Politics & Power Quote by Dan Quayle

The clunky choreography of power is the point here: Quayle is narrating a wardrobe change, swapping intimacy for institution in real time. On the phone, “George” is a colleague, maybe even a friend, someone you can rib or reason with. In public, he becomes “Mr. Vice President,” a title that functions less as courtesy than as architecture. Quayle isn’t just describing etiquette; he’s defending the idea that office outranks personality, that the republic runs on roles, not vibes.

The slip-and-correct rhythm of the line is revealing. The first sentence lands like an offhand confession, almost too casual, then the second tightens into a practiced explanation. That pivot mirrors a constant Washington anxiety: proximity to power can look like ownership of it. By emphasizing the distinction, Quayle reassures listeners that access doesn’t equal entitlement and that familiarity won’t dilute deference. It’s a way of saying, I’m close enough to call him George, but disciplined enough not to.

There’s also a subtle act of self-positioning. Quayle frames himself as someone inside the room yet obedient to its hierarchy, a credential and a hedge at once. “Because that is who he is” turns a job into an identity, elevating the office to something almost ontological. It’s the kind of line that makes a bureaucracy feel like destiny: you don’t merely hold power; power remakes you, and everyone else must speak accordingly.