Walter Mondale, a former vice-president, dies aged 93
Once a byword for political calamity, American history will be kind to him
THE CAREER OF Walter Mondale is a reminder of how unfair politics can be. As a legislator he was among the greats, helping to drag the Democratic Party towards acceptance of civil rights, including as co-sponsor of the Fair Housing Act, which made it illegal for landlords to discriminate by race. As vice-president to Jimmy Carter he is credited with making that office more professional. As a presidential candidate in 1984, though, he was a disaster, losing 49 states to Ronald Reagan (whose record on civil rights was poor) in one of the most lopsided elections in American history.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline "Reassessing a would-be president"
United States April 24th 2021
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- Joe Biden asserts America’s role in the fight against climate change
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- Walter Mondale, a former vice-president, dies aged 93
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