DIXON, Ill. — Editor's note: This is part of a series looking back at stories out of the WQAD archives. This particular one features a campaign stop by Vice President Dan Quayle at Ronald Reagan's boyhood home in Dixon, Illinois, in 1992, reported on by WQAD reporter Greg Vandegrift.
Presidential campaign 1992 - What else but a bus tour. Dixon folks enthusiastically chanted Dan Quayle's name but the other side lurked in the crowd like this Clinton-Gore union man and the Vice President admitted to us Ross Perot's affecting this campaign too.
“I don't know what Ross Perot is gonna do but whether he's in or out, we’re glad that he's talking about the deficit,” Quayle said.
Kids far outnumbered adults here, Dixon schools were let out for today's occasion. After all, this is Ronald Reagan's boyhood home and the Bush-Quayle campaign clearly needs and desires some Reagan magic.
“Ronald Reagan served two terms as our great president, and George Bush is going to serve two terms,” Quayle told the crowd.
Quayle pushed the familiar Republican themes of less government and family values. His war with Hollywood wasn't forgotten by folks here and through the speech, Quayle never let them forget his ties to Reagan.
“I was born in Romania and due to Reagan policy, I was able to escape communism,” one attendee said.
Others weren't as enthusiastic.
“Well, they've got their faults, that’s for sure. But I think it's better than the alternative,” another in the crowd stated.
Quayle left throwing out some footfalls. If the Bush-Quayle campaign is going to “Win one for the Gipper,” it's got to score some poll points fast. Greg Vandegrift, Active 8 News, Dixon.