ANN RICHARDS
September 1, 1933-September 13, 2006
ANN RICHARDS, THEN STATE TREASURER, &
LATER GOVERNOR OF, TEXAS (1991-1995),
AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT THE 1988
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION,
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
It was one memorable speech. Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were the presidential and vice presidential nominees of the the Democratic party, running against Ronald Reagan's two-term vice-president, George Bush, and Senator Dan Quayle.
The speech can be seen here.
It is available to be read here.
Two memorable points: First, about what women can do: "if you give us a chance, we can perform. After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels."
I do not know how many times I have seen this quoted since then. Richards did not claim to have invented this. It is credited to the Thaves's Frank and Ernest comic strip; the Astaire-Rogers one can be found here. Ann Richards is credited with popularizing the notion.
A second vivid moment from the speech: "Poor George, he can't help it -- he was born with a silver foot in his mouth."
"Poor George" Bush and Dan Quayle went on to beat Dukakis and Bentsen.
Ann Richards went on to become the first woman elected governor of Texas in her own right, serving from 1991-1995. A nice summing-up can be found here.
Then she "misunderestimated" poor George's son George W. Bush and lost her chance at a second term; W became governor of Texas, and used it as his launching pad to the presidency.
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