Have the recent events in Georgia proved a game-changer in the presidential campaign? Former Vice President Dan Quayle seems to think so. Talking to Matt Lauer on this morning's Today Show, Quayle suggests that aggressive Russian tactics in what is now a one-sided conflict will force Barack Obama to choose a running mate with plenty of foreign policy experience. Quayle mentions former Georgia (the other one) senator Sam Nunn, which is the conventionalest of conventional wisdom, but no matter. He's also got something to say about John Edwards.

There's nothing particularly groundbreaking or insightful in this interview, but it does point out something rather interesting, at least to me: Dan Quayle seems kind of, I don't know, elder-statesmanlike? You kids out there probably don't remember this, but way back before the dawn of sleek little machines that hold every song you ever owned and the general willingness of college females to flash their breasts without even the promise of recompense in the form of cheap plastic jewelry (God, was I born too late), Quayle was the butt of our national "stupid" joke. Look how much we've lowered the bar since then! Guy sounds like Clark Frigging Clifford or somebody now.