Quayle again got slammed for this attack while infuriating single mothers. Johnny Carson was beginning his final week of the Tonight Show before his retirement, and after Quayle's critcism of Murphy Brown, in his monolouge he began with something like "I want to thank the Vice President once again for coming through for me" and also Carson got off ths epic blast "I'm surpised Vice President Quayle watches Murphy Brown, isn't that on as the same time as F-Troop on Nickelodeon?" What I found more hilarious was the way his advisors tried to do damage control for this incident by having him watch the 88-89 season opener of Murphy Brown (where they undoubtedly knew the show's writers would take shots at Quayle) with a group of single mothers. But what was truly ironic was Candace Bergen's remark in 2002 about this entire incident. She said "I never have really said much about the whole episode, which was endless, but his speech was a perfectly intelligent speech about fathers not being dispensable and nobody agreed with that more than I did."

Little to add to jy's comment.  Quayle interpreted Candace's comment as a vindication and admittance that Quayle was right, which he probably was.  But the press, and liberal Hollywood, had their punching bag and couldn't resist a jab or two.  Every day.  It was the beginning of the impact of late-night TV on voting patterns.  Everyone had a Dan Quayle joke to tell.