From a reader, speaking for a few:

Jonah,
The Douthat piece you linked to says “If she’s a Quayle-type choice or worse, the odds are good that she’ll never occupy the Naval Observatory.”
I have also noticed some slamming of Quayle in the Corner, as a way of discussing Palin. I wouldn’t have an issue with it if you guys were all discussing the dangers of Palin ending up with the same type of media perception as Quayle.
Schiffren had it right.

Me: Let me just say here and now, since Quayle comparisons are likely to be thrown around by a lot of folks in the days to come: I think Quayle got a raw deal. He was eaten by a press corps with an agenda. He was considerably more qualified in terms of his experience and credentials to be president than Barack Obama. Anyway, to the extent I mention Quayle in the days to come, or reprint emails from readers or link to others mentioning Quayle, my own position on the man is that he was an honorable man who got the shaft. Also, we should note that Palin already passed the first test that Quayle unfortunately failed: Seeming ready for primetime when she was initially picked.