Vice President Mondale Comments on Today’s Democratic Party

“I told one of the other senators, ‘You’re a very pleasant, sweet person. But deep down, the public wants a son-of-a-gun. You’ve got to get stuff done.'”

Walter Mondale represented Minnesota in the United States Senate for 12 years before he was elected the 42nd Vice President of the United States in 1976, serving under President Jimmy Carter. After unsuccessfully challenging President Ronald Reagan for the presidency in 1984, Mr. Mondale was later appointed as the United States Ambassador to Japan by President Bill Clinton in 1993. Following the conclusion of a 2002 Senate bid, Mr. Mondale has remained active in Minnesota politics, including supporting the political career of his former intern, current United States Senator and 2020 presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar. Mr. Mondale also testified before the Senate Rules Committee in 2010 on the subject of filibusters, and he published his memoir The Good Fight: A Life in Liberal Politics that same year. Mr. Mondale joins Merion West editor Erich Prince to share his thoughts on the Democratic Party of today, the expanding role of women in politics, and the decline of bipartisanship in Washington.

Mr. Mondale, good morning. Thank you for joining us today. Getting started, last June, you spoke with Bloomberg for their piece on the then-upcoming 2018 midterm elections. You spoke about how Democrats, should they take back the House of Representatives, not only take aim at some aspects of the Trump Administration but should also focus on opportunities to improve things like health care and environmental policy. Now, November has come and gone, the dust is settled, and the Democrats have retaken the House. Are there certain efforts currently being considered—perhaps H.R. 1 for example—that you’re most pleased with? And how might Democrats prioritize some of these health care and environmental issues?

I think the spirit of your question raises a fundamental point. We can’t be seen just as being negative on Trump, although we should. We need to be talking positively about what we can do. And now that we control the House—although it’s hard to get things by the Senate—at least we should be seen adopting things that show an affirmative, forward-looking attitude, and in the process—if we can, although I know it can be hard now—find ways of getting bipartisan sponsorship for these reforms.