Standing Firm: A Vice-Presidential Memoir

Rating:
Summary: More elephant than Quayle
Review: Perhaps it is appropriate that Dan Quayle belongs to the GOP because in his public life he has displayed elephantine qualities-strength, courage,decency,loyalty,love of family and an ability to fight back from adversity. His book, Standing Firm,reflects his values. From the searing media attacks of the 1988 campaign,lack of support from GOP heavyweights like Jim Baker, and the bruising vice -presidential debates of that era, Quayle would have been less than human if he had not been unsettled. He admits that in that early period he quit trusting in himself.For some liberals he would never be trusted. In refusing to bow to trendy positions Quayle continued to attract odium.Yet, in his defence of the traditional family over the 'Murphy Brown position' he espoused eternal values. Some of his critics preferred to concentrate on his incorrect spelling of potato! ( Well, the rest of the English speaking world has always known that Americans are funny spellers-big deal!) In reading this book you quickly discover Quayle is a values-driven politician. Precisely because of the poverty of values amongst today's elites Quayle's views will continue to be ridiculed despite the fact that he articulates the views of middle America. This book give some idea of the challenges and loneliness that a Veep faces,particularly one under constant media pressure. In standing firm to his values Dan Quayle fought back-his performance in the 1992 vice-presidential debate (against Al Gore) mirrored the increased assurance of the man-and this book should be reflected on by his fellow Americans and perhaps those further afield.

Rating:
Summary: A book of insight and candor - not to be missed.
Review: Rarely do the media and the entertainmenr business ravage a person as thoroughly as they did Dan Qauyle. Everyone thinks that they know who Quayle is, but by the time that I was done reading this book, I felt as though he were my long lost uncle. His insights are uncompromising and clear, and he places blame where it should be in every instance, sometimes on the media, sometimes on his political opponents, sometimes on President Bush, and sometimes with himself. Quayle is honest with himself and his readers, making no unecessary apologies for the decisions that he has made or the reasons that he made them. He makes no bones about the influences in his life, starting with his God. Once a skeptic, I am now a full-fledged Quayle supporter, and I will patiently explain to anyone who says anything nasty about him that they simply need to find out what they are really talking about before they open their mouth. Reading this book is a good place to start.