Former VP Quayle to Back Romney
GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney will pick up another endorsement on Tuesday, this time from former vice president Dan Quayle.
Republican officials told The Associated Press that Quayle will make the announcement at an event in Paradise Valley, Arizona this afternoon. The former vice president served under George H.W. Bush and launched an unsuccessful bid for the White House in 2000. He ended up backing his former boss’ son, George W. Bush, instead. His own son, Ben, is a U.S. House member for Arizona.
According to The Boston Globe, Quayle commented that Romney is the only candidate in the field that has the four qualities he looks for when evaluating a potential president: leadership, character, conservative philosophy, and electability.
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In an op-ed piece for The Arizona Republic published Tuesday, Quayle writes: “Because of President Obama’s failed leadership, Washington has become dysfunctional. We need a leader from outside of the Washington establishment. We need a president with a proven track record of innovative thinking and a proven ability to make tough decisions and implement them.”
“Mitt Romney has what it takes to be a great president of the United States, and that is why I enthusiastically endorse him for president.”
Quayle is perhaps known more for his gaffes than any political contribution, making him less than admirable in the eyes of the American public.
For instance, at an official visit to a school during his tenure as vice president, Quayle mistakenly corrected a student who spelled the word “potato,” telling the student he needed to add an “e” at the end.
In fact, his endorsement is not likely to make a big splash in the campaign world. Alexander Burns of Politico writes that “if this (Quayle) is the major endorsement Romney’s campaign teased this week, it falls a bit short of the billing.”
In recent polls, Romney is seen trailing former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, although the spread varies greatly. Rasmussen Reports conducted the most recent poll on Nov. 30 and has Gingrich up by 21 percentage points. Other polls, such as Gallup which conducted a poll from Nov. 13 to Nov. 17, has Gingrich ahead by one percentage point.
It is clear that a large portion of conservative voters are not thrilled about Romney’s presidency as they continue to search for an alternative candidate. However, the GOP establishment appears to be ready to throw their full support behind the former Massachusetts governor.
Notable GOP endorsements so far for Romney include: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Minnesota governor and presidential rival Tim Pawlenty, and ex-White House chief of staff John Sununu.
Quayle’s endorsement is seen as another sign that the GOP establishment backs Romney.
