CAMPAIGN ’88 : Quayle Tours Midwest

Republican vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle on Monday opened a four-day tour of the upper Midwest by stressing Republican intentions to open foreign markets to American-made goods, particularly the auto products that form the backbone of Michigan’s economy.

Before high school students in Flint, Mich., and Chamber of Commerce members in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., Quayle said he and Bush stood for “fair free trade.”

“What we want to do is not erect protectionism or barriers here,” he told the students. “The only thing we want to do is get in (Japanese) markets so we can produce our goods here and sell them over there.

“We can out-compete, outproduce anybody in this world.” Quayle repeatedly singled out Japan as a primary offender.

“Countries like Japan that in the past have erected barriers are going to have to change their attitude,” he said in Mt. Pleasant.

Quayle has concentrated his efforts in the upper Midwest in recent weeks in an attempt to take advantage of his Indiana roots. Today, he made what he called a “strong regional appeal,” in which he portrayed Dukakis as an elitist.

“As a Midwesterner, I think you will share with me some of the concerns that you have about the man from Massachusetts and in particular the very liberal outlook on America and how at times they just seem to look down on America,” he said.