Lloyd Bentsen

Lloyd Bentsen was the Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1988 presidential election. Previously he served as a United States Senator for Texas. He later served under President Bill Clinton as Secretary of the Treasury.

During the Vice Presidential debate in 1988, the question of whether Republican candidate Dan Quayle had enough experience to serve as Vice President came up for the third time in that debate, and Quayle answered it by comparing his Congressional experience with that of John F. Kennedy when he sought the Presidency. Bentsen had known Kennedy for a short time while they were both serving in Congress, and decided to exaggerate this fact in his response (below), which changed the issue from Quayle's experience to his capability. Quayle responded simply that Bentsen's attack was "uncalled for," which Bentsen countered by blaming Quayle for bringing up the comparison in the first place. However, many commentators have since expressed the opinion that Bentsen and the Democratic Party had influenced the moderators into repeatedly asking Quayle questions on his experience, so that he would eventually bring up the Kennedy comparison that he had been making in previous speeches, and therefore allow Bentsen to fire off his scripted line. Bentsen's ultimate aim was likely to try and goad Quayle into attacking the memory of Kennedy; however, Quayle tactfully avoided making what could have been a humiliating and disastrous blunder.

Bentsen was a decorated World War II combat veteran, serving in the United States Army Air Corps.

Quotes:

• "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." Response to Dan Quayle during the 1988 Vice-presidential debate.