The Republicans

By Dan Quayle

Only hours before George Bush plucked him from obscurity last Tuesday, Indiana Senator Dan Quayle sat down for breakfast with TIME. Excerpts:

On the qualities of a running mate. If something happens to the President, which person can assume the responsibility best? That's No. 1. I heard Bush say yesterday, "I want to have the very best." Second, George Bush is a person who wants to feel comfortable, so there is this element of compatibility. Third, they are looking for somebody who doesn't hurt the ticket. Not too many of the vice-presidential nominees in the past really helped the President. There are a few who have hurt them along the way. The vice-presidential nominee probably can provide a little bit of a nudge, perhaps, one way or the other. But it's all going to come down to the last two weeks of this campaign, when it's going to be Bush vs. Dukakis.

On Bush and Reagan. People are swayed by Reagan's personal charm. That's part of the greatness of Reagan. George Bush will achieve greatness, but it's not going to be the same way as Reagan. He doesn't have that engaging speaking manner, and there is no use trying to project it if it's not there.

On civil rights. There is no doubt that the Republicans missed the boat somewhat on trying to advance civil rights. The problem we have is: Where are you going to use the Federal Government? Conservatives are very reluctant to use Government regulations, which makes them seem anti-civil rights. Yet they would use the Government to outlaw abortion. There are stark inconsistencies.

On business. This is not the party of Big Business that it has been in the past. A lot of younger Republicans like me are not terribly comfortable with Big Business. I'm talking about Big Business that doesn't want competition. Big Business did not care about the plant-closing bill. It already gives 60 days' notice. The ones who are going to be hit by that legislation are the smaller firms. Big Business would love Government-mandated benefits because they don't want some guy to come in there and compete with them and not give as much health care or pensions to employees as the big firms do.

On child care. There is a difference in the way Republicans and Democrats approach this issue. We are more inclined to put taxpayer money in the parents' hands and let them make the determination on what they think the child needs rather than creating this bureaucracy and the federal control. Conservatives haven't figured out what they want in child care and how we are going to provide that care. If the question is who is going to spend more for child care, the Democrats will win.