The Making of the President 1996
The Making of the President 1996 Since his arrival on the national scene in 1988, Vice President Dan Quayle has been a standard target for comedians. The steady barrage of jokes makes us...
...What is it...
...Reprinred by permission of HarperCollins Publishers...
...The steady barrage of jokes makes us forget that the reality of Quayle is far more laughable than any monologue...
...Sounds to me like you’re not sure...
...one anyway," said Quayle, "You know, it sounds t o me like you're giving a tape bronzed," Ringe speech...
...Jay Len0 or David Letterman would have killed to create the following material, but the Veep did it all by himself...
...Knopf Inc...
...Because I believe in public service...
...All right,” said Ringe, “and what are you running for...
...I’m Dan Quayle...
...asked Ringe, referring to Quayle's first job, in the consumer protection division of the attorney general's office...
...Why [so] many different [ones...
...He'd always say: What you're going to have ups and downs in life but there'll be more ups than downs and when you get down just remember there's another day...
...I’m Dan Quayle...
...He looked sort of real...
...Why was it a natural for somebody like yourself...
...Laws affect people...
...went to...
...He was brought to studio in Washington to be drilled in the art of eloquence...
...I am Dan Quayle...
...Actually it was a job...
...What...
...What was it about people that so intrigued you to want to become involved in policy or government...
...I didn’t have a burning desire to be president-that developed later...
...Relax...
...A tainly not t the time, there wasn’t this moral ambiguity as far as supporting the war but not being willing to sign up and go there-cerin my mind,” Quayle said...
...He's a fine person...
...I’m running for the U.S...
...The real Dan Quayle stand up...
...Why...
...Ringe asked him again “why you’re running...
...I had done what I thought was right, what I wanted to do at that particular time, which was to get on with my education, without making any kind of calculated decision about a political career, because I really wasn’t set on a political career at that time...
...I’m Dan Quayle...
...You were anti-con"I think," suggested Quayle, "my mother ther had always talked to me "I figured you liked that public service...
...He asked about talking to me...
...And, ah...
...And political science was a natural for someone like myself...
...Why...
...And political science, political science is the, ah, the best type of major most people say for going into law...
...Now tell me what was it that turned you on about consumer affairs...
...Quayle explained the various moves made by his family while he grew up...
...leadership...
...The tape begins with a voice exercise: “I’m Dan Quayle...
...Oh...
...Quayle paused and then tried again...
...Why are we getting into this...
...Why...
...Thought maybe a lawyer, interested in laws...
...Well,, I think that the most, ah, telling thing he said: Don't ever let the guys grind you down...
...I think I’m part of that new generation of leadership and I want to be part of that new generation of *I990 by Paul Tayloor.OAlfiedA...
...Tell me about your dad," asked Ringe...
...details of Quayle's early "Oh...
...I would be able to use that background and whatever I decided to do in my career...
...schools...
...First of all, "No," said Ringe, I've always had a general "I meant how many, how come you interest in government...
...And I think that was actually his statement to me when we had difficult times...
...He'd always say: The sun will shine another day...
...Just tended all those public tell me...
...It wasn't any special interest in the consumer affairs...
...Quayle laughed again...
...What that statement reflected was the political ambiguity of my situation...
...All right...
...What was it about consumer advocacy that interested you...
...I've always wanted to be a lawyer, to have a law background...
...If I had in fact known at that time that I really wanted to be president of the United States, then I could have calculated-like I think some of my generation thought about it in college and calculated for that reason-that . . . from a political point of view, it looks better on a resume to have served in Vietnam...
...Tell me about, tell me about your past...
...I left that up to my wife...
...Okay,” he agreed...
...I’m Dan Quayle-and what...
...I’m Dan Quayle...
...I had been more oriented toward law and the newspaper business...
...I needed a paycheck and the attorney general said that I would be the best to go down there because he knew that I was anti-consumer...
...Quayle explained that he had been a political science major at DePauw...
...Got you, I’ve got you, I’ve got you...
...And it's a good background for anything, whether you become a full-time lawyer or become a businessman or whether you get into government or whatever you're going to do...
...From Pledging Allegiance, by Sidney Blumenthal* "H e looked different...
...What, what is your motivation coming from...
...I'm sure you don't want...
...You're not replied...
...The tape of those training sessions was turned over to a transcription service for record keeping, and it is a rare document, revealing not only the unvarnished exchanges between a handler and his subject, worthy of Pygmalion, but the tentative efforts of a future vice president to locate his own motivations and beliefs...
...asked Quayle...
...days...
...asked Quayle...
...Secondly, I really always wanted to go to law school ever since I was a little kid...
...But I was never a full-time practicing attorney...
...You said some"You should just thing about having attell me why it is...
...From See How They Run, by Paul Taylor* Q uayle received his early campaign training from a professional handler, a media consultant named Don Ringe...
...Quayle laughed, according to the transcription notes...
...Senate...
...If you take the political science background plus going to law school, I wanted it for background for my own information...
...A young trick-or-treater's readtion after seeing Quayle at the door of the vice-presidential mansion, as reported in The Washington Times 'Q 1990 by Sidney Blumenthal...
...I've always wanted to have a law background...
...I want to have the opportunity to serve...
...Somebody that's been a great influence on me...
...Okay, just talk to "Because there you...
...Because I've always had a deep interest in government...
...The real Dan Quayle...
...I’m Dan Quayle...
...The Making of the President 1996 Since his arrival on the national scene in 1988, Vice President Dan Quayle has been a standard target for comedians...
Vol. 22 • December 1990 • No. 11
