AN AMERICAN politician with strong Manx connections is making news headlines in Arizona as he bids for election to the US Congress.
Ben Quayle, 33 year old son of Dan Quayle, former Vice President of the United States, is an American lawyer, businessman and a Republican candidate in the election which will be held on November 2nd.
He is seeking to succeed the retiring U.S. Rep. John Shadegg, an eight-term Republican. In his election campaign he said, "My generation is going to have to clean up the mess made by the politicians in Washington. The reckless spending and crushing debt burden must be stopped."
Ben Quayle’s life has been linked with politics ever since he was born three days after his father was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1976, aged 29.
He is now finding out what election campaigning is all about and has been the target of the media during the election campaign and - like his father before him - has had to endure over-the-top cynicism and criticism. However, he will be happy if he gets anywhere close to his father’s political achievements.
Dan Quayle had a colourful and eventful political career. George Bush Snr invited Dan Quayle to campaign alongside him in 1988 and the Bush - Quayle ticket won the US election and remained in the White House for one term.
Bush and Quayle again stood alongside each other in the 1992 US election campaign, but this time lost to Bill Clinton. During Dan Quayle’s time in office he visited. He also travelled to the Isle of Man during this period, visiting relatives and friends in the Island, staying at the Castletown Golf Links Hotel as guest of Graham Ferguson Lacey.
Dan Quayle published his memoirs in 1996, entitled 'Standing Firm', but declined to run for public office in this time period due to illness. He sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, but was defeated by George W. Bush. Quayle and his wife currently reside in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
Ben Quayle has been a frequent target of many of his nine opponents - all of whom are older than him and have children - for what they call his thin resume and lack of life experience. Quayle doesn’t yet have children and his critics have used this to campaign against him.
“We are presenting Ben as a pro-family candidate because he is a pro-family candidate,” said Quayle campaign spokesman Damon Moley. “We are presenting him as a traditional-values candidate because he is a traditional values candidate.”
Ben Quayle has opened a business with a Manx name - Tynwald Capital - which employs about 13 people. The investment company specialises in the acquisition and nurturing of small businesses and it has also opened an Arizona office of New England-based APG Security. Quayle and his brother, Tucker, are managing partners in the security venture.
