On this particular August day in 1988 Republicans were meeting in New Orleans to nominate a Presidential candidate and for the Presidential candidate to nominate a vice-President. He picked Dan Quayle. Little known. referred to as "The Blow-Dry Candidate" and "a warmed over Robert Redford", Quayle was thrust deer-like into the spotlight and the RNC went Terpsichorean in portraying Dan Quayle as the Next Coming.
Time would tell. The man who gave us endless hours of enjoyment over his breathless declaration that it was "a terrible thing to lose your mind" and to have a well-publicized battle of wits with a nine year old over the spelling of Potato. This was the man destined to be a heartbeat away from the Red Telephone. 'Twas the season.
And this newscast, The CBS World News Roundup for August 17, 1988 was pretty much devoted to the goings on with the GOP in The Crescent City. But other news also squeaking by had to do with 17 people killed in Russia when a high-speed passenger train jumped its tracks. North Korea sending signals of warmth that it was interested in ending their Olympics boycott and it would like to end hostilities with South Korea. Meanwhile, Jordan up and severed ties with the West Bank, leaving the PLO to figure out what it wanted to do.
Twenty-three years ago today. Fancy that.
