood.

-But being on campus, -working with some terrific -fellow faculty folks.

-!Being involved in campus life, -and more especially -having a chance -to work with these -young people -is really one of the best -things I've ever done.

-(Dukakis humming) -People still in there?

-- Hello.

-How are you?

-Looks like an exam, eh?

-Good morning, how are you?

-Good holiday?

-!- Good.

How are you, professor?

-How was your Thanksgiving?

-- It was good, it was good.

-Situation on the border isn't -getting any better, is it?

-- No, it was bad last night.

-You know, -people don't know that... -Well, a lot of people -don't know that -[student] I just flew back -from home last night.

-- Did you?

-- And for me, -it's a little different, -I have a US passport, -but they won't let you -leave the country -!without a booked return flight.

-You need to have an address -!where you're going to in the US, -and they're like -checking everything.

-I don't know.

-!The vetting process right now.

-!It's like flying out of Mexico -to here is impossible now.

-- Hi there.

-(students chatting) -(rain thrumming) -(gentle music) -I remember when we moved -from next door, to here.

-And I said to Kitty, "That's -the last time I'm moving."

-It was just next door.

-Here you go, love.

-- Okay.

Put it over there.

-Do you want to take her?

-- Yeah.

Come on, -come on, let's go.

-We've lived in this house -for nearly 50 years.

-I think, at least for me, -roots are important.

-!Let's go up this way, sweetheart -I'll grab it.

-You got her?

-- Yeah.

-- Okay.

-God, this stuff is thick.

-Come on, Kami.

-Come on, let's go.

-Living in a neighborhood -!where you know your neighbors, -is important.

-!You know, walking familiar paths -and connecting with people, -institutions, -things that have been part of -!your life, are very important.

-I mean, this is home.

-Now, Kitty and I, from the -time we were married -agreed on two things.

-First, no politics on Sunday -and dinner at home at -six o'clock at night.

-No exceptions.

-And we still stick with that.

-(bag crumpling) -This is a particularly -good day to make soup.

-It's cold outside and wet -and snowy, -and as it cooks, -it starts smelling good.

-You have to do a little -bit of cutting here -so I can fit this thing -in my pot.

-First time I started making -turkey soup was shortly -after Kitty declared -!independence from the kitchen.

-And she likes my food.

-(chuckles) -She likes eating it.

-If you are the son -of Greek immigrants, -!believe me, you waste nothing.

-I mean nothing.

-They use everything.

-And maybe that's true of -immigrant families generally.

-You never threw out anything.

-You made sure -that you used everything.

-My turkey soup recipe -is my mother's recipe.

-And it's as good now -as it's ever been.

-The words I used to hear -all the time was -"Oikonomía, Micháli, -oikonomía, Micháli," -which in Greek roughly is -"Save it, -don't waste it, Michael."

-That's how their son grew up.

-(Dukakis laughs) -!Never been able to get over it.

-Hated waste in government -(Dukakis chuckles) -and in one's personal life.

-My parents had, I think, -the same love -of America that -most immigrants have.

-That it was a remarkable -country.

-Both of them had come over -relatively young.

-My dad from a predominantly -Greek town in western Turkey -when he was 15, -in 1912, when the Young Turk -movement was just beginning.

-And how he, 12 years later, -graduated from -Harvard Medical School, -I have no idea.

-He didn't speak the language, -didn't have a -nickel in his pocket.

-Had a couple of brothers who -!were working the textile mills -in Lowell and Lawrence.

-My mother came over here -when she was nine -from central Greece -with her family, -they settled in Haverhill.

-Most of the members of -the family worked -in those shoe factories.

-And thanks to an elementary -school principal -named Stanley Gray, -my mother was the -first Greek girl -ever to go away to college, -unescorted, -in the history of -the United States -and went to Bates College -and graduated -Phi Beta Kappa in 1925.

-So, you can imagine -how they felt -about a country that had -given them such opportunity -and such advantages.

-(elevator beeps) -(gentle music) -Hi there.

-!Did you get a hold of Grodberg?

-- I reached out, -but unfortunately -he did not answer.

-So what I'm going to do... -- I got to email him.

-- Yeah.

-- What's his email?

-[Gallego] Yeah, give me -one second.

-I'll pull that up for you.

-There was a wait list -for his class, -about 30 people, because, -I mean, -everybody's always wanted -to take his course.

-So I meet with him -and I just blatantly ask him, -"Hey, governor, can you just -!let me sneak into your class?"

-And he's like, -"Oh yeah, absolutely.

-Just come on in the first day -and we'll -figure out the rest after."

-Obviously, there is the age -difference and all, -but I really do think -like the values are there, -the aspiration.

-He's definitely been someone -that has driven me -to pursue -a career in public service.

-He's really been someone to, -you know, -strategize with me -on what I should do, -not only for myself, -but obviously to give back -to my community -!and the best way I can do that.

-So I was originally -born in Colombia, -Medellin, Colombia.

-And my family actually had -to flee the country -when I was seven years old.

-We moved in and it was -my whole family -and we were living with -my aunt.

-!It was a one-bedroom apartment -right here in Boston, -!and there's five people living -in it for a couple months.

-He always tells me about how -his parents both immigrated -to the US, and how he grew up -to be the Democratic nominee -to be president -of the United States.

-!And really that American dream.

-Every Greek kid knows that -democracy began in Athens.

-I was a third grader -at the Baker School -in Brookline, Massachusetts.

-Even if you were a -third grader in World War II, -you knew that -things were going on.

-And you knew if you were -Greek American -that the Nazis were doing a -!terrible number on the Greeks.

-!And people aren't aware of this, -but there were 100,000 -Greek Jews -who lived in Greece and had -been there for generations.

-Only 5,000 survived, -and we knew about that.

-We knew about what was -going on.

-!And we had relatives over there -and the word was coming back -and so forth.

-In any event, my teacher, -a woman named Mary Ripley, -decided to have an election -of class officers -in the third grade.

-I have no idea why I ran -for the presidency of -the third grade class.

-I have no idea why my -classmates voted for me.

-But I was elected president -of the third grade class -(Dukakis chuckles) -at the Baker School.

-And certainly by the -time I was nine or ten, -I was becoming aware -politically.

-We would have visitors -from time to time -who had somehow -gotten out of Greece -and would come and have -dinner with us and talk about -what was going on -during the occupation.

-!This is Brookline High School.

-It's the school I went to, -and I used to hitchhike -from South Brookline, -which was several miles away, -every morning down here, -successfully.

-!Loved school, loved high school.

-Did well academically, -was a three sport athlete.

-And it was just one of those -good enriching (chuckles) -days full of activity.

-!And it was where I was elected -to the student council -and presided over the -dedication, -in 1949, see it?

-Of this building as student -council president.

-And played my basketball in -!what was then a brand new gym.

-Hi there.

How are you?

-Good to see you.

-(gentle music) -Well, this is where I came, -in my first elected office.

-I was a Town Meeting member -in the town of Brookline.

-You run from a precinct for -three-year terms.

-You don't get paid.

-But you are one of the -community leaders of sorts, -particularly in your -neighborhood.

-And I was at law school -at the time, -decided to run, printed up -some cards.

-Went out, rang every single -doorbell in the precinct.

-Stood in front of the -polling place for 13 hours -and got myself elected.

-And this is where I first -began engaging in, -what, official -debate on major issues.

-I used to be a student -in this place.

-- Who do you think this is?

-- Hi, -I used to be the governor, -Mike Dukakis.

-- I knew it, I knew it!

-Oh my gosh, I knew it!

-- Who ran for president -of the United States.

-- Sorry I lost -to that Bush guy.

-But "Dukakis", "Dukakis", -you know, -in those days we were so -ethnically conscious.

-- Right, right.

-- And you guys have no idea -about the amount of racial -and religious prejudice -!that was around in those days.

-You know, this business about -"When America was great..." -People of color could not -!live in the town of Brookline.

-With three exceptions, -two janitors' families -and my homeroom classmate, -Afrika Hayes, -whose father, Roland Hayes, -was a internationally -renowned tenor.

-- Yeah, right.

-That was it.

-If you were Black, you didn't -!live in the town of Brookline.

-And the antisemitism -was terrible.

-We had two big groups in the -high school at the time, -the Jewish kids and -the Irish kids.

-There was virtually no -inter-religious dating -of any kind of folks.

-Then there were neutrals -like me, you know, -the Greek kid, and I could -kind of roam around.

-Yeah.

-- That was life back when -America was great, right?

-- Yeah.

-(teacher laughs) -(gentle music) -I always had what a famous -American philosopher called - "A sense of injustice."

-I was running for reelection -for a third term, in 1986.

-And had pretty much quietly -decided that I wanted -to serve a third term -and then wrap it up.

-I mean, after 12 years, -I don't care -how great you are, -people are going to start -!getting a little tired of you.

-And then the Iran-Contra -scandal hit -during the -Reagan administration.

-Which was just outrageous.

-That Congress -had legislated an end -to our intervention -in Nicaragua, -which had been -a disaster anyway.

-And in violation of that, -the president and -the vice president -and the Reagan administration -generally, -had deliberately broken the -law by working on a deal -with Iran, of all places.

-That would make it -possible for them -to transfer weapons -to the Contras, -the outfit -that we were financing -to try to overturn -the Sandinista government -in Nicaragua.

-I mean, illegalities -all over the place.

-And it's the president -of the United States -and his administration -that are breaking the law.

-That kind of set me off.

-I don't like people -who break the law, -especially presidents -that break the law.

-It was only as a result -of Iran-Contra -that I started thinking -seriously about running -for the presidency, -because I was so appalled -by what was going on.

-The scrutiny was intense.

-No question about it.

-More intense than I had -ever experienced as governor.

-I'm in politics for, I hope, -the best reasons.

-I thought it was time -for something positive -and something that would -maybe be somewhat uplifting.

-But the fact remains, -!and if we needed that election -to remind us of it, -you cannot let the other guy -just kind of go at you.

-Especially -!some of the folks we're seeing -in politics these days who -!are just constantly attacking, -attacking, attacking.

-Insulting, you know, -all this kind of stuff.

-I made a decision, -it was my fault, -nobody else's, -it was my responsibility, -that I was not going to -respond to -the Bush attack campaign.

-Unfortunately, -the decision to not deal -with the attack campaign, -I think had a lot to do -with my losing.

-(pensive music) -Well, my last two years -as governor, -after the presidential run -weren't fun.

-Coulda, woulda, shoulda, -you know, that's life.

-(pot hissing) -I feel like a surgeon here.

-My recipe for democracy -is active participation -in the process.

-And not getting sidetracked -by individuals or movements -that clearly -don't believe in it.

-And we best -take that seriously.

-(tense music) -January 6th.

-It's something -to be concerned about.

-Because if people start -getting into the notion -that they can -rebel anytime they want to, -we're in trouble.

-This is a very precious gift -that we have, -and it's something -that has got to be nurtured -and supported -on a constant basis.

-(Dukakis humming) -Those things will kill you.

-What is it about -transportation that argues -for a substantial -federal presence, folks?

-Well, and it's -a national system.

-I mean, in this day and age, -you want -a transportation system -which serves -the entire country, -the entire economy, -and does so well.

-Who was the president who was -principally responsible -for the -transcontinental railroad?

-Any of you know?

-!A huge achievement at the time.

-Remember, it took, what?

-Weeks, months to -get across the country -in a covered wagon.

-How long once the -transcontinental railroad -was completed?

-Any of you know?

-Abraham Lincoln right in the -middle of the Civil War.

-And they did.

-And they moved a hell of -!a lot faster than we're moving -these days on -some of these projects.

-I mean, those Chinese -and Irish immigrants -were laying four miles -of track a day.

-These days, there is a fellow -at the State -Department of Transportation -that says it's going to -take us six years just -to permit the -North South Rail Link.

-Can you believe that?

-Just for permitting.

-(gentle music) -(Dukakis whistling) -the North-South T.

-It's such a no brainer, -I don't understand.

-Wouldn't that be -an awesome thing?

-Can you imagine how -many people we could move?

-Probably take 80,000 people -out of their cars every day.

-No question, but when you're -used to moving on this stuff, -!this is torture, for God's sake.

-Sheesh.

It's ridiculous.

-What the hell -are they scared of?

-They may be scared -of the scope of the project.

-And that's a very good guy -who's involved.

-- Yeah.

-What the hell do they -get paid for?

-[Gallego] What do you think -will come next of it?

-- Huh?

-- What do you think will -come next of it?

-I have no idea.

-Kitty and I have been riding -the T since we were five, -in the old wooden streetcars -in those days.

-So there's nothing unusual -!about my desire to ride the T.

-Now, I also happen to be a -rather passionate supporter -of public transportation.

-We've organized a group of -now over 200 people -who are part of this -working group.

-Over a hundred of them are -members of -the state legislature.

-They're trying to deal with -this problem every day -in their communities.

-And they're not getting much -help at the State House.

-People like transit and want -!to ride it, provided it works.

-And that's what's so -frustrating about this.

-It was not an encouraging -report, folks.

-!This administration just isn't -excited, interested, -energized, -to move on this thing.

-How can you have a -regional rail system -with a one-mile hole -in the middle of it?

-It's just ridiculous.

-And by the way, I've had -occasion to read the plan -for Toronto on the -same subject.

-And it's really -kind of embarrassing -to see how far that -city has come in planning -for this kind of a system.

-And where we are.

-So my conclusion is that -we've got to step this up.

-With press and otherwise.

-And join this parade -in a very serious way.

-(gentle music) -[Gallego] So I graduated -December 2019.

-I got lucky, honestly, -right before the pandemic -and everything happened.

-I was at the time -actually working -on Senator Ed Markey's -re-election campaign.

-I mean, of course that's -when COVID hit.

-I got a call from -Mayor Kim Driscoll, -who offered me to join her -team as campaign manager -and in a heartbeat, -I of course said yes.

-- Where are you guys headed -today, I heard East Boston?

-Yeah, this morning -we started off in Salem, -so right at home.

-And then we're here with -you guys -and then heading over -to East Boston -with Congresswoman -Ayanna Pressley.

-- Okay, great.

-It'll be good.

-I think its perfect because -it really speaks to -what Governor Dukakis -really drove home, -!is, you know, a precinct-based -grassroots campaign.

-And that's what -we're doing here.

-Election day is on Tuesday.

-So we are just gathering, -helping folks -to get all the information -!they need to go door knocking.

-Yeah.

Don't forget to vote.

-Have you voted yet?

-I'll be 71 -the last of this month, -and I never voted in my life.

-[Gallego] Well, -why don't we start this year?

-unless we have a -public transit system -that is funded, -that is not mismanaged.

-And I know that we -will have that -in a Healey-Driscoll -administration.

-(crowd applauds) -[Driscoll] -I can't thank you enough.

-Let's go get 'em with -three days to go.

-We can't do it without you.

-So thank you for being here.

-Thanks for all the work -that you're going to do -over the next three days -and all the work we're -going to do together -over the next three and -a half years.

-(crowd cheers) -[Dukakis] There's nothing -more personally fulfilling -and satisfying than being -in a position -where you can make a -difference in the lives -of your fellow citizens.

-And it's a gradual process.

-You don't suddenly wake up -one day -!and say, "Hey, I can do things."

-It's a process over time.

-!And if you are fortunate enough -!to be able to win public office -at higher and higher levels -and bring other people -together with you, -!there is nothing you can't do, -frankly.

-(bus whooshing by) -(gentle music) -[Gallego] There are so many -ways to impact change -and be a public servant.

-And I think it's important -for folks to remember that.

-You don't need to put -your name on the ballot.

-You don't need to be -campaigning -day in and day out.

-There's small ways to -impact your community -and impact the lives of -your neighbors.

-And we don't even realize it -sometimes, -but it's what makes our -communities great.

-It's amazing to think -that a year ago today, -our ticket won.

-We were voted into the -governor's office.

-!It is very different to go from -being on the campaign trail -to actually governing.

-As deputy chief of staff here -in the governor's office, -I'm tasked to oversee -whatever comes -through the desk of -the governor -and lieutenant governor.

-We're an old state.

-Several of our communities -are about -!to hit the 400-year anniversary.

-And there are a lot of -infrastructure needs, -our roads, our bridges.

-We are getting older.

-I'm constantly picking up -the phone, -calling Governor Dukakis, -asking him for advice.

-There doesn't go a day where -he doesn't, -!of course, bring up his project, -the North South Rail Link.

-!It's one of the missing pieces -to complete the Big Dig.

-And it will really be a -valuable resource for folks -to commute from literally -North and South Stations -and beyond our state.

-(audience cheers) -One of the things that I'm -proudest of in this campaign -!is the thousands and thousands -of young people who are -involved.

-(audience cheers) -!I hope many of you will go into -politics and public service.

-It is a noble profession, -a noble profession.

-(audience cheers) -You know, achieving -a democracy -that is as good as it -possibly can be is a work -in progress all the time.

-Is this a better country -than it was when I was a kid?

-No question about it.

-Do we have things to do?

-Yeah, we have a lot of things -to do.

-Terrific.

Have some.

-What do you think?

-"Fanfare for Michael Dukakis" -by John Williams plays