Walter ‘Fritz’ Mondale, 1928-2021
April 19, 2021 7:55 PM   Subscribe

“We told the truth. We obeyed the law. We kept the peace.” Former Vice President Walter F. Mondale was remembered Monday as a towering figure in Minnesota's public life and a leading influence on Democratic politics in the final decades of the last century. Tributes poured in on social media and in press releases from politicians of both parties in the hours following the announcement from Mondale's family that he had died at age 93.
posted by ichomp (66 comments total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
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posted by Gray Duck at 8:06 PM on April 19, 2021


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posted by jim in austin at 8:07 PM on April 19, 2021


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posted by tumbling at 8:09 PM on April 19, 2021


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posted by Halloween Jack at 8:14 PM on April 19, 2021


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posted by riruro at 8:15 PM on April 19, 2021


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(Sorry Fritz, but the one time I chose the Republican candidate was when I was seduced by the Great Communicator into voting against you.)
posted by Rash at 8:16 PM on April 19, 2021


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posted by Katjusa Roquette at 8:23 PM on April 19, 2021


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posted by dinty_moore at 8:29 PM on April 19, 2021


I'm sorry to hear this. He faded from public view so thoroughly that I am certain some will be surprised to hear that he was still among us. He seemed a good fellow who had the misfortune to run against a very popular (if highly polarizing) opponent.

It's a little shy of forty-five years since Carter and Mondale were elected. I suspect this is the longest-surviving major party ticket ever, but someone else who know more US presidential trivia than I may correct me on this. At the other end of the spectrum, I think the 1940 GOP Wilkie-McNary must surely be the shortest-lived; neither one survived to see the 1944 election.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:47 PM on April 19, 2021 [10 favorites]


I had the pleasure of seeing Walter Mondale in action during Obama's 2012 campaign in Minnesota. He was charming, genuine, self-deprecating, and willing to do anything. He knocked on doors, he spoke at rallies, he was a huge draw for college kids. His wife made phone calls on a regular basis. He was a true class act and I'm sure he would have made a great presidents.
posted by brookeb at 8:50 PM on April 19, 2021 [44 favorites]


A decent human being who tried to move the country forwards on gender equality. Can't say that about too many politicians. And trying to do so in Reagan's era, when a sitting president was actively murdering gay people, so you can imagine how Republicans felt about women, even when compared with today. RIP.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 8:51 PM on April 19, 2021 [21 favorites]


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posted by brujita at 9:06 PM on April 19, 2021


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posted by JoeXIII007 at 9:10 PM on April 19, 2021


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posted by evilDoug at 9:20 PM on April 19, 2021


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posted by UhOhChongo! at 9:38 PM on April 19, 2021


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posted by riverlife at 9:43 PM on April 19, 2021


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My first Presidential vote
posted by Windopaene at 10:28 PM on April 19, 2021 [9 favorites]


He always struck me as a decent fellow.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:44 PM on April 19, 2021 [7 favorites]


The first debate I can remember watching he busts out "Where's the beef?" on Gary Hart.

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posted by cmfletcher at 10:55 PM on April 19, 2021 [2 favorites]


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posted by The Great Big Mulp at 11:19 PM on April 19, 2021


In the 1984? Presidential election Walter Mondale only won his home state; and to a man who jailed trade union leaders.
What a horrible party the Republicans are.
posted by Narrative_Historian at 1:22 AM on April 20, 2021 [7 favorites]


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posted by GenjiandProust at 1:28 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by filtergik at 2:33 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by gauche at 3:19 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by lapolla at 4:20 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by condour75 at 4:28 AM on April 20, 2021


As a Minnesotan born and bred, guys like Mondale and Humphrey were examples to me of leadership that was competent and honest.

Seeing Mondale pick Ferraro as his running mate made the issue of women's equality suddenly more viable -- at least to me, as a kid then. Like , before it was jokes about the ERA but now in a flash a woman might actually be Vice President!
posted by wenestvedt at 4:33 AM on April 20, 2021 [21 favorites]


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posted by fizzix at 4:53 AM on April 20, 2021


It's been a lifelong regret that I didn't become of voting age in time to vote against Reagan, but I'd proudly have cast my vote for Mondale and Ferraro.

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posted by Gelatin at 5:01 AM on April 20, 2021 [6 favorites]


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posted by Thorzdad at 5:02 AM on April 20, 2021


Also my very first vote cast in a presidential election.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:15 AM on April 20, 2021 [6 favorites]


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posted by Mitheral at 6:25 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 7:48 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by introp at 8:09 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by Melismata at 8:13 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:17 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by May Kasahara at 8:19 AM on April 20, 2021


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One of my friends once saw Mondale on the light rail in Minneapolis helping some travelers coming from the airport. Once they had figured out their route, the travelers proceeded with small talk and asked him, “What do you do?” He answered that he was just a lawyer who worked downtown.

As someone who walked by Mondale Hall at the university every day, it took all of my friend’s self control not to correct him. He was a humble public servant with a huge legacy.
posted by Maarika at 8:45 AM on April 20, 2021 [33 favorites]


It’s been a hard week in Minnesota. My Facebook is all people sharing their Fritz stories. Also, we currently have more troops deployed here than there are in Afghanistan. Tensions are high.
posted by misterpatrick at 9:16 AM on April 20, 2021 [9 favorites]


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posted by Going To Maine at 9:17 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 9:42 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by Joey Michaels at 9:48 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by Splunge at 10:09 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by gudrun at 10:10 AM on April 20, 2021


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posted by AugustWest at 10:18 AM on April 20, 2021




How much better a place would the US be if he and Geraldine Ferraro had won the 1984 election.
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posted by Bee'sWing at 10:34 AM on April 20, 2021 [7 favorites]




I don't know much about him other than the basic facts - I was too young at the time and wasn't paying attention. But I have a vague memory of a Saturday Night Live sketch from many years after his failed candidacy where someone woke up or time traveled to a timeline where all the jokes were around how the US was this utopian society and how much better everything was, and the reason (or the punchline?) was that Mondale actually won the presidency instead of Reagan. I just did a bunch of googling and can't find it, but whatever it was has stuck with me all these years later, whenever someone mentions Mondale's name.

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posted by Mchelly at 12:38 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]


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posted by aught at 12:40 PM on April 20, 2021


dinty_moore, I didn't even have to hover over your first link, and I knew what you were posting.

What a story -- from "Show me your hands" to the finale: choked me right up.

The thing about quietly great people is that they do it all so quietly -- and their example doesn't reach as many people as it should because they're humble.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:10 PM on April 20, 2021 [3 favorites]


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posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 1:11 PM on April 20, 2021


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posted by ahimsakid at 1:33 PM on April 20, 2021


If anyone out there hasn’t followed dinty_moore’s link, it is worth it. I voted for Mondale in my first presidential election. It was the first of many disappointing results, but there have been some good ones too. It is a real flaw in our country that decent, caring people have a real struggle to succeed in politics.

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posted by TedW at 1:39 PM on April 20, 2021 [3 favorites]


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posted by theora55 at 2:25 PM on April 20, 2021


His family put out a cookbook years ago. It is a prized piece in my collection. The voices in the writing were cheerful and humorous. I want to say that Minnesota has so much good in it and I appreciated the dry humor and quiet competence of those around me. Fritz Mondale reflected those traits to me.

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posted by jadepearl at 2:57 PM on April 20, 2021 [3 favorites]


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posted by jasper411 at 4:10 PM on April 20, 2021


Wow, I knew barely anything about him before this post. Thanks ichomp and other commenters - what a remarkable public servant.

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posted by estlin at 7:53 PM on April 20, 2021 [3 favorites]


I didn't vote for Mondale... but only because I wasn't old enough at the time. That was the last presidential campaign I had to sit out. It's a pity that he didn't win, one Reagan term was bad enough.

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posted by jzb at 9:26 PM on April 20, 2021 [2 favorites]


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posted by adekllny at 6:31 AM on April 21, 2021


Mchelly, SNL did a Gore skit with that premise, you may be thinking of that, or SNL may have rehashed a joke.

As for a good man who did good work

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posted by tavella at 7:29 AM on April 21, 2021 [1 favorite]


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posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 10:26 AM on April 21, 2021


My first Presidential vote

I was too young. But I voted Dukakkis as soon as I got older!
posted by thelonius at 10:34 AM on April 21, 2021 [1 favorite]


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