Politics
Walter Mondale dead – Former Vice President and Democratic nominee who lost in Reagan landslide dies aged 93
FORMER Vice President Walter Mondale died on Monday at age 93.
Mondale, also known by the nickname “Fritz,” served as VP under President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981.
Mondale served as VP to Former President Jimmy Carter[/caption]
He also ran for president as the Democratic candidate against Ronald Reagan in 1984.
A cause of death was not immediately known, but family friend and spokeswoman Kathy Tunheim told the Washington Post that the former VP passed away at his home in Minneapolis.
Former President Carter released a statement on Monday night mourning the loss of his friend, who he considers “the best vice president in our country’s history.”
“During our administration, Fritz used his political skill and personal integrity to transform the vice presidency into a dynamic, policy-driving force that had never been seen before and still exists today.
Mondale chose Rep Geraldine Ferraro as a running mate in his own bid for the White House[/caption]
President Biden spoke at an event honoring Mondale in 2015[/caption]
“He was an invaluable partner and an able servant of the people of Minnesota, the United States and the World.”
Mondale’s own run for the White House came at the height of Reagan’s popularity, and he lost the electoral vote by a whopping 525-13.
He did make history, though, with his selection of Rep Geraldine Ferraro of New York as his running mate — making him the first major-party presidential nominee to put a woman on the ticket.
Before his time in the White House, Mondale served as a senator for Minnesota beginning in 1964.
He also served as a United States Ambassador to Japan from 1993 to 1996 under former President Bill Clinton.
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President Joe Biden has said that the former VP acted as a mentor to him for years, and that Mondale gave him a “roadmap” to do the job well before his own stint as VP.
“I took Fritz’s roadmap. He actually gave me a memo, classic Fritz, gave me a memo, as to what I should be looking for and what kind of commitments I should get to be able to do the job the way Fritz thought it should be done,” Biden said at an event honoring Mondale in 2015.
