Lloyd Bentsen

Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr. (born February 11, 1921) is an American politician. A four-term United States Senator from Texas as a Democrat, he was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1988.

1988 Vice Presidential candidate

In 1988 Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis chose him to be his running mate in the 1988 presidential election. Because of Bentsen's status of something of an elder statesman who was more experienced in elected politics, many believed Dukakis's selection of Benstsen as his running mate was a grave mistake in that Bentsen, the number two on the ticket, appeared more "presidential" than did Dukakis. One elector in West Virginia cast a ballot for him rather than Dukakis in voting, giving him one electoral vote for President. He was responsible for one of the most memorable moments of the campaign, when during a televised debate with Republican Vice Presidential nominee Dan Quayle, he countered Quayle's self-comparison to John F. Kennedy with the famous rebuttal, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." http://www.historychannel.com/speeches/archive/speech_222.html Although the Dukakis-Bentsen ticket lost the election in a landslide, Bentsen's remark against Quayle arguably cast a political stigma on Quayle throughout his term as Vice President.

Related Topics:
Massachusetts Governor - Michael Dukakis - 1988 presidential election - Statesman - Elector - West Virginia - Electoral vote - Televised - Republican - Dan Quayle - John F. Kennedy

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