Who was the Vice Pres. that misspelled potato?

Question

My husband thinks it was Al Gore, I say it wasn't him, it was the Vice Pres. under Bush Sr. but I can't think of his name.

Answer 1

It was Dan Quayle vice President to President George H. Bush.
The Vice President was at an elementary school and corrected a 12 year old boy who wanted to correctely spell 'potato' and Dan Quayle insisted that it be spelled 'potatoe'.
I think it was unfair for the media to make such a fuss about it though cause I would bet a lot of people would want to put an 'e' on potato. Including me!
Thanks
PS: I think the better gaff by Quayle was when he was in Guam addressing a group there who were clearly south pacific islanders and said 'it's a terrible thing to lose your mind'. They didn't appreciate it!
That's my favorite. The minced up quote was an attempt to recite the words I believe from a black woman who said "a mind is a terrible thing to lose" referring to the lack of educational opportunities.
Thanks

Answer 2

Dan Quayle took a real mashing for this trivial slip. Over 1/3 of all adults also did not know how to spell potato at the time.

Part of the over-reaction was due to the fact that Quayle and the other Republicans had been bashing the Democrats as unpatriotic elitists who were undermining family, religion and country. What goes around comes around, just as it does now.

Here's an article from June, 1992 on it.
"Mr. Quayle's 'e' for effort" http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE6DE103EF934A25755C0A964958260

Answer 3

It was Dan Quayle.

Al Gore was the Vice President who drives around with a fleet of SUV's and tells us how we should all be driving fuel efficient cars.

As a side note on the "potatoe" incident. A Professor of English at some prestigious university (Harvard, Cambridge . . . I'm not sure which one.) had to actually research this spelling to verify that it wasn't an acceptable variation of "potato".

Answer 4

Dan Quayle from Indiana. He was George H. W. Bush's Vice President, "serving" from 1989 to 1993. He has a lot in common with Romney.

Answer 5

I think it was Dan Quayle which reminds me of a Groucho Marx quotation, he said:-
"I read in the newspapers they are going to have 30 minutes of intellectual stuff on television every Monday from 7:30 to 8. to educate America. They couldn't educate America if they started at 6:30".

Edit; You correctly spelt "misspelled" so you could say that Misspelled wasn´t misspelt.

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Who was the Vice Pres. that misspelled potato?
My husband thinks it was Al Gore, I say it wasn't him, it was the Vice Pres. under Bush Sr. but I can't think of his name.

Answer 7

Gosh you're up early for a Sunday morning. My first instinct was Dan Quayle , but I'm going to say Gerald Ford.

Answer 8

Dan Quayle.

Answer 9

Quayle

Answer 10

Potatoes is plural
Potato is single

Dan Quayle spelled it Potatoe
I think he was looking at his toes when he said that :>)

Peace

Jim

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