Dan Quayle and Life Before the Vice Presidency

Sometimes he acts as if he has been disturbed,
But other times he is as cheerful as a bird...
-- Dan Quayle from a poem written to his dad as a youth on display in the Quayle Museum. (reported in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, 6/17/93)

I was a less than serious student in college. If I had it to do over again, I would be far more serious. I did play a lot of golf. But I don't think that's any reflection on my ability to lead this nation.
-- Vice President Dan Quayle

Looking back, I should have pursued philosophy and economics and things of that sort in college more, but I didn't.
-- Vice President Dan Quayle

I didn't pay a lot of attention as I should have in college.
-- Vice President Dan Quayle

[At the Quayle house, civil rights and the environment] weren't things that we discussed a lot at the dinner table.
-- Vice President Dan Quayle (reported in High Times, 11/92)

People of my generation had that little bit of rebellion and independence with your parents. But in my case... there wasn't any social rebellion where I said, "Parents, you really don't know what it's all about."
-- Vice President Dan Quayle (reported in High Times, 11/92)

She was attracted to me by my intellectual curiosity.
-- Vice President Dan Quayle talking about Marilyn (reported in High Times, 11/92)

I've never professed to be anything but an average student.
-- Senator Dan Quayle during the VP debate in Omaha, Nebraska (10/88)

It was just a job. It wasn't any special interest in consumer affairs. I needed a paycheck and the Attorney General said that I would be best to go down there, because he knew I was anti-consumer.
-- Vice President Dan Quayle and talking about his job as Chief investigator, consumer protection division of the Indiana Attorney General's office from 1970-1971.

Life has been very good to me. I never had to worry about where I was going to go. But I do say, "Dan, you know, sometime in life there's going to be a tragedy." There was never anything where "I've got to work really hard to get there..."
-- Senator Dan Quayle engaging in self-reflection while on the campaign trail. (reported in the Washington Post, 10/10/88)

I'll have to check with my dad.
-- Dan Quayle responding when an Indiana GOP county chairman asked him to run for Congress in 1976. (reported by the Washington Post, 10/2/88)

I feel that this [1981] is my first year, that next year is an election year, that the third year is the mid point and that the fourth year is the last chance I'll have to make a record since the last two years, I'll be a candidate again. Everything I do in those last two years will be posturing for the election. But right now I don't have to do that.
-- Senator Dan Quayle

I know one committee I don't want -- Judiciary. They are going to be dealing with all those issues like abortion, bussing, voting rights, prayers. I'm not interested in those issues and I want to stay as far away from them as I can.
-- Senator Dan Quayle (from 'What a Waste it Is to Lose One's Mind' -- the Unauthorized Autobiography)