1988 Republican Party vice presidential candidate selection

1988 Republican vice presidential nomination
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Nominee Dan Quayle
Home state Indiana
Previous Vice Presidential nominee

George H. W. Bush

 Vice Presidential nominee

Dan Quayle

This article lists those who were potential candidates for the Republican nomination for Vice President of the United States in the 1988 election. Incumbent Vice President George H. W. Bush won the 1988 Republican nomination for President of the United States, and chose Indiana Senator Dan Quayle as his running mate. The selection of Quayle surprised many of Bush's closest advisers, who had expected Bush to pick a more well-known running mate.[1] However, Bush adviser Roger Ailes helped convince Bush that Quayle would be able to effectively attack the Democratic presidential nominee, Michael Dukakis.[1] Bush also liked Quayle's youth and felt that Quayle would make for a loyal vice president.[1] The Bush–Quayle ticket would go on to defeat the Dukakis–Bentsen ticket in the general election but ultimately lost to the Clinton–Gore ticket in 1992.

During the selection process, real-estate developer and future U.S. president Donald Trump approached Bush's campaign manager Lee Atwater asking to be considered as a possible choice for running mate. Bush found the request "strange and unbelievable."[2] Contradicting this report, Trump later asserted it was Atwater who approached him asking if he was interested in the position.[3]

  1. ^ a b c Margolis, Jon (August 18, 1988). "Why Bush Cast Aside Vp Tradition". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  2. ^ Meacham, Jon (2015). Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush (illustrated ed.). Random House. p. 326. ISBN 1400067650.
  3. ^ "Trump says Bush 41 adviser approached him about becoming VP | CNN Politics". CNN. November 8, 2015.