No New Taxes!!!

President Quayle

In 1992, George H.W. Bush was rolling toward certain re–election. His first four years had gone relatively well, and the initial conflict in the Middle East has proven to be a positive political move for his people. He was moving toward leaving a good legacy as the leader of the free world. He had been vice–president since 1980 under Ronald Reagan. It was later revealed that Bush did not like Reagan and vice–versa.

During the campaign season in 1991–92, Bush was almost silent. While William Clinton, Arkansas governor, was campaigning like a crazy man, Bush just seemed to sit back and assume he would be re–elected. One of his campaign stops was the annual Labor Day Bridge Walk from St. Ignace to Mackinaw City. I was only a few feet from him and was able to take some photographs with my Pentax K–1000—not even thinking that the rising sun in the background would fade the pictures and make them useless. Bush, arrogant, sounded like he assumed that Clinton would not beat him.

At the same time, the word was (remember, this is before the Internet's daily availability) that Clinton changed his persona and message at every stop on his campaign. I was able to see him speak to the folks at East Lansing, Mich., on Sept. 25 (I believe). His message seemed stressed, not authentic. His hair was even darker than pictures had suggested. I was turned off by his performance that day.

Maybe others were, too. That had to be what George H.W. Bush must have thought, as well. Clinton ended up winning the election and running the United States for eight years. However, if Bush had just spent some money and time reiterating his message, he may have been in office until 1996 and perhaps Dan Quayle would have succeeded him at that point. (Hey, baked potatoes for all, right?)

So, if Bush had campaigned, Clinton never would have become president. Therefore, Quayle may have served for eight years and been succeeded by someone (maybe George W. Bush) in 2004. So, today, we would not see the end of the Bush presidency — maybe it would be flowing into a second four years. Anyhow, Clinton never would have been president, so Hillary Rodham Clinton may not be striving for the presidency right now. Maybe the Clintons would merely be political unknowns. Maybe George W. Bush never would have become president.

Maybe 911 wouldn't have happened, maybe the Iraq war wouldn't even be a part of our lives, and maybe gasoline would still cost $1.46 a gallon. These are purely "maybes" because we live in reality.