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Quayle also found himself enmeshed in controversy when it was alleged that his serving stateside in the [[National Guard]] during the [[Vietnam War]] was due to family connections in order to avoid the draft.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE6DD1231F932A1575BC0A96E948260&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Organizations/R/Republican%20Party BUSH STRUGGLING TO SHED QUESTIONS ON QUAYLE SERVICE]</ref> There was more controversy over a Vice President serving in the National Guard than there was over the next President ([[Bill Clinton]]) avoiding the war altogether.

Quayle also found himself enmeshed in controversy when it was alleged that his serving stateside in the [[National Guard]] during the [[Vietnam War]] was due to family connections in order to avoid the draft.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE6DD1231F932A1575BC0A96E948260&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Organizations/R/Republican%20Party BUSH STRUGGLING TO SHED QUESTIONS ON QUAYLE SERVICE]</ref> There was more controversy over a Vice President serving in the National Guard than there was over the next President ([[Bill Clinton]]) avoiding the war altogether.

Perhaps the lowest blow directed at Quayle occurred during his vice presidential debate with Democrat [[Lloyd Bentsen]], [[Michael Dukakis]]' running mate. Quayle had already been subjected to being asked the same question three times, an unprecedent move by the moderators who were supposed to be neutral.  When they went on to query him on his comparatively short record, he replied that he had as much Congressional experience as [[John F. Kennedy]]. Bentsen's operatives had overheard Quayle making the comment during practice, and Bentsen had already forged a reply in case the statement was made in the debate. Unwilling or unable to factually counter Quayle's assertion, Bentsen decided to make a deeply personal attack that sidestepped the issue completely, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." Incredibly, the vicious personal attack was not condemned by the press as unprofessional and unbecoming and instead actually became a rallying cry for the Democratic party, but also led to a tactical mistake on the part of the Dukakis-Bentsen ticket.  They decided to make a concerted effort to attack Quayle's performance and worthiness instead of focusing on attacking the Presidential candidate George Bush. The Bush-Quayle ticket coasted to victory in November.  

Perhaps the lowest blow directed at Quayle occurred during his vice presidential debate with Democrat [[Lloyd Bentsen]], [[Michael Dukakis]]' running mate. Quayle had already been subjected to being asked the same question three times, an unprecedent move by the moderators who were supposed to be neutral.  When they went on to query him on his comparatively short record, he replied that he had as much Congressional experience as [[John F. Kennedy]]. Bentsen's operatives had overheard Quayle making the comment during practice, and Bentsen had already forged a reply in case the statement was made in the debate. Unwilling or unable to factually counter Quayle's assertion, Bentsen decided to take the fact that he had known Kennedy for a short while in the late 1940s and massively exaggerate it in order to make a deeply personal attack that sidestepped the issue completely, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." Obviously left hurt and shellshocked by the sudden attack, Quayle could only reply that Bentsen's remark was "really uncalled for."

As Vice President, he had a much publicized "feud" with "[[Murphy Brown]]", a then popular TV character played by [[Candice Bergen]]. Dan Quayle said that she was a poor role model for getting pregnant out of wedlock. His statements led to a media backlash.  Even though Quayle took great care in noting he was not criticizing women who were in that situation through no particular fault of their own, he was besieged with false allegations and smears.  

 

As Vice President, he had a much publicized "feud" with "[[Murphy Brown]]", a then popular TV character played by [[Candice Bergen]]. Dan Quayle said that since she had given birth to a child out of wedlock, she was a poor role model for young women. His statements led to a media backlash.  Even though Quayle took great care in noting he was not criticizing women who were in that situation through no particular fault of their own, he was besieged with false allegations and smears.  

The incorrectly spelled word ''potatoe'' on a list handed him by an aide led to a humiliating gaffe. <ref>http://capitalcentury.com/1992.html</ref>

The incorrectly spelled word ''potatoe'' on a list handed him by an aide led to a humiliating gaffe. <ref>http://capitalcentury.com/1992.html</ref>

The media played up Quayle's error while ignoring Senator [[Al Gore]]'s momentous gaffes as Bill Clinton's running mate in the 1992 election: Gore referred to a zebra changing its "spots" and misquoted the U.S. national motto as "Out of one, many" (actually it's "Out of many, one").<ref>http://www.gargaro.com/algore.html</ref>

The media played up Quayle's error while ignoring Senator [[Al Gore]]'s monumentous gaffes as Bill Clinton's running mate in the 1992 election: Gore referred to a zebra changing its "spots" and misquoted the U.S. national motto as "Out of one, many" (actually it's "Out of many, one").<ref>http://www.gargaro.com/algore.html</ref>

This treatment of Quayle was looked upon with something of shocked dismay by politicians of the time, who thought they were a refinement in the attack methods honed by the media on [[Spiro Agnew]] who served as [[Richard M. Nixon]]'s first Vice President, and a harbinger of things to come.  Many conservatives see the heavy handed attacks on [[Clarence Thomas]] as a continuation of this same press strategy.

This treatment of Quayle was looked upon with something of shocked dismay by politicians of the time, who thought they were a refinement in the attack methods honed by the media on [[Spiro Agnew]] who served as [[Richard M. Nixon]]'s first Vice President, and a harbinger of things to come.  Many conservatives see the heavy handed attacks on [[Clarence Thomas]] as a continuation of this same press strategy.