Palin McCain's Dan Quayle?

Democrats have been relishing every minute since Sen. John McCain announced that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would be his vice presidential running mate. The attacks have been fast and furious. Palin lacks experience; she has ties to the far right; she has scandals lurking in her personal background. Palin, Democrats say, is McCain's Dan Quayle.

This is among the most stinging comparisons in contemporary politics -- bringing back memories of the running mate of Vice President George H.W. Bush in 1988. One Republican at the Democratic National Convention in Denver last week, surprised by the pick, predicted, "Democrats will have a field day typecasting her as Quayle in a pantsuit."

The comparison has some merit. It is easy to look back at the media coverage of Quayle in August of 1988 and to find language that closely resembles today's talk about Palin.

But the Democrats are forgetting the important point: Quayle was on the winning ticket. The candidate with the far more seasoned running mate, Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis with Texas Sen. Lloyd Bensten, was trounced that year.....

You can read the rest of this piece in the Washington Independent

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Comments

[DarthVector]

12:50 AM on 09/05/2008

Actually, I think the way it's going, it would be better to describe Dan Quayle as GHW Bush's Palin, actually. The characterization is more accurately telling in that direction.

[JXB]

08:55 PM on 09/03/2008

Three quick points. First, for all of his shortcomings, Quayle was much more qualified than Palin. Unlike Palin, at the time of his selection, Quayle was a lawyer who had served a total of twelve years in Congress and had become the youngest ever elected Senator from Indiana. Further, I doubt Quayle was selected by a presidential candidate who had only met him once before, and I also don't recall Quayle being under an abuse of authority investigation at the time of his appointment.

Second, while Quayle/Bentsen and Palin/Biden may be somewhat analogous, Obama and Dukakis are not.

Third, and most important, the Bush/Quayle campaign followed Ronald Reagan, who finished with a 64% approval rating. McCain/Palin is following George W. Bush, enough said.