The VP's Revenge

As resurrections go, the phoenix rising from the ashes may be the most famous, but the one now being attempted by Dan Quayle is almost as ambitious.

Ridden out of Washington two years ago as a has-been who many believed had seen his political heyday pass, Quayle is now hoping--many feel realistically--to become the Republican Party's presidential nominee in 1996.

Some of you may be laughing right about now, and understandably. Dan Quayle, you say, the same one who provided the Tonight Show with its opening monologue for four years?

The same one who showed amazing aptitude for foreign affairs early on in the Bush administration by asking a group of Samoans. "Are we all happy campers?" The same Quayle who was photographed in ElSalvador pointing a rocket launcher at his elbow?

Potatoe?

Yes, the very same. In case you missed Quayle's Nightline appearance two weeks ago, he's back and beginning to rebuild his public image. After Clinton defeated Bush in the '92 race, Quayle did the intelligent thing for a vice-president on a losing ticket with future ambitions--he dropped out of night. He began work on a book and continued to maintain a low profile for the beginning of the new administration. And now that Clinton is faltering, sure enough; here comes Dan Quayle's name again--this time sounding much more mature and more presidential than before.

H is hopes are not as ridiculous as they sound. Once upon a time in the mid-'80s, Quayle was viewed as one of the young darlings of the Republican party, a real corner.

Then he was offered the second spot on George Bush's ticket in a last minute move which surprised almost everyone, perhaps no one more than Quayle himself.

During the press conference where he was introduced as the vice-presidential nominee, Quayle acted more like a younger brother-cum-cheerleader than a serious candidate. His almost hysterical joy made him appear even younger than his cherubic face would indicate. And while America loves youth, it doesn't like immaturity in the person one heart-beat away from the presidency.

In fairness to Quayle, he was rushed onto the national political scene without proper preparation. Almost any other politician who had just learned they would jump from relative obscurity onto the presidential ticket would be equally thrilled. But from that moment on, Quayle was not taken seriously. The media contributed to this image by taking every opportunity to make him look like the village idiot.

Now, for Dan Quayle to truly have another political life, much of his baggage must be blamed on the "liberal press." As the junior senator from Indians, he was not used to the scrutiny and viciousness that characterizes the national press corps. While he did provide them with plenty of ammunition, he never even had a fair chance. After a few mistakes, most probably caused by inexperience, the press decided Quayle was the lightest of lightweights.

Usually, such a determination by the press can be fatal to a political career, but Quayle is fortunate that he has a few factors working to his advantage. The first is that the press did too good a job of making Quayle out to be a joke. It refused to let him fade away, but rather constantly went after him to such an extent that some voters feel sorry for Quayle, and everyone knows who he is. Some perceive him as the victim of a vendetta, not his own actions. After all, could anyone really he that bad?

This picture of a man unfairly persecuted is aided by the image the press has today. The coverage of events ranging from the O.J. Simpsorr case to the Whitewater affair has led to a barrage of criticism against it. This in itself is not unusual, but the level of distrust is extremely high. Right now, that distrust is exactly what Quayle needs. He has the opportunity to play up the criticism he received from liberals and the press; he could create a backlash against them and look like a martyr for his cause.

The ferocity of the past attacks against him have ensured that he will not be forgotten. Now, what he must do is shift the name recognition from a negative to a positive. Ironically, Quayle's biggest side in restoring his image might be the man he is trying to unseat, Bill Clinton.

While criticism was not infrequent during Quayle's tenure as vice-president, very little was as harsh as the entire "family values" debacle. For the one of you out there who missed it, Quayle blamed many of America's problems on the decline of family values. He talked about the problem of single parent homes and the instability caused by them. As a result of all this, Murphy Brown saw unprecedented television ratings and Quayle was vilified in the press for attacking single mothers. He protested that he had been misunderstood, but to no avail.

Fast forward a few years to the present and you find the family values theme which once screamed right-wing Republican being used by none other than Bill and Hillary Clinton. So, maybe Quayle wasn't that big a criminal after all. In his recent interview, he commented that he had not meant to criticize the single mothers, but rather dead-beat dads, and only meant that a two parent environment was healthier for a child the exact thing the Clinton are saying.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the interview which seemed to indicate Quayle's political growth was that he resisted the temptation to gloat and take credit for inaugurating the family values sound bite. Instead, he said the idea was actually nor his at all; rather, that he was drawing on ideas brought up by Sen. Daniel P. Moynihan (D-N.Y.) years ago. Quayle looked supremely reasonable and the press looked like the distorting villain, just the tack he hopes to take to restore his credibility.

To be a major contender for the nomination, Quayle must go beyond merely negating bad publicity and actually build support. Here he is in as good a position as any other Republican candidate. Quayle is a candidate who can draw from various aspects of the party. He is the darling of the conservatives and liked by the religious right as well. While in office he was one of the few members of the Bush administration who gained favor with that wing of the party.

But beyond his right-wing base, Quayle is also a reminder of the Reagan-Bush years, a time for which many moderate Republicans yearn. The appeal of his link to the 1980s cannot be underestimated. Already he has been collecting endorsements from various party figures, putting him ahead of many other candidates in that department.

So, will Quayle be the nominee is '96? It is far too early to be able to make any realistic picks, but he appears to have as good a chance as anyone. Bob Dole is "old, cold" and he's been around forever. Jack Kemp appears to have little support from the party. Phil Gramm does not appear to have the following. Dick Cheney has been out of sight, though his name has been mentioned. Powell Baker? The list and arguments can go on for ever, but amazingly enough, Dan Quayle is in the running.