"Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy" was a famous statement made by U.S. Democratic vice-presidential candidate Senator Lloyd Bentsen to Republican vice-presidential candidate Senator J. Danforth Quayle during the 1988 vice-presidential debate. Jack Kennedy was a reference to John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. Since then the words "No Jack Kennedy" have become a part of the political lexicon as a way to insult a politician or other individual who thinks too highly of himself. Motto: E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Latin: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government • President • Vice President Federal Republic George... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest executive official of the United States government. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr. ... This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ... James Danforth Quayle III (born February 4, 1947) was the 44th Vice President of the United States under George H. W. Bush (1989-1993). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... VP also stands for Verb phrase. ... Debate or debating is a formal method of interactive and position representational argument. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... A lexicon is usually a list of words together with additional word-specific information, i. ...

The full quote is as follows:

Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy.

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Context

The debate was held on October 5, 1988 in Omaha, Nebraska. One of the moderators, Judy Woodruff, addressed the audience saying "based on the history since World War II, there is almost a 50-50 chance that one of the two men here tonight will become President of the United States." October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Omaha (disambiguation). ... Judy Woodruff (born in Tulsa, OK, November 20, 1946) is an American television news anchor and journalist. ...

After Quayle became George H. W. Bush's vice presidential running mate, questions were raised in the press about his age, his limited term of service in the Senate, his grades in college, his National Guard duty, which Democrats claimed helped him avoid fighting in Vietnam, and his overall ability to lead the nation in the case of the incapacitation of the President. This had become a central issue in the 1988 debate. George Herbert Walker Bush, GCB, (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States (1989–1993). ... It has been suggested that National Guard Bureau be merged into this article or section. ...

Quayle had been comparing himself to Kennedy in his stump speech and many people believed that Bentsen's remark had been scripted beforehand. Bentsen did casually remark in a mock debate with Dennis Eckhart that "you're no Jack Kennedy and George Bush is no Ronald Reagan." (Germond & Witcover 1989:440)

Quayle did not directly compare himself with Kennedy in terms of accomplishment, but in terms of time of Congressional service. Quayle was correct in his observation that he had served in Congress as long as Kennedy had. However, Bentsen's retort suggested that Kennedy had certain skills that made him a great leader despite his age and relative inexperience — and that Quayle lacked such skills. Quayle's advisors knew the comparison was potentially dangerous for their candidate, and Quayle was explicitly told by political handler Joe Canzeri to not make 'the Kennedy comparison' in the debate ^{[citation needed]}.

Transcript

A full transcript of the 1988 vice-presidential debates from Commission on Presidential Debates can be found here. The Commission on Presidential Debates was created by the Democratic and Republican parties in 1987 to moderate the U.S. presidential election debates. ...

The relevant portion of that transcript follows.

Tom Brokaw: Senator Quayle, I don't mean to beat this drum until it has no more sound in it. But to follow up on Brit Hume's question, when you said that it was a hypothetical situation, it is, sir, after all, the reason that we're here tonight, because you are running not just for Vice President — (Applause)

Brokaw: And if you cite the experience that you had in Congress, surely you must have some plan in mind about what you would do if it fell to you to become President of the United States, as it has to so many Vice Presidents just in the last 25 years or so.

Quayle: Let me try to answer the question one more time. I think this is the fourth time that I've had this question.

Brokaw: The third time.

Quayle: Three times that I've had this question — and I will try to answer it again for you, as clearly as I can, because the question you are asking is what kind of qualifications does Dan Quayle have to be president, what kind of qualifications do I have and what would I do in this kind of a situation. And what would I do in this situation? I would make sure that the people in the cabinet and the people that are advisors to the president are called in, and I would talk to them, and I will work with them. And I will know them on a firsthand basis, because as vice president I will sit on the National Security Council. And I will know them on a firsthand basis, because I'm going to be coordinating the drug effort. I will know them on a firsthand basis because Vice President George Bush is going to recreate the Space Council, and I will be in charge of that. I will have day-to-day activities with all the people in government. And then, if that unfortunate situation happens — if that situation, which would be very tragic, happens, I will be prepared to carry out the responsibilities of the presidency of the United States of America. And I will be prepared to do that. I will be prepared not only because of my service in the Congress, but because of my ability to communicate and to lead. It is not just age; it's accomplishments, it's experience. I have far more experience than many others that sought the office of vice president of this country. I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency. I will be prepared to deal with the people in the Bush administration, if that unfortunate event would ever occur.

Judy Woodruff: Senator Bentsen.

Bentsen: Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy. (Prolonged boos and applause) What has to be done in a situation like that is to call in the —

Woodruff: Please, please, once again you are only taking time away from your own candidate.

Quayle: That was really uncalled for, Senator. (Shouts and applause)

Bentsen: You are the one that was making the comparison, Senator — and I'm one who knew him well. And frankly I think you are so far apart in the objectives you choose for your country that I did not think the comparison was well-taken.

Tom Brokaw Thomas John Brokaw (born February 6, 1940) is a television journalist and the former NBC News anchorman and managing editor of the program NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. ... Brit Hume Brit Hume (born June 22, 1943) is the conservative Washington, D.C. managing editor of the Fox News Channel. ... A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ... A National Security Council is an executive body which coordinates national security issues and typically includes the heads of departments involved in diplomacy and defense with a small staff. ... Operation Mallorca, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 2005 [1] The War on Drugs is an initiative undertaken by the United States to carry out an all-out offensive (as President Nixon described it) against the prohibited use of certain legally controlled drugs. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Article Two of the United States Constitution Article Two of the United States Constitution creates the executive branch of the government, comprising the President and other executive officers. ... A congress is a gathering of people, especially a gathering for a political purpose. ... Judy Woodruff (born in Tulsa, OK, November 20, 1946) is an American television news anchor and journalist. ...

Popular culture

Bentsen's remark caused Quayle's comparison to Kennedy to be dropped immediately from his stump speech, but it continued to haunt him. One joke went "What did Marilyn Quayle say to Dan Quayle after making love? 'Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy.'" (Germond & Witcover 1989:441) Marilyn Quayle (nee Tucker) (born 1949) is the U.S. wife of Dan Quayle--she served as Second Lady from 1989 to 1993. ...

Four years later at the 1992 Republican National Convention, Ronald Reagan answered claims by Bill Clinton's campaign, while poking fun at his own age, by saying, "This fellow they've nominated claims he's the new Thomas Jefferson. Well, let me tell you something. I knew Thomas Jefferson. He was a friend of mine. And governor, you're no Thomas Jefferson." Ironically, the introduction video for George H. W. Bush's acceptance speech also compared him to Thomas Jefferson. The 1992 Republican National Convention was held in the Astrodome in Houston, Texas from August 17 to August 21. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... William Jefferson Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 N.S. – July 4, 1826) was the third President of the United States (1801–1809), principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States. ... George Herbert Walker Bush, GCB, (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States (1989–1993). ...

On Saturday Night Live, Kiefer Sutherland played the role of Lloyd Bentsen in a nine-person debate. The sketch had the candidates attempting to ruin their chances of becoming the nominee to avoid losing to George H. W. Bush in the 1992 U.S. Presidential election. In the sketch Mario Cuomo (played by Phil Hartman) admitted "mob ties". Al Gore decided not to appear instead sending Tipper Gore. Kevin Nealon as Bill Bradley compared Bentsen to Jack Kennedy. Bentsen replied "Senator Bradley, I knew Jack Kennedy. I worked with Jack Kennedy. I am no Jack Kennedy." (Ironically, in real life, the candidate who did win the Democratic nomination, Bill Clinton, went on to defeat George H.W. Bush in the general election, using not only comparisons of himself to Kennedy but also a picture of himself meeting Kennedy at the White House in 1963.) Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute comedy-variety show based in New York City which has been broadcast by NBC nearly every Saturday night since its debut on October 11, 1975. ... Sutherland as Jack Bauer on 24 Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland (born December 21, 1966) is an Anglo-Canadian television and film actor. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... (Redirected from 1992 U.S. presidential election) Notes: Introduction As the 1992 presidential election approached, Americans found themselves in a world transformed in ways almost unimaginable four years earlier. ... Mario Matthew Cuomo (born June 15, 1932) is an American lawyer and New York State Democratic Party politician. ... Phil Hartman (September 24, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-born American graphic artist, writer, actor, voice artist and comedian. ... The Mafia, also referred to in Italian as Cosa Nostra (Our Thing or This Thing of Ours), is a secret society that evolved from Italian Organized Crime in mid-19th century Sicily. ... This article is about the former United States Vice President. ... Mary Elizabeth Gore, commonly referred to as Tipper Gore (born August 19, 1948) is the wife of former Vice President Al Gore and was Second Lady of the United States from 1993 until 2001. ... Kevin Nealon hosting Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live Kevin Nealon (born November 18, 1953 in Bridgeport, Connecticut) is a comedian and actor best known for the characters he played on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1995. ... This article or section is missing needed references or citation of sources. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ...

The thrash metal band Megadeth used the quote, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy." in a song titled "I Know Jack" in the album The System Has Failed. It has been suggested that Neo-Thrash be merged into this article or section. ... Megadeth is an American speed/heavy/thrash metal band led by Dave Mustaine. ... The System Has Failed is the first Megadeth album to be released after the break-up of the band in 2002. ...

In the Seinfeld episode "The Phone Message" George states "I don't know what to do, so I just stood there. Like, remember how Quayle looked when Bentsen gave him that Kennedy line? That's what I looked like." Seinfeld was an American television situation comedy set in New York City that ran from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998. ... TV Show Reference Episode is the word usually used to refer to a part of a serial television or radio program. ... Jason Alexander as George Costanza George Louis Costanza (born April 1959) is a fictional character on the US television sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998), played by Jason Alexander. ...

In the Justice League Unlimited episode Secret Society, Part 2 a henchman says "Listen, buddy, I know Batman, I once ratted out a counterfeiter to Batman and believe me, you're no Batman." Justice League Unlimited (or JLU) was an American animated television series produced by and aired on Cartoon Network. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-man, still sometimes referred to as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional character and superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ...

References

• Germond, Jack W. and Witcover, Jules, Whose Broad Stripes and Bright Stars: The Trivial Pursuit of the Presidency 1988, Warner Books, New York, 1989

External links

• "In the spirit of the first JFK" — Ted Kennedy's comparison of John Forbes Kerry to Jack Kennedy