1984 Presidential Debate: Reagan v. Mondale

Watch the full program Sunday, October 18 at 9am ET/6am PT on C-SPAN 3
From 1984, the second and final presidential debate between incumbent President Ronald Reagan and former Vice President Walter Mondale, his Democratic challenger. The candidates answered questions from a panel of journalists on defense and foreign policy issues, including U.S. involvement and CIA activities in Central America, negotiations with the Soviet Union on nuclear stockpiles and strategic weapons systems, and fighting terrorism in Lebanon and the broader Middle East. The Republican ticket of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush defeated Walter Mondale and Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro in the general election, winning the popular vote 59 to 41 percent.

[claygilchrist]

Mondale thinking while laughing: "Yeah, I'm screwed."

[MarkSmithhhh]

Mondale said in an interview he knew he'd lost at that point

[Dantheman-bwhv]

The fact that even Mondale laughed, we all knew who would be the winner of the election

[dwatson]

Mondale probably voted for Reagan after this

[jackwebb]

Back when debates and politics were civil and polite

[MrHalohunter]

The joke that killed Mondale’s campaign

[Codirectme]

Can't believe this only has 25k views. One of the best lines in Presidential debate history.

[mrrandom]

Democrats in 1984: Reagan is too old
Democrats in 2023: Biden is fine

[wakawakakilo]

Reagan : mondale you are TOO young to be the president!
Mondale : well at least he called me young

[donwhiteproductions]

The key here is that even though they disagree... they still honor each other with civility. The reason our political climate is so vile now is because we are taught to hate ppl we disagree with.

[johnathonlivingston]

Regan was necessary. He led us through the late era Cold War. Couldn’t have done it without him. Thank you Mr. President!

[Mark-sjxb]

That feet shuffle and look down at 0:15 you can tell he was ready and prepared for the question to be asked. And that cheshire cat grin afterwards is classic Reagan

[airdriver]

I was twenty one years old and a freshman at college watching this with some friends. When Reagan said this, we laughed our asses off. The Gipper was still The Gipper.
It was something of a relief because the Reagan we saw at the debates in Campaign 84 was a lot different than four years earlier. He stumbled over his words and seemed a little off his game. It kind of reminded me of my grandfather who, at the time, was suffering from Alzheimer’s and would die of it three years later.

[wmlouisiana]

I saw an interview with Geraldine Ferraro and she was asked when she knew the election was over. She said, very early on in the campaign they were in a steel mill and there were Reagan/Bush signs everywhere. She said that she was angry because the union workers were supposed to be their backers, so she asked a man down front why he would vote for Ronald Reagan. The man shouted, "He makes me proud to be an American!"

She said, "You just can't beat that".

[markjd]

What an actor! You just know that his advisors came up with this line in debate prep, and yet he delivered it with such ease that it might as well have been off the top of his head. That’s why Reagan was great, he knew that the President was there to make Americans feel confident and strutting. Bravo.

[Joepo]

Hook, line and sinker. Ronny put this one away with one the most famous quotes EVER!!!

[tobylevins]

I came to this while watching the 2024 debate. What happened.

[petersmybro]

Youth and inexperience hahaha, Mondale was 56 years old and was a senator and vice president under Carter before this debate. Regan had some great jokes, and a TV actor's charisma!

[houseofw]

That was a political one punch knockout.

[aleksandrmarkov]

Who's coming back as a result of the sh!t show yesterday?