Election Sunday: A Great Debate Zinger (1988) w/ Mike Pesca

This Day in Esoteric Political History

Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia

History

4.6 • 982 Ratings

🗓️ 4 October 2020

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It’s October 4th. On this day in 1988, Lloyd Bentsen delivered one of the most memorable debate lines of all time when he told his VP opponent Dan Quayle that he “was no Jack Kennedy.”

Jody and Niki are joined by Mike Pesca, the host of Slate’s “The Gist,” to discuss why Benson’s line worked so well and what it can teach us about other great debate moments.

Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine.
0:10.0	Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy. Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia.
0:18.0	My name is Jody Abergen.
0:20.0	This day, October 4,, 1988, the Vice Presidential debate between Dan Quayo and
0:27.1	Lloyd Benson.
0:28.1	Two senators running to be VP for George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis, respectively, a vice presidential debate,
0:34.8	usually a pretty sleepy affair, but in that debate we got one of the most memorable debate
0:39.7	lines of all time when Benson told Dan Quayle, Mike Pesca, can you do the line for us?
0:45.2	Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy.
0:50.0	Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine.
0:52.6	Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy.
0:55.8	One of the best Lloyd Benson impersonations I've ever heard in my life
0:59.4	from our guest to this episode, that is Mike Pesca of Slates the Gist and friend of the show.
1:04.5	Thank you for being on Mike today.
1:06.7	It's my pleasure you should hear my William E Miller.
1:09.8	The Goldwater is running mate in 64.
1:13.0	And of course, Nicole Hammer of Columbia is here as well.
1:16.0	Hello, Nicky.
1:17.0	Hey Jody.
1:18.0	So before we get into this, and you know, I think we're going to talk about this Benson line for sure and
1:24.4	then this is our sort of election Sunday show so we'll talk a little bit about
1:27.4	debate lines in general and memorable debate moments but I will say
	...

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