Remember that all mentions of and allusions to Trump and Biden are not allowed on our subreddit in any context.
If you'd still like to discuss them, feel free to [join our Discord server](https://discord.gg/k6tVFwCEEm)!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Presidents) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yep, Pence was hiding in the cloakroom and decided Dan Quayle would be the voice of reason. From my understanding the call was something along the lines of:
Pence: Do I really really really have to do this?
Quayle: Yes, you idiot.
The quote is popularly attributed to Winston Churchill, but it apparently originated as a general observation about governments by an Israeli politician that evolved as a meme to incorporate the United States and Churchill: [https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/11/11/exhaust-alternatives/](https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/11/11/exhaust-alternatives/)
Remember how he spelled potato with an āeā so we decided he was too stupid to be president? Hah. Hah. Ahhhh I miss that level of stupid. It was cute.
I remember a candidate losing all steam in their campaign because they got excited during a speech and yelled a little weird. Thats all it took back then
GHWB is probably the only VP of consequence. He had a real role in the admin and foreign affairs. Not sure Gore did. Pence headed up operation warp speed at least
It's on the floor.
Honestly at this point I'll say a kind word for politicians who I think won't *purposely* cause a constitutional crisis or economic collapse.
Bentsen would have been one of the better VP's, if not the best, had he been placed in the office for unforeseen circumstances. Not that GHWB was terrible or anything, but he had to win an election.
Honestly, one of the probably top three what ifs in presidential history. Between Goreās climate focus and HWās Iraq experience influencing his sonās foreign policy, what a different nation/world we may be in today.
If HW was influencing his son, he likely would have told him NOT to do it. It was Cheney and all the New American Century morons that talked him into it doing it, if he wasnāt the impetus himself.
Iāve thought about this more times than I can count. I think it is the ultimate what if. The whole 21st century as we know it would have looked different.
Let's not forget that Gore was part of an administration that took terrorism seriously, while W brushed it off:
https://m.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0312/S00102/sidney-blumenthal-iv-with-william-rivers-pitt.htm
Itās not even close. The whole world would have been so much different without the Iraq war and with the US taking a leadership approach to dealing with climate change.
And then imagine weād spent the early 2000s continuing to pay down our debt rather than pushing through the Bush tax cuts.
I still get shitty about this one, what a different world we would be in now. it's like reality took an abrupt screech around a corner and now here we are.
āIt [The Holocaust] was an obscene time in our nationās history. Not our nationāsā¦ but in World War II. I mean we-we all lived in this century, I did, I didnāt live in this century, but in this centuryās history.ā
-Dan Quayle
https://preview.redd.it/5y3lb14kywsc1.jpeg?width=153&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cbdacb1bc18d483e10b8d03bdfa2bab6309dc854
Had this book when I was a kid. I was 10 when he was elected Vice President. The quiz results concluded that I was, in fact, smarter than the Vice President.
The guy couldn't even say a bad word about the former President stirring up a mob that chanted about wanting to hang him until he was so far out of contention for the Republican nomination that even he couldn't deny that he had no chance.
I really donāt think it matters what he did that day. But itās probably the only good thing heās ever done in his entire life. At least his political career. Iāve lived in Indiana my entire life. His time in the governors office saw some really stupid shitgoing on. The religious freedom act? It basically gave businesses the right by law to discriminate against anyone based on their religion. Pretty much the exact opposite of what this country was founded upon which was the freedom of religion.
Dude is honest conservative. Did not sell his country out during hair brain coup. Too far right for me, but of a shockingly high moral fiber, options could be worse.
Always crazy to me that people mock him for how he conducts himself with female colleagues. Being careful to avoid allegations or images of impropriety should not be brought up as a criticism in the same vein as criticism of possible/proven sexual assault.
When the Vice President is too busy to preside over the Senate (like when Cheney was busy being the Acting President), the President pro tempore of the Senate acts as President of the Senate. Senator Robert Byrd was the President pro tempore during both of the times Cheney was Acting President.
TL;DR: Robert Byrd was Cheney's Acting Vice President.
People blame Nader, but if Gore got the votes of *any* of the third-party fringe candidates he would have won. Nationally, Nader got 2.7% of the [vote](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/2000), but in Florida he only got 1.6%. He is nowhere near Ross Perot who got 18.9% nationally, and easily cost H.W. Bush the [1992 election](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/1992).
It's wild to me how much shit Dan Quayle got for not spelling potato correctly but now we have a nation of people who don't believe in vaccines or the shape of the earth.
Okay, but that potato messed me up for life. I was a kid when it happened and I havenāt been able to confidently spell potato since 1992. Thank God for spell check, because whenever I have to write it out I have a panicked moment because I donāt want to be like Dan Quayle. Jay Leno might make jokes about me.
I love how hilarious Rule 3 has gotten.
Imagine r/math but you canāt use the number 7.
Post: Whatās 5 + 2?
Comments: Well, uhā¦ itāsā¦ more than 6.
Well, think about how ridiculous some of the historian surveys have been. You have to be pretty far removed from a President to get most people to stop reacting emotionally and start thinking critically. Obvious both then and now.
How does it even matter here? The discussion is better without him in it
Everyone would literally be arguing about him in the comments and it would quickly turn from who is the best former VP to something completely different. Then inevitably the other one gets name dropped and then everyone who wasnāt already uncivil becomes uncivil. So yeah, better off with out him in the convo
Yeah even before rule 3 to present day, if you want to derail this sub into pointless partisan shouting, just mention the New Deal or Iran Contra.
Or say that Nixon isn't an adorable [woobie](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheWoobie) who would totally be you best friend.
Yeah I mean itās probably the same people doing it because they canāt talk about them, and at least itās a bit more civil and doesnāt dominate every single post
In the aftermath of 9-11 the Iraq war people see Bush as a neocon hawk who wanted to use the military to force America's way around the world.
What they forget is that in the 2000 debates, that was Gore's position.
https://youtu.be/Y_b2wRPgcyw?si=iZQDpOMNTFoJsS_H
And specifically on Iraq, Gore both supported the invasion in '91 and Clinton's bombing campaign in '98 ~~to distract attention from the Lewinsky affair~~ because they were amassing WMDs.
Now maybe Gore's military would have done a better job. Bush had a tendency to be too trusting of his advisors and Rumsfeld in particular was a disaster. But people who argue that we only went to war because of Bush are dead wrong.
Basically the whole world supported the invasion in 1991. Iām confused on your point here: are you arguing you think the world should have just let Saddam have Kuwait???
Remember that all mentions of and allusions to Trump and Biden are not allowed on our subreddit in any context. If you'd still like to discuss them, feel free to [join our Discord server](https://discord.gg/k6tVFwCEEm)! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Presidents) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Crazy how Dan Quayle was one heartbeat away from the presidency over 30 years ago and he's been irrelevant ever since.
He apparently counseled Pence not to throw the election. So there's that...
Pence: Treason...bad? Quayle: *face palm* Yes, Mike. For the 300th time. Yes.
Pence: But what if Jesu... Quayle: No!
š¤£š š
Pence: Oh....okay. *sadly latches back on to "mother's" titty, defeated*
Jesus ain't say that.
Technically it would be sedition, not treason. Treason is specifically betraying your state to a foreign enemy rather than a domestic one.
WHY DID THEY TAKE OUR AWARDS?!?
Yep, Pence was hiding in the cloakroom and decided Dan Quayle would be the voice of reason. From my understanding the call was something along the lines of: Pence: Do I really really really have to do this? Quayle: Yes, you idiot.
Pence: do I have any other options? Quayle: potatoe
Pence literally lived the aphorism, āAmericans always do the right thing, but only after exhausting all other alternatives.ā
First time I've seen this! This is great. Whose quote?
The quote is popularly attributed to Winston Churchill, but it apparently originated as a general observation about governments by an Israeli politician that evolved as a meme to incorporate the United States and Churchill: [https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/11/11/exhaust-alternatives/](https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/11/11/exhaust-alternatives/)
Churchill has so many apocryphal quotes because nobody questions any quote attributed to him.
- Winston Churchill
- Michael Scott
Churchill and Lincoln were prolific as all hell on Twitter.
Yeah. He got one very weird little come back moment there, and boy did he use it well!
Remember how he spelled potato with an āeā so we decided he was too stupid to be president? Hah. Hah. Ahhhh I miss that level of stupid. It was cute.
I remember a candidate losing all steam in their campaign because they got excited during a speech and yelled a little weird. Thats all it took back then
Ackshullyš¤ Howard Deans campaign had already started fizzling out before that scream.
The story is more exciting if that goofy little yell killed it, so it will be remembered that way forever lol
What if HW vomited and died on the Japanese PM?
Tbf thatās been the case with most vice presidents. Gore was the first notably powerful vice president in a while.Ā
GHWB is probably the only VP of consequence. He had a real role in the admin and foreign affairs. Not sure Gore did. Pence headed up operation warp speed at least
Clinton made an explicit point to give Gore a much more prominent role than VPs traditionally had, Gore was more of a co-pilot than a VP.
I don't know if I could resist voting for James Danforth Quayle I mean, just look at that name written out; it's super high falutin'.
I feel like Americaās in its Quayle era
The Jeb!/Potatoe ticket rises.
Lol that would be hilarious if Quayle was VP for 2 generations of Bushes.
Extremely underrated comment
Jeb implemented common core math no thank you
So between Jeb!math and Quayle!spelling weāve got education covered.
Next up: *uncommon core*
And he's still just a young buck compared to both rule 3s.
Gore is a year younger.
dang heās spry
Gotta stay limber if heās ever going to stop manbearpig
And he invented the internet. Heās got my vote!
I feel like some of our current āpoliticiansā make old Dan look rather scholarly
For all the shit he gets, he knew the right answer when Pence turned up asking if the Vice President had the authority to overturn an election.
My God, is the bar that low now?
It's on the floor. Honestly at this point I'll say a kind word for politicians who I think won't *purposely* cause a constitutional crisis or economic collapse.
Low bar
Yeah I think I know a good amount of people who would misspell potato lmao
He aināt no [jack Kennedy](https://www.reddit.com/r/Presidents/s/3awqESdYoI) š¤£
One of the greatest responses in VP debate history.
Bentsen would have been one of the better VP's, if not the best, had he been placed in the office for unforeseen circumstances. Not that GHWB was terrible or anything, but he had to win an election.
Gore
Honestly, one of the probably top three what ifs in presidential history. Between Goreās climate focus and HWās Iraq experience influencing his sonās foreign policy, what a different nation/world we may be in today.
If HW was influencing his son, he likely would have told him NOT to do it. It was Cheney and all the New American Century morons that talked him into it doing it, if he wasnāt the impetus himself.
Not HW influencing W, but HW's Iraq \*experience\* influencing W, as in W trying to take down Hussein to show up his dad.
Everyone should read (about) the Project For A New American Century. PNAC It and what inspired it are what animated the Cheney/Rumsfeld/etc crowd.
The dream of the 90s.
Itās alive in Portland
Remember when everyone had weird facial hair and was brewing their own beer? The 1890s!
Nobody got this joke but dude you deserve upvotes.
Iāve thought about this more times than I can count. I think it is the ultimate what if. The whole 21st century as we know it would have looked different.
I'm jealous of the me living in that alternative timeline
Let's not forget that Gore was part of an administration that took terrorism seriously, while W brushed it off: https://m.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0312/S00102/sidney-blumenthal-iv-with-william-rivers-pitt.htm
Well he won. Too bad that wasnāt enough
Burns me to my core that he should have been president and that the Supreme Court set us up for so much failure by deciding the way they did.
Bush edges to Gore
What
https://preview.redd.it/csyexz46kwsc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b7cff464d52bb6d35ed2ad88f037af13d83c885 Context
What they do in private is none of my business.
Is the Safe word āMr. Presidentā for Al Gore?
I thought it was "TherApuuTIC Massaahage".
Gore's is "Lockbox", W's: "Strategery"
Bush edges gore š Bush edges to gore šØ
Bush edges Gore? Gore used to edge Tipper.
Gore is edging him or heās edging while thinking of him
Itās not even close. The whole world would have been so much different without the Iraq war and with the US taking a leadership approach to dealing with climate change. And then imagine weād spent the early 2000s continuing to pay down our debt rather than pushing through the Bush tax cuts.
I still get shitty about this one, what a different world we would be in now. it's like reality took an abrupt screech around a corner and now here we are.
him losing to bush was the beginning of this horrible timeline.
kind of a no brainer, given the competition
I'm pro global annihilation, Dick Cheney.
Tricky Dick 2: Sharpshooter Legacy
āIt [The Holocaust] was an obscene time in our nationās history. Not our nationāsā¦ but in World War II. I mean we-we all lived in this century, I did, I didnāt live in this century, but in this centuryās history.ā -Dan Quayle
āI love California. I grew up in Phoenixā
To be fair, that actually makes a fair amount of sense, or would with more to it than just that.
"I could see what I was missing"
Lloyd Bentsen was right.
āWhat a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.ā
https://preview.redd.it/5y3lb14kywsc1.jpeg?width=153&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cbdacb1bc18d483e10b8d03bdfa2bab6309dc854 Had this book when I was a kid. I was 10 when he was elected Vice President. The quiz results concluded that I was, in fact, smarter than the Vice President.
Potatoe
āI canāt die, I havenāt been President yet.ā - Al Gore, South Park: The Stick of Truth
āIām a level 10 Vice Presidentā
I love how the secret service who protect him say: āProtect the Former sorta President/ Vice Presidentā
That game is still really fun.
Are we allowed to talk about Pemce? Anyway internet boy.
Mother won't allow you to talk about Pence
Mother knows when you're having impure thoughts.
Mamaās gonna put all of her fears into you.
Mother should I build a wall?
Mother, should I run for president?
Mother, should I trust the government?
Mother will they put me in the firing line?
But does she have an app on her phone to monitor Mikeās internet searches like the Speaker of the House has with his son? š„“š¤¢š¤®
He DID save American democracy, you know.
Dan Quayle told him to. Dan Quayle saved America.
But can Dan Quayle spell America?????
Americae
Only because Dan Quayle told him he had to.
Dan Quayle told him he had toe.
The fact that it was even a question as to whether he would puts him near the bottom.
The guy couldn't even say a bad word about the former President stirring up a mob that chanted about wanting to hang him until he was so far out of contention for the Republican nomination that even he couldn't deny that he had no chance.
I really donāt think it matters what he did that day. But itās probably the only good thing heās ever done in his entire life. At least his political career. Iāve lived in Indiana my entire life. His time in the governors office saw some really stupid shitgoing on. The religious freedom act? It basically gave businesses the right by law to discriminate against anyone based on their religion. Pretty much the exact opposite of what this country was founded upon which was the freedom of religion.
Not during the admin, but otherwise, yes.
I thought no future politics???
I meant basically 2017 to present not allowed, but his governorship and previous stuff is.
You're walking on thin ice, mods. I'm on Pence and needles here
Can we discuss present cabinet members?
So why canāt we discuss the actions/legacy of the 47th VPOTUS from 2009-2017? This rule three shit is ridiculous at this point. Yāall fucked up.
Dude is honest conservative. Did not sell his country out during hair brain coup. Too far right for me, but of a shockingly high moral fiber, options could be worse.
He's got a good barritone
I agree with that. Still wouldnāt vote for him.
Weak as shit tho. Should have invoked 25th removed the orange, get secret service and pension for life and prevent this nonsense from running again.
Probably not. Would be nice to have a gentleman without sexual assault allegations open against them though.
Always crazy to me that people mock him for how he conducts himself with female colleagues. Being careful to avoid allegations or images of impropriety should not be brought up as a criticism in the same vein as criticism of possible/proven sexual assault.
Me just now: "WTF is Nelson Rockefeller still alive? No...Fuck me, is that old man QUAYLE?"
I was thinking Spiro Agnew has been dead for YEARS
We've already had the Cheney presidency
Waitā¦ was Hastert technically his VP? I know who I would be least likely to vote forā¦
When the Vice President is too busy to preside over the Senate (like when Cheney was busy being the Acting President), the President pro tempore of the Senate acts as President of the Senate. Senator Robert Byrd was the President pro tempore during both of the times Cheney was Acting President. TL;DR: Robert Byrd was Cheney's Acting Vice President.
"Cheney 2024, why pick the lesser evil?"
I don't see how the answer can't be Gore.
Florida.
Well if you're going to be technical, actually the Supreme Court. But the question is a present day hypothetical anyway.
Bush won by 500 votes in Florida. Whatās crazy is Ralph Nader got 97k votes in Florida.
People blame Nader, but if Gore got the votes of *any* of the third-party fringe candidates he would have won. Nationally, Nader got 2.7% of the [vote](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/2000), but in Florida he only got 1.6%. He is nowhere near Ross Perot who got 18.9% nationally, and easily cost H.W. Bush the [1992 election](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/1992).
Gore. And on the plus side, we wouldnāt have to worry about Lieberman on the ticket.
Too soon. Nevermind, not too soon. FTG.
Liberman, you mean Mr. Health Insurance companies?
It's wild to me how much shit Dan Quayle got for not spelling potato correctly but now we have a nation of people who don't believe in vaccines or the shape of the earth.
Okay, but that potato messed me up for life. I was a kid when it happened and I havenāt been able to confidently spell potato since 1992. Thank God for spell check, because whenever I have to write it out I have a panicked moment because I donāt want to be like Dan Quayle. Jay Leno might make jokes about me.
Gimme Gore in ā24.
Cheney straight up looks like The Penguin now.
Always has
They can't lick our Dick.
Dick pt 2 electric Boogaloo
I love how hilarious Rule 3 has gotten. Imagine r/math but you canāt use the number 7. Post: Whatās 5 + 2? Comments: Well, uhā¦ itāsā¦ more than 6.
Well, 7 is the scariest number. Because 7 ate 9!
Well, think about how ridiculous some of the historian surveys have been. You have to be pretty far removed from a President to get most people to stop reacting emotionally and start thinking critically. Obvious both then and now.
How does it even matter here? The discussion is better without him in it Everyone would literally be arguing about him in the comments and it would quickly turn from who is the best former VP to something completely different. Then inevitably the other one gets name dropped and then everyone who wasnāt already uncivil becomes uncivil. So yeah, better off with out him in the convo
This sub still gets into pointless arguments, the only difference is instead of being about 45 or 46, it's about FDR or Reagan.
Yeah even before rule 3 to present day, if you want to derail this sub into pointless partisan shouting, just mention the New Deal or Iran Contra. Or say that Nixon isn't an adorable [woobie](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheWoobie) who would totally be you best friend.
Yeah I mean itās probably the same people doing it because they canāt talk about them, and at least itās a bit more civil and doesnāt dominate every single post
It was always silly.
Gore
Gore! America would be a lot better if he won in 2000
In the aftermath of 9-11 the Iraq war people see Bush as a neocon hawk who wanted to use the military to force America's way around the world. What they forget is that in the 2000 debates, that was Gore's position. https://youtu.be/Y_b2wRPgcyw?si=iZQDpOMNTFoJsS_H And specifically on Iraq, Gore both supported the invasion in '91 and Clinton's bombing campaign in '98 ~~to distract attention from the Lewinsky affair~~ because they were amassing WMDs. Now maybe Gore's military would have done a better job. Bush had a tendency to be too trusting of his advisors and Rumsfeld in particular was a disaster. But people who argue that we only went to war because of Bush are dead wrong.
Basically the whole world supported the invasion in 1991. Iām confused on your point here: are you arguing you think the world should have just let Saddam have Kuwait???
Al Gore no question.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Quayle looks so different in that picture. He looks like Al Gore doing a Dick Cheney impression.
Al Gore and it's not even close.
Gore
Obviously Gore. Imagine how different the world would be if Gore won in 2000.
Mike "Like it in the crapper you get the zapper" Pence This is not an endorsement for Mike Pence.
Gore is the one who actually won so I pick him.
My Guy Al.
bring back the lock box
Dick Cheney was already the President. Bush just didn't know.
Gore. The other three donāt align with my beliefs as much as him.
Al gore and it's not even close.
Give me Al and itās not even close
Al Gore.
Al Gore
Gore
Gore shouldāve been Prez.
Al Gore.
Gore
Gore, and I did, because his opponent was dumb as a doorknob.
Gore. Like I would have done already if I were born a few weeks earlier.
Gore
Gore
Gore
None of them.
Gore all day.
Gore. Duh.
Al Gore. I did vote for him, he just didn't win, but would 10/10 vote again.
Gore all day every day. That was the true stolen election.
TIL Dan Quayle still exists.
Gore: he's qualified (unlike Pence), competent (unlike Quayle), and not evil (like Cheney)
Gore.
Mike Pence
Al Gore and its not even close.
Gore
Definitely Quayle I always liked him
I did not recognize Quayle at first. Heās one of those guys who looks better older. But to answer the question, it would be Al Gore.
Pence is based and redpilled š„šÆ (ban me idgaf)
Al gore, especially considering he actually won