Mondale: "It's time for new people"

Fox News ^ | October 28, 2002 | Fritz Mondale

[Dems_R_Losers]

Did anyone see the report earlier today on Fox News when they replayed a March 2002 interview with Fritz Mondale? This is dynamite! He said "my public service career is over"..."I thought about running for the Senate this year if Paul Wellstone stepped down [recall that Wellstone had term-limited himself and then welshed on the pledge], and Joan and I talked about it, and we decided that it's time for new people to step up and lead"..."I do not desire to have any leadership role in the national Democratic Party"....etc. etc. He was VERY emphatic (and also looked VERY old in this interview).

[Dems_R_Losers]

This is fantastic. Republicans should get this footage and just run it over and over and over.

[Senator_Blutarski]

I'd prefer that we hold back on this message until Mondale accepts. Otherwise the Democrats may pull back on Mondale and run Alan Page instead.

This is the kind of message we want to use in the last few days of the campaign.

[Callahan]

Just by an infomercial and replay the Mondale v. Reagan debates from '84. That's the kind of drubbing that never gets old.

[Callahan]

The Dem's keep throwing these geezer re-treads at us. It's like being trapped in a time warp. I keep waiting for Lautenberg to have a stroke on camera.

[texson66]

The RINO part of the RNP will not have the GUTS to it!

[HamiltonJay]

This is fantastic. Republicans should get this footage and just run it over and over and over.

They should absolutely NOT do that. That would hurt the GOP horribly. Mondale can easily and honestly claim the tragic death of Wellstone obviously changes the landscape, and though I had every intention of quietly going into that dark night, if called upon by my countrymen, one more time, to serve, I cannot ignore the call.

Mondale will come out like a statesman, and the GOP like frothing attack dogs with no empathy or compassion, your approach would basically hand the election to Mondale without him needing say anything more than a few sentences. The path you advocate is absolutely the WRONG path to take. Keep the debate on the issues, and Mondales stand on them, not on statements about not running again before Wellstone's death.

[curmudgeonII]

This sort of statement isn't unusual for politicians. I am old enough to remember when Nixon said roughly the same thing after being defeated for the governor of California. [Back in the 1960's as I recall.]

[William McKinley]

Not if they air the ads the Monday night prior to the election. No time for Mondale to get counter-ads up to respond.

[HamiltonJay]

Not if they air the ads the Monday night prior to the election. No time for Mondale to get counter-ads up to respond.

Oh please, if that clip like people here are suggesting GOP is toast. Mondale will be on evening news that night across the state, as well as morning national talk shows and noon and 6 oclock news. It will basically hand the election to the Dems.

The only people who are going to be moved by a statement by a retired politician who, as an already private citizen, decided he was not going to run again a few years ago, who now suddenly is running because of the untimely death of a canidate and because he was urged to do so by the people and members of his party, are the people who would never vote for the guy anyway.

If the GOP pin their advertising on playing this clip as part of some ad campaign they will lose, and they should lose for such insanity. They would be handing the election to Mondale on a silver platter.

Mondale stands up and honestly says, I never intended to run, I had done my duty for God and Country, my only desire was to live out my years surrounded by my loved ones. The tragic and untimely death of Wellstone obviously has changed the landscape and if I am chosen by the people of Minnesota to give one more time of myself to my country, I cannot ignore the call. Point! Set! Match!

Mondale will not only win if the GOP does something so idiotic as this, but he will win big! He will come across as a statesman, and reluctant servant of the people and will blow the GOP out of the water. If the Minnesota GOP do what has been propsed with this clip, and in any way make it part of a campaign, they will be eating their hats, I guarantee it.

[William McKinley]

I don't agree with you. I think that people seeing someone saying "it is time for new people" will resonate.

[ambrose]

Lautenberg publicly stated in 2000 that "I am getting too old for this sh*t!" (paraphrasing)... but that hasn't seemed to have hurt him any.

[HamiltonJay]

I don't agree with you. I think that people seeing someone saying "it is time for new people" will resonate.

It might resonate in some other time and some other place, but when the "new person" just died, calling on the older generation one more time is not shameful, disgraceful or even debatable.. it is what you do. If Mondale were actively seekign the nomination of his party, or had gotten on the ballot through other (activist) means, this clip would carry some weight, but he didn't get there that way. No one is going to be swayed by this footage, other than righties who would never vote for him anyway. The 40% middle are not going to be swayed at all by it, but they damn sure will be swayed when they see the obviously aging Mondale stand up and say exactly what I have said.

Mondale didn't ask for, didn't persue it, didn't chase it, he was asked to do it, which is what elder statesmen are for and do do. He will mop the floor with the GOP if they do something so stupid. If the GOP does this, Mondale becomes the old statemen being called on for duty one more time for God and Country. While his GOP challenger looks quite fankly weak and pathetic for such an attack. I get the sense the GOP campaign there has more common sense than that, I hope for the sake of the Senate they do.

[mwl1]

I think Coleman will essentially run a very positive campaign and let the party apparatus run the negative ads, if any.

Coleman needs to use the following themes:

1. This election is about the future, not echoes of the past.

2. Coleman represents Minnesota values: peace, freedom, neighborhood, family, jobs

3. Coleman is the 21st Century senator.

4. Coleman will run on his record. It's outstanding.

[William McKinley]

Oh please. Mondale considered running for it when it appeared that Wellstone wasn't going to. If he didn't persue it now, he didn't run away from it either. And frankly, if it was time for new people months ago, then it is time for new people now. Unless the Democrats want to stake the position that there was only one "new person" in the entire state.

As you said, when they see an obviously aging guy, they will be swayed. Away from him. Except he isn't aging, he is aged. Age is and will be and should be an issue.

If Mondale can't take the heat of having his own words thrown back at him, he has no business sticking his nose back into politics.

[paddles]

I tend to agree....and disagree with holding back because it would look mean-spirited.

But I wouldn't wait for the Monday before, I'd start on Thursday.

At this point you might as well swing for the fence.

[RightWhale]

Keep the debate on the issues

Mondale: "I WILL raise your taxes."

[HamiltonJay]

I agree, points 2 and 4 should be the campaign, I don't think 1 and 3 honestly should be brought up, there is no need, and trying to define what that means in less than 2 weeks to the public is impossible. Keep it on the issues.

[uncbob]

Lautenberg publicly stated in 2000 that "I am getting too old for this sh*t!" (paraphrasing)... but that hasn't seemed to have hurt him any.

And the GOP has really used it against him ?????

[HamiltonJay]

William,

George Washington had to deal with a restless and frustrated continental army, they had not been paid in months, could not get the supplies they needed etc etc etc...

George Washington stepped in front of his troops, with nothing to offer them, but somehow he had to keep them from desertion. As he approached the lecturn, he pulled his spectacles from his pocket and applied them to his nose, and prepared to read aloud yet again the letter of promise from the legislature... when the troops saw Washington in glasses, they all fell silent, they had never seen him in them before. Washington noticing this said the following... "Forgive me gentlemen, I have not only grown old in service of my country, but blind as well".

The talk of desertion ended, some even had tears in their eyes. Washington read again the letter, and needless to say, kept the continental army together.

Mondale obviously is no Washington, but he does have a long career of public service, the fact is he did not persue the Senate, he may have thought of it, but thinking of it, and doing it are 2 different things. His party has called up him, and the people of his state will vote... he has every right to say, I have done my bit for god and country, but if called upon because of the tragic events of Wellstone's death to serve one more time, these tired old bones will not run from the call.

Its not a matter of him taking his own words thrown back at him, it is a matter if you try to use those words against him you hand him the election! He has nothing to fear from those words.... you just don't want to see it. I am telling you the only people who are going to respond negatively to Mondale if you show that clip are people like yourself who never ever were going to vote for him anyway. Mondale will absolutely win big if the GOP is dumb enough to take that clip and use it as a campaign ad.

You are not going to be able to take that clip and somehow spin it into a negative in 2 weeks, because the statements refer to a world that existed before the death of Wellstone. Mondale does not have to dodge the statement, or lie about it. He can openly embrace it, he can openly still agree with it, then use it to be the reluctant politician, standing up one more time to answer the call... Its a fools game to think this clip will hurt him... If the GOP use this clip in Minnesota in any way other than in front of their own faithful they will hand the state to the Dems on a silver platter.

[William McKinley]

Mondale obviously is no Washington

Which is why your analogy doesn't even cause a ripple with me.