As late as August 13, Bush had six people tabbed for consideration: House Representative Jack Kemp of New York, former United States Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole, United States Senators Bob Dole of Kansas, Pete Domenici of New Mexico, Alan Simpson of Wyoming, and James Danforth "Dan" Quayle of Indiana.

The revelation of Quayle's selection as running mate did not come until the second day of the convention, when NBC News broke the story.

The convention featured speeches by Joe Paterno, Helen Hayes, Pat Robertson, a keynote address by New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean, and the music of the Jimmy Maxwell Orchestra.

A factor that made New Orleans appealing to the Republican Party as a location included a significant supply of big hotels near the Superdome.

Written by Peggy Noonan and Craig R. Smith, it included the "read my lips: no new taxes" pledge that was the most popular sound bite coming out of the convention.

During the presidential roll call vote, several seconding speeches were delivered, showcasing a number of speakers from varying ethnic backgrounds.

[10] With rumblings of opposition to the Quayle nomination, it was decided to have it ratified by voice vote, something that the Republicans had never done before, but would become standard practice in the decades to come.