Dan Quayle Quotes

Dan Quayle presents straightforward, sometimes quirky reflections on policy and the choices ahead.

58 quotes

1. 'There were no Palestinians riding on planes on September 9th.'

2. 'My National Guard unit did a tour of duty in Vietnam.'

3. 'The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation's history. I mean in this century's history. But we all lived in this century. I didn't live in this century.'

4. It is not just age; it's accomplishments, it's experience. I have far more experience than many others that sought the office of vice president of this country. I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency. I will be prepared to deal with the people in the Bush administration, if that unfortunate event would ever occur.

5. 'In George Bush you get experience, and with me you get the future.'

6. 'Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things.'

7. 'Hawaii 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.'

8. 'What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.'

9. The other day [the President] said, I know you've had some rough times, and I want to do something that will show the nation what faith that I have in you, in your maturity and sense of responsibility. (He paused, then said) Would you like a puppy?

10. 'We are on an irreversible trend towards more freedom and democracy - but that could change.'

11. 'Mars is essentially in the same orbit...Mars is somewhat the same distance from the Sun, which is very important. We have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, and water. If there is water, that means there is oxygen. If oxygen, that means we can breathe.'

12. 'One word sums up probably the responsibility of any Governor, and that one word is 'to be prepared'.'

13. 'For NASA, space is still a high priority.'

14. 'We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur.'

15. 'I have been asked who caused the riots and the killing in LA, my answer has been direct & simple: Who is to blame for the riots? The rioters are to blame. Who is to blame for the killings? The killers are to blame.'

16. 'Illegitimacy is something we should talk about in terms of not having it.'

17. 'I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix.'

18. 'Potato. P-O-T-A-T-O-E.'

19. 'My friends, no matter how rough the road may be, we can and we will never surrender to what is right.'

20. '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.'

21. 'The question is: Are we going to go forward to tomorrow, or past to the back?'

22. 'We should develop anti-satellite weapons because we could not have prevailed without them in 'Red Storm Rising''.

23. 'I stand by all my misstatements.'

24. 'The future will be better tomorrow.'

25. 'A word of advice: 'get a job.''

26. 'We're going to have the best educated American people in the world.'

27. 'People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history.'

28. Quotes from MAD magazine with 'future quotes we can expect to hear'...[2]

29. 'I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the only regret I have was that I didn't study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people.'

30. 'If we do not succeed, then we run the risk of failure.'

31. Official Dan Quayle Site

32. link to Mars quote

33. Votes are like trees, if you are trying to build a forest. If you have more trees than you have forests, then at that point the pollsters will probably say you will win.

34. This is what I say about the scorn of the media elite: I wear their scorn as a badge of honor.

35. We will invest in our people, quality education, job opportunity, family, neighborhood, and yes, a thing we call America.

36. It's time for the human race to enter the solar system.

37. If Al Gore invented the Internet, I invented spell check.

38. I want to be Robin to Bush's Batman.

39. We lead in exporting jobs.

40. The destruction, it is just very heart-rendering.

41. Let me just be very clear that the Republican Party will select a nominee that will beat Bill Clinton.

42. The President scores much better than Bill Clinton.

43. I would guess that there's adequate low-income housing in the country.

44. The U.S. victory in Gulf War was a stirring victory for the forces of aggression.

45. There are lots more people in the House. I don't know exactly - I've never counted, but at least a couple hundred.

46. I work with the president almost on a daily basis. I was with him until 6:30 last night. I'll be with him Thursday morning. We talk every day.

47. When you make as many speeches and you talk as much as I do and you get away from the text, it's always a possibility to get a few words tangled here and there.

48. Speaking as a man, it's not a woman's issue. Us men are tired of losing our women.

49. I told you all lawyers are worthless. After all it takes won (sic) to know one.

50. Pakistan always seems to have a lot of political complexities and political challenges. But Pakistan is important for a number of reasons. Primarily, it is a nuclear power. And if, in fact, al Qaeda and Taliban, which are in Pakistan and causing a lot of tragedies and deaths in Pakistan - if they would ever somehow have real influence and control of that government, then we [world] really have a problem.

51. It's wonderful to be here in the great state of Chicago.

52. Perestroika is nothing more than refined Stalinism.

53. You do the policy, I'll do the politics.

54. We don't want to go back to tomorrow, we want to move forward.

55. They asked me to go in front of the Reagans. I'm not used to going in front of President Reagan, so we went out behind the Bushes.

56. Air travel efficiency would improve if more travelers started going to less popular places.

57. I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag, and to the Savior, for whose Kingdom it stands, one Savior, crucified, risen, and coming again, with life and liberty for all who believe.

58. Well, it looks as if the top part fell on the bottom part.