Presidency of Walter Mondale (America Needs A Change)

Walter Mondale's tenure as the 41st president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1985, and ended on January 20, 1993. Mondale, a Democrat from Minnesota, took office following a narrow victory over incumbent Republican President Ronald Reagan in the 1984 presidential election. Four years later, in 1988, he defeated former Republican vice president George Bush to win re-election in a landslide. Mondale was succeeded by TBD. Mondale's win in 1984 resulted from a gradual movement away from the conservative right in American politics, including a loss in confidence in Reaganomics and peace through strength, both were large policies of the Reagan administration.

International affairs proved major in the Mondale presidency, he would handle easing tensions with the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Having supported the nuclear freeze movements, Mondale would enter negotiations with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to work towards ending nuclear development in September of 1985. Mondale would oversee the signing of the Nuclear Freeze treaties in early 1986. Mondale would send support to the Contras in Nicuragua in close following of the Boland Amendment. In his second term, Mondale successfully pushed for the reunification of Germany under Chancellor Helmut Kohl after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Mondale would also lead over the Kuwait Crisis in 1990, in which Iraq invaded Kuwait and a request for a UN response was denied by Mondale due to America carrying the majority of the burden. Mondale also signed the North American Free Trade Agreement which created a trilateral trade bloc consisting of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Domestically, being faced with a large federal budget deficit, Mondale would raise taxes on wealthy Americans and end loopholes by signing the Fair Share Act in 1986. The Mondale presidency also saw a reduction in federal spending, particularly in the defense budget. He would also put a heavy focus on education, domestic programs, and healthcare, using the money taken from the defense budget towards domestic programs and giving more money to public schools. Mondale would also sign the Assault Rifle ban in response to the rise in crime under the Reagan administration. The Mondale administration would mark the first time the government responded to the AIDS Crisis, with the Department of Health and Human Services including HIV in its list of “communicable diseases of public health significance” in 1987. Mondale would also begin research into HIV and AIDS in 1987. Mondale would appoint three Supreme Court justices, Amalya Kearse, Gilbert S. Merritt, Jr., and George J. Mitchell.

Mondale left office in 1993 with a 51% approval rating and went on to campaign for Vice President Geraldine Ferraro in the 1992 presidential election. Historians tend to rank Mondale as an average president.

1984 election


Having served as vice president under Jimmy Carter, Mondale ran for the nomination in the 1984 Democratic primaries. His main opponents were Jesse Jackson and Gary Hart. Mondale was considered the front-runner for the nomination, and while Hart won the New Hampshire primaries, Mondale successfully came back after using the Wendy's slogan "Where's the beef?" to describe Hart's policies as lacking in depth. Jackson, widely regarded as the first serious African-American candidate for president, held on longer, but Mondale gained the nomination with the majority of delegates.

At the Democratic National Convention, Mondale chose U.S. Representative Geraldine Ferraro from New York as his running mate, making her the first woman nominated for that position by a major party. Aides later said that Mondale was determined to make a historic choice with his vice presidential candidate, having considered San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein (female and Jewish); Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, an African American; and San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros, a Mexican American, as finalists. Others preferred Senator Lloyd Bentsen because he would appeal to the Deep South, or even nomination rival Gary Hart. Ferraro, as a Catholic, was criticized by some Catholic Church leaders for being pro-choice. Much more controversy erupted over her changing positions about the release of her husband's tax returns, and her own ethics record in the House. Ferraro was on the defensive throughout much of the campaign, largely negating her breakthrough as the first woman on a major national ticket. She was also the first Italian American to reach that level in American politics.

When Mondale made his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention, he famously said "Let's tell the truth. It must be done, it must be done. Mr. Reagan will raise taxes, he won't tell you, I just did. And when he raises taxes, it won't be done fairly, he'll sock it to middle-class Americans and his rich friends will get richer; the American people won't stand for it and neither will I." The comment was made as an appeal to voters by sounding honest, and the strong statement would benefit the campaign, with attention being placed on Mondale.

Mondale would run a liberal campaign, supporting a nuclear freeze and quietly supporting the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). While Reagan remained popular, Mondale would present himself as the candidate with newer ideas without directly referencing Reagan's age. In the presidential debates, Mondale would perform unexpectedly well, causing Reagan's poll numbers to drop. The Iran-Contra affair would be leaked in October, and the scandal, along with the Murder Manuals would push Mondale closer in the polls.

Mondale defeated Reagan in a close election, winning 271 electoral votes with 270 needed to win. Mondale, however, lost the popular vote, receiving only 48.9% while Reagan won 50.5%. Mondale's election would be granted by winning the state of Michigan, winning with 49.89% to Reagan's 49.74%. The closeness of Mondale's win caused Reagan supporters to call for Reagan to contest the results, Reagan would refuse and Mondale's win was solidified