Special Sub-Topic: It's Quayle Season Authored by: superferd Sub-topic of: Dan Quayle

"There is nothing that a good defense cannot beat a better offense. In other words a good offense wins." This quote was an attempt by Dan Quayle to compare the offensive capabilities of the Warsaw Pact with the defensive system of NATO". Who was the inspiration for Dan's "offense over defensive" theory?

Bobby Knight. Dan got this idea from the then coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. He had been asked about the parallel history project of NATO and the Warsaw project. Sentence structure did not seem to be his forte. Perhaps he should have stuck to spelling ;)

"Republicans understand the importance of ______ between a mother and child." One of these answers fills in the blank.

bondage. I wonder if that is what Dan was thinking about during Bush's "family values" speeches?

"I want to be Robin to Bush's Batman." Did Dan Quayle said this?

Y. This, of course, is not to be mistaken for George W. Bush (he is fighting the axis of evil).

Which of the following is NOT a quote from Dan Quayle?

I was one of the main people behind the creation of the Internet. This was Al Gore's claim to fame. It may be hard to believe but Dan Quayle did utter the other three quotations.

"Maybe you guys will get lucky this year and face the Orioles in the World Series?" Who was Dan Quayle addressing when he stated this?

Milwaukee Brewers. This was a quote from the Sunday Detroit News after Dan threw out the opening pitch of the season on 5/3/92. The Brewers at that time were still in the American league, as were the Orioles, so this could not have occurred. I am sure the Orioles were not too happy to hear about this anyway.

"I have made good judgments in the ______. I have made good judgments in the _______."

past ... future. Either Dan was using his sixth sense and reporting what would happen in the future or he had a little problem with his tenses. I'll leave it for you to decide.

"_______ has always been a very pivotal role in the Pacific. It is IN the Pacific. It is a part of the United States that is an island that is right here." What was Dan talking about?

Hawaii. This was in September of 1989 as Dan told the people of Hawaii first how important they were, then where they were, and then drove home the point again. Perhaps the congregation in Hawaii did not know they were in the Pacific Ocean and needed reassurance?

"Target prices? How that works? I know quite a bit about farm policy. I come from Indiana, which is a farm state. Deficiency payments - which are the key - that is what gets money into the farmer's hands. We got loan, uh, rates, we got target, uh, prices, uh, I have worked very closely with my senior colleague, (Indiana Sen.) Richard Lugar, making sure that the farmers of Indiana are taken care of." Dan's press secretary then cut the press conference short in order to stop Dan from continuing to stumble over his words. How long did the press conference last?

2 minutes and 30 seconds. This was Dan's response to being asked to define the term "target prices". Dan's press secretary was a busy man, as he always had to be on his toes and know when to pull the plug.

Dan Quayle was given an empty box as a gift from a sailing team in South America. He was told that the gift was not ready yet and would be presented to him in the United States. Which of the following quotes was Dan's response?

Okay, I won't open it until then. His comment was met with silence and then laughter. Dan joined in and laughed too. I do not know if he ever opened the box expecting the gift to magically appear.

Which quote came out of Dan's mouth at a press conference in San Francisco after the 1989 earthquake?

All of these (I couldn't help but be impressed by the magnitude of the earthquake, The loss of life will be irreplaceable, The destruction, it is just very heart-rendering). It is the thought that counts. Dan genuinely seemed saddened for the victims. However, thoughts for Dan did not always come out in the correct wording.

"You all look like happy campers to me. Happy campers you are, happy campers you have been, and, as far as I am concerned, happy campers you will always be." Who was Dan talking to?

America Samoans. This was an address to American Samoans after he misprounced their capital, "Pogo Pogo". The correct name is Pago Pago (pronounced Pango Pango).

In a speech after a huge layoff in which 74,000 Americans lost their jobs, Dan uttered the following quote:

Need Any Help?. This was in October of 1991 after Bush had finished his speech. Curiously enough, this was all Dan said and then the press conference was cut short.

In a speech a few days after that and enduring some criticism, Dan Quayle stated that America was NOT in a recession. "We've had growth and people need to know that. They need to be more upbeat and positive." Who are "they"?

the media. He was talking about the newspapers and media that had roasted him for his earlier statement of "Need any help?" "If you listen to the news, read the news, you'd think we were still in a recession. Well, we're not in a recession." Unfortunately for Dan, the media did not let up on him or turn more upbeat.

Who did Dan Quayle blame for the riots in Los Angeles following the Rodney King verdict?

The Rioters. "Who's responsible for the riots? The rioters!" Herb Caen from the San Francisco Chronicle outlined this quote and explained it as the vice-president giving an intelligent, in-depth analysis of the LA Riots.

"I don't watch it, but I know enough to comment on it." What was Dan referring to?

Murphy Brown. This was in May 1992 as Dan Quayle attempted to defend his earlier comments about "Murphy Brown." Candice Bergen, who played the character of Murphy Brown, was a single mother on the show. Dan had said, "It's immoral to parent irresponsibly... And it doesn't help matters any when prime time TV, like "Murphy Brown", a character who is supposed to represent a successful career woman of today, mocks the importance of the father by bearing a child alone, and calling it just another "lifestyle choice." Marriage is probably the best anti-poverty program there is... Even though our cultural leaders in Hollywood, network TV, the national newspapers routinely jeer at [such values] I think most of us in this room know that some things are good, and other things are wrong." When told about Quayle's comments, a senior Bush campaign official replied only "Oh, dear." Bush's top aid said, "The world is a lot more complex than Dan would like to believe."

"Speaking as a man, it's not a woman's issue. Us men are tired of losing our women." To what issue was Dan referring to?

breast cancer. Even though he sounded like a caveman, Dan did get his point across.

"The real question for 1988 is whether we're going to go forward to tomorrow or past to the ________?"

back. This seems to contrast a quote from Dan in 1988 where he stated "Public Speaking is Very Easy".

"I could take this home, Marilyn. This is something teenage boys might find of interest." What was Dan referring to?

A South African Indian Doll. Dan and Marilyn were on vacation in South Africa and when he picked up the doll, it displayed an erection. The footage was immediately shown in America.

"I would not have married Marilyn Quayle had I not thought she was an equal to me." Did Dan Quayle make this statement?

N. Actually, Marilyn said this about Dan. I would define this is as an example of "Standing by your man!"

In a speech to the Christian coalition, Dan made the following statement: "My friends, no matter how rough the road may be, we can and we will, never, never surrender to what is _______"

Right. Well... at least he showed accountability when he stated, "I stand by all the misstatements that I have made."