European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 9, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes Page 10 columns James Kilpatrick Quay a was f bad besides it did t matter . I i a t i i i . V__._j-. Amiul t pm two Reg m la Hail he Thi of republicans. Relax. Draw a Long breath. You can open your eyes no. Dan Quayle made it across Omaha Beach. He stood up reasonably Well against the democrats Loyd Belsen. Let i now gel Back to the contest that counts. The Quayle Bentsen joint appearance was t the great est forensic Collesi since Lincoln debated Douglas but the Republican Camp had cause for satisfaction thursday morning. Quayle came through As an tames Young Manvery Earnest and very Young with a reasonably firm grasp on the key Domestic issues of the Day. He May be no great asset to the Republican Campaign. Few vice presidential nominees Ever qualify As assets. Remember Geraldine Ferraro remember Spiro Agnew but Quayle ceased to be a liability. This was a net plus. Democrats while professing jubilation Are bound to be Dis comforted and disappointed. They had prayed for Quayle to make some awful Gaffe and he Lei the Down. If Quayle was uptight tense unsmiling too serious he nevertheless showed that he could take a punch and give one in return. Both nominees had been Force fed like a pair of French geese. They were gorged Wilh prepackaged an Swers. Quayle was determined to get in a lick Abou Boston Harbor Bentsen had to denounce Reagan Defi  they did t care what the questions allowed the were going to play their trombones anyhow. Bentsen asked about gun control responded with his answer on Trade. Ringside judges concentrated on the evening1 big sound bite. Quayle led with his Chin in comparing his qualifications at age 41 in 1988 to the Ualifi Caironi of John f. Kennedy at age 43 in 1960. Pulling one re sume against another this might seem plausible. Kennedy served three terms in the House then upset Henry Cabot Lodge to win a Seal in the Senate Quayle served two terms in the House then upset Birch baby to go to the upper chamber. Kennedy left no discernible Mark on the Senate he spent he last four years of ii six year term politicking for the presidential nomination but inc same could be said of Quayle. Beyond the paper resumes comparison  acted heroically in world War ii. He had an ease of manner a spontaneous wit a tense of Grace thai Quayle cannot match. All this permitted Bentsen to land his uppercut of the evening you re no Jack  Bentsen was primed cocked and loaded for that Buckshot blast but in May have misfired. Not everyone is crazy about the name of Kennedy Quayle s level response that was really uncalled for Sckalor won him some  also scored by reminding viewers of Bent sen s Bonehead invitation to lobbyists to breakfast Wilheim Al s 10,000 a plate. They did t come for com flakes said Quayle. Bentsyn looked embarrassed Quayle s  the thursday morning Post Mort Ems commentators made much of Quayle s feeble answer to the ques Tion about what he would do if he were called upon to assume the office of president. It was a dumb question and in was t improved by repetition. If George Bush were to die in office Quayle would do what any other Man would do in the same situation say a prayer address the Nalion reassure allies an enemies of a steadfast course and Call leaders of Bolh parties to suspend partisan animosities during a period of Shock and grief. What was Quayle supposed to say about such a traumatic hour did torn Brokaw want a legislative Agenda in these so called debates impressions count far More than issues. Quayle left me with the impression of an Eagle scout going through a men badge examination he had studied the Morse code All night and now he was keyed up to do his 50 words a minute. By Olsen left me with the impression of a Good Grandfather who wished this kid would go to bed. He listened to Quayle with a supercilious inn on his face there was something Aboul Belsen that was condescending patronizing self satisfied. I have great Aff Calion for Belsen he is my kind of Southern Democrat bul i wanted to shout Al him Stop smirking Lloyd it docs l become you. With two of these Debalis behind us the country now has one More logo. My guess is Hal the first iwo have changed very few minds. Barring Foren sic disaster. Inc third won t Mailer much either. Eye Ducata Sydney h. Schanberg Quay a no blunders but no substance either f _ _. -.t_. T. . K. A i Zirino Ahn Iii is w in them his Voles against school by maybe he d do of in a state legis lature. He has Boyish Good looks and he s never been accused of kicking his  he d be comfortable in a body where though excellence docs exist among a minority average Ness and mediocrity hold a larger time honoured place Dan Quayle of Indiana managed in Stead to get to the United states scale on his family s influence push and Money. Actually he s not the biggest Zero Ever to occupy a Seal there. And he s popular in Indiana. Bul in does place a Burden on the thought process to imag Ine him in the office to which he now aspires where resignation or in agcy could in Art instant As it has in recent history Lurn inc vice president into our chief executive Quayle was Welt rehearsed for wednesday night s debate Wilh his democratic opponent sen. Lloyd Belsen of Texas. So was by Olsen. But one could see Belsen in the White House wans Andall. A developed Man and politician with a history of leading and of doing the right thing much of the time. Quayle looked like the High school debater who had been pumped full of facts by his coach and bad memorized them Well enough to spill them out in sentences Wilhour making an obvious Blunder bul not Well enough to convince thai he always understood what he was talking Aboul. Early in inc debate he was ask Daboul his qualifications and he said he had More experience than the top of the democratic Tickel Michael Dukakis on the i rec biggest issues which he defined a National Security the budget deficit and jobs and education. Then he said Irving desperately Loim press us Wilh his insider s expertise in National Security and arms control you have to understand the relationship be tween a ballistic missile a warhead what throw weight whal megaton nage is. You better understand about telemetry and  there is no such word As Acry lion. The word he meant to use was encryption which in the missile world ref ers to the scrambling of the Access codello the computer guidance program so Hal your enemy can l get into the system and thwart it or control it or Lake information Oul Ofil. I suppose one could argue that the Isis t a big Deal he was nervous so he there he was talking Aboul these Riou Ness of nuclear weaponry issues and of being Able to grasp the complexities go there s More Loil than that. By his handlers and he got in wrong. This kind of thing is not a Confidence builder. Neither was his assertion thai the proof of his commitment to Environ Man Lal issues Lay in the fact that "1 take my children hiking and fishing walking in the Woods. Nor his claim to foreign affaire expertise i be met with. Mar Garet Thatcher Chancellor Kohl. I know him. They know me ii All sounded Silty pleading sophomoric the be Sech mints of a Small Man trying to get us to see him Large. He declared himself inc equal of Jack Kennedy and Ihnn got Hurt and sore when Belsen Lold him senator you Reno Jack Kennedy he did t realize that sometimes there s a grown up Price Topay for throwing foolish words out through the National television lube to sell a phony image to the Public when Tom Brokaw asked him about the 65 million american children who live with their families in poverty and when was the Tasi time he visited with a family like that and How did he explain to the his t school break fast and lunch programs Quayle gave another of his Callow and shallow and hollow answers. I have Mcl with those people he said and i met with them in fort Wayne. Ind. At a food Bank. And you May be surprised Tom they did t ask me those questions on those votes. Be cause they were glad thai i look Lime Oul of my schedule to go Down and to talk about How we re going to gel a food Bank  Well we re All grateful to you Dan for taking Lime from your Busy rounds. And for showing us How we re going to solve the poverty problem. Well just go Down and visit these folks and they la Beso Happy that we found Lime for them that they la never show us the discourtesy of asking about Why we Voled against programs that would have made their lives a Little less onerous. But Ihen again maybe i m All wet. Maybe Dan Quayle will fool everybody. Maybe people like me should disqualify themselves from guessing How voters nationwide will react to this kind of Politi Cal packaging