With so few tangible accomplishments to Quayle’s credit, Bush took a unique approach to boosting his VP pick: he started praising him for all the things he didn’t do. Addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Bush said that Quayle “did not go to Canada, he did not burn his draft card, and he damn sure didn’t burn the American flag.” Of course, fleeing to Canada and burning his draft card would have been bizarre behaviors for someone whose wealthy family got him out of Vietnam via the Indiana National Guard. Still, Bush showed admirable restraint by not bragging about other things that Quayle
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