| Dan Quayle 2000 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Campaign | 2000 United States presidential election |
| Candidate | Dan Quayle 44th Vice President of the United States (1989–1993) |
| Affiliation | Republican Party |
| Status | Dropped out on September 28, 1999 |
| Announced | January 21, 1999 (Exploratory committee) April 14, 1999 |
| Website | |
| www.quayle.org (archived – Feb. 8, 1999) | |
The 2000 presidential campaign of Dan Quayle, former vice president of the United States, began with an announcement on January 21, 1999 that he was forming an exploratory committee. Several months later, on April 14, he officially announced his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination. Dan Quayle had been an elected member of Congress since 1977, and he was George H. W. Bush's running mate in his successful 1988 presidential campaign, serving as vice president from 1989 to 1993, losing reelection in 1992. Throughout his time in government, he was considered a staunch conservative who was especially popular among the Christian right, but several gaffes during his vice presidency had damaged his reputation among the general public. Though he had initially considered running for president in 1996, he ultimately passed on this.
In the years leading up to the 2000 presidential election, multiple news sources speculated that Quayle might run, and during the 1998 midterm elections, he campaigned for numerous Republican candidates. However, when Quayle announced the formation of an exploratory committee in early 1999, political analysts were skeptical of his chances of winning, citing his image issues and the popularity of George W. Bush (son of former President Bush). Opinion polling throughout the campaign seemed to confirm this, as he usually polled in the single-digits, far behind the frontrunner Bush.
Quayle made family values and his foreign policy experience a keystone of his campaign and attacked the Bill Clinton administration on both fronts repeatedly, while on specific policy proposals, he emphasized his plan for a 30 percent tax cut across the board. However, Quayle continued to trail other Republican candidates in both fundraising and support, and by August, numerous news sources were reporting that a poor performance in the Iowa Straw Poll could be disastrous for his campaign. Quayle finished eighth in the straw poll and a little over a month later, on September 28, Quayle withdrew from the race, citing a lack of funds and low polling numbers. The following year, Quayle endorsed Bush, who went on to win the general election.