I
f you are not a Minnesotan
(emphasis on the "ohhh"), the
name "Walter Mondale" likely
won't stir up any fond memo
-
ries—unless you are a Repub-
lican and/or a Ronald Reagan
groupie. Mondale was the 1984
Democratic Party's choice to
unseat the incumbent Reagan, a
task he failed in the most spec-
tacular fashion. While "The Gip-
per" won a record 525 Electoral
College votes, Mondale netted
just 13 of the same, carrying
only the District of Columbia and
his home state of Minnesota (by
a gnat's lash of just 60 votes)
in the general election. It was a
splendid time to be a gloating
Republican in America, and the
thrashing delivered that night in
1984 spelled the end of Mon-
dale's more than 20-year career
in public service.
But the senator from the state
of 10,000 lakes (and locals
say that's an understatement)
deserves to be remembered for
more than this presidential beat-
down. Mondale served his state
as both Attorney General and as
a United States Senator. He was
Jimmy Carter's Vice President
and after winning the party's
nomination for himself in 1984,
he boldly selected a woman,
Geraldine Ferraro, as his running
mate. But best of all (at least
from the perspective of off-road
riders), Mondale's son Ted was a
motocross racer!
CNIIARCHIVES
P122
THE VICE
PRESIDENT'S
SON IS
A RACER
BY KENT TAYLOR
TED MONDALE
WAS JUST
ANOTHER
19-YEAR-KID
WHO LOVED
MOTOCROSS
Cycle News interviewed Ted
Mondale in 1977. Mondale was
the son of former Vice President
and presidential candidate
Walter Mondale.
