Walter Mondale, vice president who helped Carter navigate a turbulent presidency, dies

Candidate Mondale gives a campaign speech in October 1984. John Duricka / AP

Walter Mondale, the former Democratic presidential candidate in 1984 and vice president during the government of Jimmy Carter (1977-1981), died this Monday at the age of 93, as confirmed by the politician's family. Mondale was one of the liberals within the party in the era of conservatism that marked America during the Ronald Reagan era. As vice president, he was the first to have an office inside the White House, a space from which he helped Carter navigate the troubled waters of his only term. He was also the first candidate to carry a woman in the presidential race. The hopefuls, however, were beaten up in the November elections.

Mondale never regretted starting his campaign by saying he was going to raise taxes, something that even now is taboo for most politicians. "I'm serious. By the end of my first presidency I will have reduced Reagan's fiscal deficit by two-thirds, ”Mondale said as he accepted the Democratic nomination in San Francisco. "Let me tell the truth. It must be done, it must be done. Mr. Reagan will raise taxes and so will I. He will not tell you and I just did, "added the politician, who elected Geraldine Ferraro, a congresswoman from the borough of Queens (New York) as a candidate for vice presidency. It was July. In November, Reagan would sweep by winning 49 of 50 states (525 electoral college votes to 13). Mondale and Ferraro only triumphed in Minnesota, the former vice president's home state. In a 2004 interview,Mondale said he was delighted to have made that statement, which many considered the ultimate drag on his aspiration.

Mondale studied law. His political path began by following in the footsteps of Senator and Vice President Hubert Humphrey, another important progressive from Minnesota. The politician was fond of the cigar. He drank a whiskey daily, was fond of tennis and skiing, and among his favorite books was a biography of the Italian statesman Giussepe Garibaldi.

At that Democratic convention, a young Joe Biden got just one vote in his quest to become the standard-bearer for the presidency. The current president of the United States has recognized the influence that Mondale, nicknamed Fritz in the local political world, had in his own trajectory. "Typical of Fritz, he sent me a memo with the things I should look for and the commitments I had to make to fulfill the job [of vice president]," Biden said in October 2015 at a tribute to Mondale in Washington City. .

Mondale and Biden spoke on Sunday, according to Axios. Carter's former vice president also said goodbye to his 96-year-old former boss and Bill Clinton, a president who appointed him Japan's ambassador for three years from 1993 to 1996. Mondale's goodbye reflects a methodical politician leaving deep roots in the political world of Washington. After saying goodbye to the leaders, he sent an email to more than 300 collaborators who accompanied him during his career.

“My time has come… before I go I just wanted to tell you how much you mean to me. No public servant has had a better team working alongside them. We have accomplished a lot and I know that they will continue to fight for the good. Joe in the White House certainly helps, ”Mondale wrote in one of his latest communications. Among the issues he fought for were minority rights, school integration, consumer protection and defense of farm workers.

He is also responsible for political work that sometimes goes unnoticed because it is out of the spotlight. Mondale took a fairly active role during the Carter presidency. His office became a catwalk where he received members of Congress. From there he helped to relax relations with the congressmen of his own party who, at times during the four years of the Administration, were on a war footing with the White House despite controlling the majority. “The lesson I learned from you is, how can you govern this incredibly diverse democracy without reaching consensus? It's just impossible, ”Biden told Fritz six years ago. It is a piece of advice that today marches the direction of the President of the United States.

Subscribe here

to the

EL PAÍS América

and receive all the informative keys of the current situation in the region.