Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy

"Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy" was a remark made during the 1988 United States vice presidential debate by Democratic nominee Senator Lloyd Bentsen to Republican nominee Senator Dan Quayle in response to Quayle's comparison of his experience in Congress to that of John F. Kennedy, the Democratic 35th president of the United States, whom Bentsen knew from their time as congressmen from the 80th to 82nd Congresses.

Since then, the words "You're no Jack Kennedy," or some variation on the remark, have become a part of the political lexicon as a way to deflate politicians or other individuals perceived as thinking too highly of themselves.

[4] One of the moderators, Judy Woodruff, set the stage by addressing the audience: "Based on the history since World War II, there is almost a 50–50 chance that one of the two men here tonight will become president of the United States."

[5][6] After Quayle became Bush's vice presidential running mate, questions were raised in the press about his age (he was 41 at the time); his limited term of service in the Senate; his grades in college; his National Guard duty (which Democrats claimed helped him avoid serving in the military during the Vietnam War);[7][8] and his overall ability to lead the nation in the case of the incapacitation of the president, which became a central issue in the 1988 debate.

[9] In a mock debate with Dennis E. Eckart, Bentsen used the casual remark "you're no Jack Kennedy and George Bush is no Ronald Reagan.

When Kennedy successfully sought the Democratic nomination in 1960, he had less experience than his primary opponents, most of whom had more seniority in the Senate.

But to follow up on Brit Hume's question, when you said that it was a hypothetical situation, it is, sir, after all, the reason that we're here tonight, because you are running not just for Vice President—(Applause)—and if you cite the experience that you had in Congress, surely you must have some plan in mind about what you would do if it fell to you to become President of the United States, as it has to so many Vice Presidents just in the last 25 years or so.

It proved sure-laugh fodder for comedians, and more and more editorial cartoons depicted Quayle as a child.

[13] Avoiding going head-to-head with a seasoned Bentsen, Quayle had spent the debate criticizing presidential nominee Michael Dukakis as too liberal.

[11] The Bush–Quayle ticket defeated Dukakis–Bentsen in the presidential election by a margin of 8% of the popular vote and an electoral landslide, with the Democrats winning only ten states.

"[16] At the 1992 vice presidential debate during his opening statement, Democratic nominee Al Gore took a humorous shot at Quayle over the Jack Kennedy comparison.

Gore was also taking a shot at President George Bush's comparisons of the accomplishments of his administration to that of Harry S. Truman.

[20] During the eleventh 2016 Republican primary debate moderated by Fox News, Ohio Governor and presidential candidate John Kasich delivered his own version of the line saying, "You know, we hear about Ronald Reagan rebuilding the military.

After her tweet, actor Bradley Whitford, who portrayed White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the show, replied saying "I know C.J.

"[24] In June 2017, after the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar nominated former attorney general Maire Whelan as a judge to the Court of Appeals and was accused of pressuring President Michael D. Higgins to sign off on her confirmation, he claimed appointments like this have precedent such as in the cases of Frank Clarke, Adrian Hardiman and Donal O'Donnell.

Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin claimed it "stunk to high heaven" and quipped "with the greatest of respect, Máire Whelan is no Frank Clarke, is no Adrian Hardiman, and is no Donal O'Donnell.

"[25] On June 10, 2019, Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland, grandson of former NDP leader and Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas, posted a statement on Twitter, directed at Ontario Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford and responding to Lisa MacLeod, a Minister in Ford's government, comparing their government's provincial budget to Douglas's fiscal record.