Dan Quayle (Clinton Who?)

Dan Quayle

42nd President of the United States, who succeeded George H.W. Bush in 1996.

Quayle's Vice-President was Senator Bob Dole and together they defeated Senator Al Gore and California Governor Gray Davis by a 51-49% popular vote and 4 electoral votes.

Quayle's Presidency was marred by several terrorist attacks that took place and apparently caught him by surprise. The first a bombing of the World Trade Center Tower #1, followed a year later by the destruction of a Federal building in Oklahoma City. Though the terrorists involved ranged from Muslim extremists to "home-grown" American militia members, a pervasive sense of attack gripped the country.

Additionally, though practically "given" a rapidly decreasing budget deficit and booming "tech bubble" economy, Quayle concentrated his efforts on "social policy", inacting several anti-abortion and anti-"separation of church & state" bills passed by the Republican Congress. These proved extremely unpopular outside of the Republican "religious conservative" base, and Quayle's poll numbers by 1998 were in the high 30s.

In 1998, Republicans lost their Senate majority by one vote and Senator Jim Jeffords became an independent, thereby granting the Senator Majority Leadership to Tom Daschle. In the House, Speaker Newt Gingrich kept a five seat majority, but successfully blamed the losses they incurred on Quayle.

By 2000, serious considerations were being given to replacing Quayle, but Republican party unity remained committed to him. Meanwhile, the Democrats finally unified under a "moderate ticket", nominated Senator John Breaux and Representative Bill Richardson. Ultimately, the Quayle/Dole ticket lost 48-51% of the popular vote and by 14 electoral votes.