Bentsen consistently had the highest favorable ratings of any of the four. A smarter strategy for Dukakis would have been to go into hiding and pretend that Bentsen was at the top of the ticket.
In heinseight, despite his epic takedown of Dan Quayle in the VP debate Bensten was really kind of a stupid pick strategically. Dukukis should have known that he couldn't beat Bush in Texas and gone with a Midwesterner instead, someone like John Glenn.
Texas was much less Republican back then.
I mean if you have to "go into hiding and pretend your VP is at the top of the ticket" then you've already lost then.