Molly Ivins quotes

Gerald Cohen gcohen at UMR.EDU
Thu Feb 1 17:28:51 UTC 2007


"Dan Quayle was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple." ---- I
remember this statement as appearing in a newspaper during Quayle's tenure
as vice-president, although I don't remember who said it.

Gerald Cohen


On 2/1/07 11:08 AM, "Fred Shapiro" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU> wrote:

> On Wed, 31 Jan 2007, Baker, John wrote:
>
>>        My favorite is "he was born on third base and thought he hit a
>> triple."  That's attributed to Ivins in reference to Bush (pere or
>> fils), though I haven't tracked down whether it was actually Ivins who
>> said it.  It looks like some people attribute it to Ann Richards.  I
>> suspect the aphorism predated the application to Bush in any case.
>
> The sensationally thorough Yale Book of Quotations has the following:
>
> [Of George H. W. Bush's inherited wealth:]  He is a man who was born on
> third base and thinks he hit a triple.
>         Jim Hightower, Speech at Democratic National Convention, Atlanta,
> Ga., 19 July 1988.  "Born on third base and thinks he hit a triple" was
> used earlier (about another oil heir) in _Fortune_, 30 May 1983.
>
> I suppose it is inaccurate to have referred to Bush pere as an "oil heir."
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>

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