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Democratic Candidates and the Death Penalty

By Jeralyn, Section Elections
Posted on Tue Dec 09, 2003 at 08:21:50 AM EST
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If you're looking for enlightenment about the death penalty from this year's crop of Democratic presidential contenders, you're unlikely to find it. Only Kucinich, Sharpton and Mosely Braun oppose it. This article in the Boston Globe traces the other six candidates' evolving positions on capital punishment--three, Dean, Lieberman and Edwards, have moved from opposing it to supporting it--at least in limited situations.

The article traces the shift first to 1988 and the disasterous Michael Dukakis bid for President:

In 1988, Dukakis's stock crashed after he was asked whether he would favor the death penalty if his wife was raped and murdered. He replied with detachment: "I don't see any evidence that it's a deterrent, and I think there are better and more effective ways to deal with violent crime. We've done so in my own state." He went on to lose 40 states to George H. W. Bush.

The 1992 emergence of Bill Clinton, who supported the death penalty, was another factor. Here are the shifts among the major candidates:

As Governor of Vermont, Howard Dean said, "A state shouldn't be in the business of taking people's lives." In 1994, he changed course, accepting the penalty for terrorists and those who killed police officers and young children.

John Kerry says he's an opponent of capital punishment--except for terrorists.

In the 1970's, as a state senator in Connecticut, Joe Liberman opposed the death penalty. He changed course while serving as the state's attorney general in the 1980's.

As a trial lawyer, John Edwards opposed the death penalty. He says he changed his mind as his children grew up. He supports the death penalty for "the most heinous crimes."

Wesley Clark said he would support a moratorium on the death penalty after announcing his presidential bid. Now he says he supports the death penalty "for the most heinous crimes."

Gephardt has always supported the death penalty.

As we reported here, a new Gallup poll shows that support for the death penalty among the public has dropped to its lowest number in 25 years--but 64% still support it.

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