In the 1988 Vice Presidential Debates, Dan Quayle responded to criticisms that he was too young and inexperienced by
saying that he was as old then as JFK was when he entered politics. Llyod Bentsen's response has gone down in history as one
of the greatest slams in American politics: "You're no Jack Kennedy!" It all seemed a bit too rehearsed to me, and even a
little unfair. I don't have any great love for Dan Quayle, but he wasn't really comparing himself to Jack Kennedy, and he
just stood sputtering and embarrassed and he even looked for a second like the 12 year old kid that they had parodying him
on Saturday Night Live.
I don't have much of an opinion about Dan Quayle one way or the other, but I don't think anyone gave him a chance.
I remember when Bush first announced his choice of Quayle for a running mate, everyone seemed to immediately dislike him and
say he was too young, even though four years later, when the Democrats nominated two young candidates, they were being called
The Next Generation and the New Hope and whatever.
This is why I was thinking today what would happen if that guy from Quantum Leap went back in time as Dan
Quayle at just that moment, and just slammed him back.
"Thank you, Senator, and I want to assure the American people that I am no Jack Kennedy. No one ever
accused me of having Nazi sympathies, I don't cheat on my wife and I have no ties to the mob. I'm no Jack Kennedy, bitch!"
That would be so awesome. Sure, it would have been all controversial and everyone would have been all aghast that
he would say anything bad about JFK, but they'd remember it.
And who knows, maybe he would have redeemed himself in the public eye. Maybe he would have changed the entire political
landscape. Maybe he would have saved Bush's Presidency, defeated Clinton in 92, and led the way to his own term of office.
And today, we'd have cities on the moon and cars that fly.
