The Ronald Reagan Mic Drop Moment At The 1984 Debate | NBC News

[@phil9947]

The look on Mondale's face... is when you know you're going to lose 49 states.

[@jamesricker3997]

Philippe Hajjar That debate was almost a disaster for Reagan,he has a serious Alzheimer's moment before the debate.

[@MrGlove191]

Philippe Hajjar This sums up the stupidity of Americans jokes and one-liners are seen as debate whereas substance and policy is ignored, you have no one to blame for your dire political situation but yourselves.

[@mr.blonde4746]

48, He won his home state and DC but he still flopped the election. Thank God he did aswell

[@realmichaud]

DC is not a state 49

[@med9371]

David Boyer ignore the Russian bot

[@Marvinskanalify]

Raegan won the election by making his opponent laugh, what a legend.

[@gtc1961]

That wasn't the only thing, the people in the country were genuinely happy with what he was doing.

[@alexanderfooy723]

gtc1961 Not entirely, his approval ratings weren’t amazing in ‘84.

[@Executiveinvestments-]

@@alexanderfooy723 oh god here we go with the dems fake boot licking approval ratings. He won 49 states you dumb sheep. That is unheard of. His ratings were extremely high and is know for being the best President in US history hands down.

[@alexanderfooy723]

WINNING I said “not entirely”. Jesus Christ, I was just saying that his dismantling of Mondale was the preeminent part of turning that election in his favor. If you’ve read about it (or lived it) you’d know that up until the second debate there were people thinking that it might be contested. Also, I’m not a Dem, that was a jump. Reagan was decidedly not the best President ever (though a good guy), sheep.

[@terryballard4674]

and George H. Bush lost because he looked at his watch!

[@thisiserich]

The fact that Mondale laughed and the two remained cordial is a massive indication of how different the times were back then. That would never happen today. Ever.

[@filledwithvariousknowledge2747]

Yup. I haven’t forgotten about that ultra angry 1st debate of 2020 when it’s now been revealed Trump had Covid before his official Twitter statement according to recent information by Mark Meadows

[@samityyy]

people just can't take a joke nowadays, everything is always gonna be insulting

[@alanaldpal950]

Only slightly….. even back then much of the left constantly called Reagan an evil man with as many “Hitler” and Nazis or racist name calling as the have and currently do to all Republicans or people they disagree with

[@Omegatonboom]

​@@samityyy nobody is making classy jokes now. It's all insults, hearsay, and personal opinions. Not to name names but a certain fluffy haired orange individual made the political game a lot more toxic than it ever was before... And we either keep that, or try to regain some class and normalcy..

[@AkiraNakamoto]

Because the country is teemed with saboteurs and vandals now.

[@rustyshepperd]

In the good ole days when politicians could disagree and debate without coming across as horrible people. I miss classy, clever lines and civility: even Mondale could appreciate Reagan's joke. Great stuff.

[@nighttrain1236]

Yeah it's all so nasty now. I don't know where we've gone wrong.

[@Herb615]

Night Train123 Politics has always been nasty.

[@immaculatesquid]

Night Train123 Al Gore is probably where i draw the line for dems and then McCain in 08 for repubs

[@alexsoco8777]

Rusty Shepperd yeah they seem much more friendly, now it’s a jab fest at one another with personal insults

[@AE-vu3nt]

The left really screwed us over.

[@dylanhart54]

Back when politicians joked, and weren't jokes.

[@jordanc9169]

back when the country still had professionalism and patriotism

[@dylanhart54]

As I said, joked but *weren't jokes*. Obama isn't the worst president this country has had, but he's far from the best. In my opinion you can just scroll to the top of the page here to see the best.

[@H7B2ify]

GOD BLESS GEORGE CARLIN AND JON STEWART!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@greglaprade7507]

ThatGuy I doubt it- since they both deny God adamantly.

[@MrAtlfan21]

Dylan Hart obama joked all the time

[@williamhager7136]

The good ol days when debates were civilized.

[@GavinDavis.]

Lame. Debates are funny nowadays

[@nedflanders5649]

The good ol days when debates were civil and dems nominee could actually talk.

[@cikbast1988]

@@nedflanders5649 .. after they showered with their Daughter, like Biden.

[@ThePopeII]

I wish our debates were more civilized too, but I think Trump has the right to be harsh with people who charged him with 400 crimes, fined him millions of dollars, and are still actively trying to put him behind bars, all to try and damage his chances of winning the 2024 election.

[@AugustusRex-nk8ze]

Why should the politicians be civilized when the voters aren't?

[@FavreianVengeance]

I like that Mondale can take a joke. I'd vote for him over any Democrat running today.

[@trumpisfuckis5431]

As if Trump can take a joke!

[@Gojirawars03]

trumpis fuckis He can, but he’s also not one to be the last to speak. He’ll get his two cents in on any one of those fragile little snowflake Dems.

[@kemsmith]

@@trumpisfuckis5431 simp

[@trumpisfuckis5431]

@@kemsmith wimp

[@yankee2666]

I'd vote for Gilbert Gottfried over any democrat running today.

[@stevieb635]

When Reagan stumbles, he makes his comeback with "the progressivity". When Biden stumbles, he comes back with "you know, the thing".

[@dewrus2153]

Come on, man!

[@olliehopnoodle4628]

@@dewrus2153 Look!

[@saltysenior6454]

C'mon man, let's go Brandon

[@MrRavenholdt]

Rofl… come on man! I was thinking almost the same thing about the word choices.

[@julianmx13]

He’s got no pants, mannnn!!!

[@retroguy9494]

I was in college at the time and remember watching this debate. This moment was AWESOME and we all laughed. Its one of many reasons why my generation LOVED Reagan. To this very day, I am SO proud that my first time voting for president was in '84 and I voted for Reagan.

[@Insomniacmomof4]

Same. First time I voted and still proud of it.

[@supercrew63]

Me to brother, he was the 1st president I was old enough to vote for...and did.. He is 1 of my heroes...

[@retroguy9494]

@@supercrew63 Mine too! After watching the debate 2 days ago and seeing Biden's very poor performance, that one little moment where Reagan had to catch his thought was nothing! This country sure could use a man like Reagan today, that's for sure!

[@robotube7361]

Wow you've never learned anything since then in your life I guess

[@supercrew63]

@@robotube7361 Yes we have, it's how much more stupid and unreliable each new generation has become. we went from the toughest, and smartest men and women to the biggest crybabies in 3 generations.

[@spg1026]

Love Reagan’s humor. Need it today more than ever. Classy Mondale. That is what makes this clip so special. Mondale truly laughs and isn’t mad at all. And he was truly opposite of nearly everything Reagan stood for. I don’t see any HATE here unlike today.

[@aliajs9449]

That's exactly what we miss today!

[@briane173]

@@aliajs9449 Just think -- it only took 40 years for the two major parties to run our democracy into a ditch. We were never the same after Reagan.

[@stevenyates4535]

​@@briane173 very true

[@richardfox6595]

It's obvious if you look critically which side started stirring up the hate.

[@MikePhillips-pl6ov]

Because they both loved their country more than their party.

[@bernarddiggins5404]

Mondale never had a shot, not for one second. That said, I love the grace and humility shown by both these men during the debate. Mondale laughing was great. Sadly something we'd never see today.

[@John-ct9zs]

Yeah I was an 8 year old little kid, and even I felt Mondale had no chance. I didn't "follow" politics at the time, so I didn't watch debates, but I knew it was Reagan/Bush versus Mondale and some lady he got for his VP, Ferraro. Even as a little kid I thought that was a terrible move for the mid 80s. Yes you look enlightened and progressive picking a woman as your VP in 1984, and it's no problem today, but picking a lady, especially a lady like her just wasn't a savvy smart move at that time. Not to mention, Mondale just seemed like such a bore.

[@Lawrence_Talbot]

Now we have something much worse with Biden. Man stumbles up the stairs to Air Force one, loses his train of thought every other sentence, and won’t even take questions from reporters. What hypocrisy of NBC to air this

[@Purplexity-ww8nb]

Reagan could have taken a dump on the podium, and he still would have beaten Mondull.

[@abacab87]

This clip is probably shown to presidential candidates on how NOT to respond to a zinger.

[@bobbywise2313]

@@Purplexity-ww8nb The economy had turned around by around 82. But beyound that Reagan was seen as the best person to fight the "evil empire". The cold war was really the biggist issue at the time. The economy was the other issue. Nothing else really mattered that much.

[@kevinwarren3998]

I remember Reagan's presidency from start to finish but I didn't realize just how good of a speaker he was until recently. He's an absolute contrast to what we've had for most of this century.

[@retroguy9494]

That's because the country has declined so much in this century. Dressing properly, speaking well, etc. are all the thing of PAST centuries. Not this one. Today, the slobs in this country will elect anyone who resonates with or seems like them whereas in the past, they elected people they could actually look up to rather than people whom they saw like themselves.

[@Yougotcaged102]

"America can be described in a single word. Ha-fibidarhdjfmfjfjfnfmfk"

[@rebeccar2777]

If you can, find his radio commentaries. They are absolute gems - and he wrote them, himself.

[@GehkGekhe]

That's why people liked him so much. His humor, his speaking. Policies didn't really play much of a role. But he's not the only of that kind. Obama is the newest example of that though, he got 2 terms because of his charisma.

[@timjensen6968]

He was a Hollywood leading man. Of course, he could speak but that's only one of many traits needed of a good leader.

[@MikeB071]

Reagan was the greatest! But, I've also got admit, Mondale was a good sport about it. Don't see our "leaders" on either side acting with that level of class anymore.

[@GTA5Player1]

Like Hillary and her blaming of literally everyone but herself in her 2016 loss.

[@kathleensarkeesian8506]

GTA5Player1 WHY AM I NOT AHEAD IN THE POLLS REEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[@sf6117]

It's kind of hard to be kind to your opponent when she's a Satanist.

[@marieferriera2335]

No we sure don't...real class used to be inbred in us...

[@stick9648]

Yes sir !

[@tomf429]

He had that planned and delivered it perfectly. The gleam in his eyes after he said that was “sticking the landing”. How far have we fallen since then.

[@paulplack490]

Story also has it that Reagan's poor performance in the first debate was due to staff over-preparing him. Nancy is said to have stepped in, helped him regain confidence in his straight, direct style, told him to just be himself, and connect with the audience like he'd always done. If true, she was one smart lady!

[@sanfordwillis63]

Notice how civil they are towards each other. The good ole days

[@countsmyth]

Wow contrast this to Trump!

[@TrollCapAmerica]

@@countsmyth or the criminal liberal media for the last 20 years or the people that fixed an election to get rid of him

[@subhamdaslovesraptor99]

TRump is inhumane!

[@nealstanley5270]

Civil because they actually wanted to make our country better, not rule the world.

[@looncraz]

Yeah, that's the worst thing about having Trump on stage - though the CNN debate format mostly stopped that, for the most part, Biden couldn't help but to get down a little in the weeds with him even then. It will be interesting to see what the 2028 debates look like.

[@olivebranch8986]

Reagan could barely keep a straight face as he was about to deliver the line......classic!!

[@davidarnold9324]

He knew he was about to stick the knife in.

[@bobbywise2313]

Reagan was a trained actor though. But I get it. This was a huge debate moment. Four years earlier it was, " there you go again".

[@nicolebogart6712]

Raegan won the election by making his opponent laugh, what a legend.

[@kiddumph1968]

Reagan had a senior moment in the previous debate. Mondale jumped on the "too old" wagon and Reagan smashed the issue with this brilliant statement! Way to go Gipper!

[@iahelcathartesaura3887]

Whatever Regean was or wasnt in truth and in anyone's viewpoint, he unarguably was sheer class & grace all the way. I very unexpectedly got to meet & shake hands with he & Nancy when I was age 18, at our local mall where I had gone with my friend & prom date to buy his prom tux lol. It was wild, and I couldn't help but think "No way! His cheeks really ARE that rosy, naturally!" His eyes purely sparkled & he seemed full of humanness & humor. What a personality lol.

[@martynichols9114]

Lucky you! ;-)

[@kathybradbury]

Ja'h'el Cathartes Aura, Lucky you! I was at Children's Hospital in Seattle and came upon Rosalyn Carter, who paused and shook my hand. She seemed a gracious lady, though I was (and still am) diametrically opposed to her reason for being there; stumping for big pharma and the saturation of our children with vaccines. -I would have much preferred meeting Reagan!

[@iahelcathartesaura3887]

+Kathy Bradbury :) Yep I feel exactly as you do about Roslyn Carter, I have the exact same mixed feelings & observations about her. I lived in Georgia during Carter's campaign & liked him as a kid, but was too young to vote. Both the Carters & Reagans are people I'd have loved to sit down & have dinner & long conversations with. I've always said you can never know a candidate untill you have dinner with them lol! Of course that's not true, and I've only been able to do anything like that with a few local candidates & congressmen (spent time with one in the white house!) I'm endlessly fascinated by the personal vs public personas of leaders, highly successful folks, movers & shakers. Evert tidbit of story is fascinating!

[@DrdrGames]

Lee Johnson Damn... Reading your comment made me literally burst out into laughter. Reagan was famed for his love of his wife, in fact people thought it was a problem because of how much time he spent with his wife and not running the country sometimes.

[@martynichols9114]

Democrats and other leftists almost always make up crap about every American Patriot from George Washington and his peers all the way to the present day! :-( Republicans almost never do that because they have truth on their side and usually much higher standards and morals! :-) and nowadays although I don't like Donald Trump and not sure what the heck he'll do if he's president I know 100% for sure that Hilary Clinton belongs in federal prison for life and other than that minor detail she will appoint Supreme Court Justices that will trash the Constitution including the Bill of Rights and all our freedoms! :-( and as documentation for that you can simply look at videos relating her with voter fraud at project Veritas Undercover and see her relationships with George Soros and cloward Piven and Saul Alinsky all very very bad people that in total plan some very evil things for USA! :-(

[@50ShadesOfEndo]

Ok that was a great line

[@GTA5Player1]

Seems like a blatant diversion to me

[@the10thfloor37]

@@GTA5Player1 get a degree and run for president.

[@GTA5Player1]

@@the10thfloor37 That's the plan! #GTA2032

[@The_Phoenix548]

Man…back when people actually respected each other and acted like adults.

[@morbius109]

This was back when politicians and politics in general could still be civil. Even Mondale got a kick out of Reagan's comeback on the age question. Plus that look on Reagan's face @ 1:56 LOL. RIP Mr President.

[@Lapusso650]

morbius109 Reagan ignored the AIDS crises because he wanted gay people to die...

[@gregson99]

On a side note Hillary is funded by gay killers.

[@TheCaptainSplatter]

Actually it hasn't been civil since the John Adams and Thomas Jefferson went at it.

[@TexasIronLegend]

Yeah, nice man. I love Reagan

[@deepalib3096]

Reagan handled the issue of his age so well! Even his opponent was laughing!

[@JT-il4lo]

Man, today’s generation has no idea that this is how democracy should look. The lasts couple of decades politics is just plain nasty.

[@m0ntheg3rs]

Evil would be a more appropriate word, maybe degenerate. Anyway we get the government we deserve....

[@Unami0929]

Politics has always been mean and nasty. The past decade or so the electorate has finally been able to peek behind the curtain to see how the sausage is made.

[@AlyssMa7rin]

We are not a Democracy. We're a Republic, and thank the Founding Fathers for that.

[@justamaggot5870]

@@AlyssMa7rin Being a republic does NOT mean it's not a democracy. Most democracies are representative democracies. There hasn't been a "direct democracy" since ancient Athens and republics are a popular form of democracy.

[@account4info]

Once Clinton became president, it went downhill from there

[@wjmcd703]

I'm a Democrat and even I found that line to be very funny, also here after hearing of Mondale's passing, RIP sir, you were a good sport even in defeat

[@briane173]

Even Mondale knew a good zinger when he heard one; and Reagan's here was utterly disarming. It was altogether self-deprecating and slapped right back in Mondale's lap; pretty hard to top that.

[@AKHWJ3ST]

Back in the good ole days before voter fraud and election tampering.

[@briane173]

1984 was the last election where candidates treated one another with respect and civility. 1988 was the dawn of personality politics and the politics of personal destruction, and it's been that way ever since. It's become a cult of personality and victory typically goes to the most acerbic, caustic, trenchant candidate in the debates or anywhere else. And why not? Voters lap it up -- which I confess does not speak well of the people voting for these clowns. We've been complaining ever since 1988 about the decline in civility in the public square and yet when the time comes to cast a vote we encourage the decline of civility. The more personal it gets the better.

[@spirithawk2418]

Aye

[@5111pt]

Greatest President in my lifetime.

[@legendofthefall7082]

LMAO you can't be serious. This guy started the corporate hegemony that would dominate America to this very day. Trickle-down economics never works and it never has because the rich don't spend their money like poor people do. The money just sits in their bank accounts instead of flowing back into the economy to drive growth. His entire economic philosophy is fundamentally flawed at best, designed to destroy the middle class at worst.

[@wdnole]

I wonder where all the small businesses that became big businesses came from?? I guess the guvmnt created and financed Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, etc in the 80's? Or any of the other many, many small businesses that became successful mid-cap businesses? It really did happen you know, you cannot deny it forever lol! Your idiot argument is tired old bullshit that anybody with half a grain of business history knowledge in the USA can easily refute.

[@taylorswiftreal8839]

+Gregg Johnson except for our family, we have a big enough house, we aren't broke, we get everything we need but no one in our family has a phone. And I don't know if it's because we can't afford it or because they don't want it.

[@Ed-sg4iy]

+TheCompulsiveWinner Pretty funny how you claim that capitalism is bad and "trickle down doesn't work", when you sit in the richest nation in the world with one of the richest lower classes on the earth. "yeah, nothing trickled down"....dumbass

[@RaphaeIVieira]

'' the rich don't spend their money like poor people do.'' And Just when i thought liberals couldn't look any more stupid, LMFAO !

[@captainamerica6525]

How I miss this man. Rest in Peace Mr President.

[@1bls]

My favorite Ronald Reagan quote “Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world..... Marines don’t have that problem.”

[@bobtheplayer9777]

I dont get it

[@zaroyaibis]

Very profound!!!

[@AKHWJ3ST]

@@bobtheplayer9777 You're too young. I'll explain it in a few years.

[@account4info]

@@bobtheplayer9777 Marines are in the azz kicking business and business is always good.

[@ninjacape]

I would have loved to have served under this man. But I'm too young and had to serve under freakin George W Bush.

[@likehat2729]

Let’s be honest Ronald Regan is the coolest president ever. Such a laid back, yet extremely smart guy.

[@sicidamara7061]

Trump is the coolest president ever

[@davidarnold9324]

Reagan certainly had the sharpest wit of any President in the last hundred years.

[@moopy6446]

@Ambrose Delgado yep, wouldn't it have been something if Trump had lost as badly as Mondale did?

[@j2times2006]

Don't confuse sharp wit with actual intelligence

[@angelgjr1999]

Clinton was cool too.

[@gregb6469]

After Mondale lost the election by such a lopsided margin, he said, "I wanted to run for president in the worst way possible...and I did!"

[@matthewhelton1725]

Truer words were never spoken. Three things you should never get involved with: A Land War in Asia, a Sicilian with Death on the Line, and Bob Beckel running your campaign.

[@Thunderbirds501]

Here before the spread of comments paying tribute to Walter Mondale. Rest in Peace.

[@julievanderleest]

Well at least he didn’t say, “here’s the deal,” “come on man,” “they get mad at me,” and “you know the thing.” Nor did he scratch his nose or head, or checked his watch. He didn’t hide in his basement either. If I earned a dollar every time Biden stumbled, I’d be financially secured for years to come.

[@alanfrost75]

On the other hand, Reagan was in pretty bad shape during his second term. So they were kind of right to be worried after all.

[@FrotLopOfficial]

You would have about $803

[@joncarbone]

Don’t forget the ‘you ain’t black’ comment. Plus Reagan wasn’t a serial sniffer.

[@donaldfrazier5244]

Instead we get to live in fear for the remainder of our lives how long until we can’t exist because of super inflation and the threat of invading terrorists, let’s go Brandon!

[@julievanderleest]

@@donaldfrazier5244 😂😂 I’m sorry but I just die laughing whenever I hear “let’s go Brandon.” Definitely the best inside joke ever. But yeah, I’m with you. It’s only a matter of time before America falls, unless some drastic change happens first.

[@joking391]

In my forties and so tired of it all. I so wish I was a kid again.

[@davy1972]

Not sure this one is better than his, "I'm paying for this microphone." That line is so gold.

[@fazbell]

No, it merely shows where his emphasis is. ALWAYS on money, like all Republican trash.

[@davy1972]

@@fazbell You're pretty angry. I wish you the best.

[@fazbell]

@@davy1972 NoT ANGRY, satistfied that the beast is dead and decaying.

[@fazbell]

I am amazed that ANYONE could celebrate the life of this monster. Only Trump and GW Bush have saved him from the status of "Worst President in History". America's answer to Idi Amin.

[@davy1972]

@@fazbell You're right, that's not anger. More like bitterness/hatred.

[@z1g]

Imagine shaking hands, smiling, and talking before a debate.

[@robinladywolfreed119]

The look on Mondale's face was priceless !

[@jv_8483]

NBC: "a 73 year old might have some cognitive issues when running for president" Also NBC: "VOtE fOR JoE BiDen!"

[@patricktsai2303]

When you realize Biden's 77 and Trump's 74, much older than Reagan was in this video :/

[@user-ue2lx6py9j]

Joe's policys are better than trumps

[@jv_8483]

@@user-ue2lx6py9j that's your opinion, and I respect it, but I don't think simping for communist dictators and raising taxes is very good policies.

[@dr.danburritoman1293]

@TransN1ggerCo*k_420 To start, he helped pass 2 strategic arms limitation treaties, which made guns harder to get while not taking away the 2nd amendment, and they decreased gun crime. These happened throughout 1970s. In the 1990s he also made an assault weapons ban. Also during the Clinton administration he made a bill that decreased the amount of domestic violence. He compromised with Republicans on several occasions, particularly when he was chairman of a senate foreign relations committee for 2 years. Also, he ran as a moderate in both 1988 and 2008. Did you know a court actually found he did not break any laws in 1988? Yes, he was a bit dishonest, but many republicans make it out as worse than it was. In 2008 he was quite honest and just as moderate. He rightfully opposed the gulf war, but he did support military interference in Eastern Europe to stop Yugoslavian terrorism over smaller states there (If u have time, look it up, it was quite horrifying. Much of the violence stemmed form a football club too.) I'm sure you know how Biden worked just as much as Obama to stop the 2009 recession. He helped stop it, just in time, from becoming a depression. You may say the recovery was "too slow" but it was actually faster than the great depression and 1880s depression. I won't go through all the things he did as vice president, but not many people complained Biden was an incompetent VP.

[@dr.danburritoman1293]

@KTMD That is true. Barack and Biden did not handle immigration very well.

[@jeffpittman8725]

It just saddens me where we are today. I feel fortunate to have lived during the Reagan years.

[@MaskMcGee]

Debates and elections are built around one moment. Moments win campaigns. What's the one thing everyone remembers from this election? "Because you'd be in jail." The greatest debate line in 32 years.

[@Rena_2000]

RIP Walter and Ronald.

[@theseageek]

Even Mondale laughed at the joke, gotta love how people could still be civil with each other even they were on opposite sides of the aisle.

[@nodinitiative]

President Trump is now the US's oldest President. Edited in Now it is President Biden

[@yahmom626]

nodinitiative The oldest first-term president :-)

[@filiusreticulum2926]

But he's got a stamina of a 20 year old

[@H7B2ify]

+J.Allen Langhern more along the lines of a 3 year old

[@Cannolilatte]

don't forget the dumbest

[@isaacwest276]

I think he's doing great. Best economy every and 17 year low unemployment rate? Plus, he doesn't give a crap about SJW crazies. I'm ready to vote for him in 2020.

[@RobertSmithhalo]

1:45 the face of “yep, I just lost.”

[@donwheeler1208]

This was when we had grown ups as candidates and running the country.

[@r.d.9399]

He's one of the reasons why workers pay and productivity separated. That was the beginning of the end for the middle class. Grown ups. 😂😂

[@ghettoblaster4life1]

The last great president .

[@extremebassline7281]

true

[@ghettoblaster4life1]

Go trump

[@kevinmathis7352]

Clinton?

[@ghettoblaster4life1]

How To MLG Liberal

[@extremebassline7281]

chuck wick no

[@kalamere]

Mondale won only ONE state!!!

[@Megacooltommydee]

And it was his own home state of Minnesota, and only by less than 0.2%.

[@bobsmith597]

Home state of MN

[@gtc1961]

Reagan let him win his home state...didn't campaign there for a minute.

[@kirktoufor5991]

If they counted the absentee ballots Reagan would have won Minnesota. He had a lockdown on military votes.

[@kiwie6247]

I'm pretty sure Reagan pitted Mondale so he didn't campaign there that much. Yet Regan barely loss.

[@mwallace021]

Ah, the days when political rivals could have a civil conversation without the hyperbolic retoric...

[@89Awww]

RIP Walter Mondale (1928-2021)

[@pippipster6767]

Probably the greatest line in politics ... Perfectly delivered.

[@pleskbruce]

This is one of the greatest moments in presidential debate history!

[@david_fitzmaurice]

No, this does not mean Biden will be like Reagan.

[@retroguy9494]

That's RIGHT! Biden is like THIS! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqekXomcZbKio68

[@airdriver]

I remember watching the returns on election night while a freshman at college. At one point, Mondale had only won the District Of Columbia while Reagan was sweeping every state. Dan Rather showed the viewers all the states Reagan had won so far. The whole map flashed red. Then he showed what Mondale had won. There was a tiny blue dot around Virginia that flashed. I was watching this with a crowd of my fellow students. We all laughed and cheered.

[@retroguy9494]

The same here. Only I was a sophomore in college.

[@dmoser1952]

Those candidates disagreed yet they were civil with each other. They probably went out and had a beer afterwards together. It’s a shame it can’t be like that today. These debates have gotten so bitter and insulting.

[@bmjesus08]

Bush & Clinton probably drink beer together

[@Jay84]

We need Republicans like Reagan/Eisenhower, Democrats like Roosevelt/Kennedy.

[@martinezroger9862]

Jay... ,Reagan was the complete opposite of Eisenhower policies !

[@thunderbird1921]

@@martinezroger9862 Different policies for different eras.

[@glennhooper8867]

Tulsi Gabbard is the FDR of our time

[@briane173]

Insist on a journalistic media that is honest and fair and your public servants will follow suit. Most outlets now are just echo chambers for those voters looking for validation of their preconceived notions because it's making them a ton of money -- and they kind-of enjoy being king-makers, which isn't their job. It's ours. We collectively gotta look ourselves in the mirror before pining for honest people with character to serve the public. This country was founded on self-rule; what we get in Washington is an accurate reflection of the character and intellect of the voters, and we need to let that sink in for awhile.

[@bobwallacejnr6852]

This is a " because youd be in jail" moment.

[@vccstudents]

I saw that live as it happened and had four words to my girlfriend at the time who is my now ex-wife: "SLAM DUNK! GAME OVER!"

[@normanlopez1787]

Do u miss her?will u love to be back in the 80 ?will all respect I'm just getting old and having those questions in my life

[@zachjohnson6445]

30+ years later people are still laughing at his jokes

[@mrsatire9475]

30+ years later people are still laughing at him

[@katzgar]

the guy that started the destruction of the middle class

[@SJDevenney1]

An amazing conservative AND communicator. Us conservatives need that combination again.

[@briane173]

The conservative of the 21st Century has nothing in common with Ronald Reagan, that's part of the problem. Reagan was, at heart, a libertarian; by the contemporary definition, the only thing "conservative" about Reagan was he wasn't a liberal. He USED to be, then saw where the Democrat Party was headed, and jumped ship, and never looked back. But at heart he was Madison and Hamilton rolled into one and fundamentally a libertarian. Today's conservative is an angry, torch-and-pitchfork-carrying, John-Birch-Society conspiracy theorist who'd just as soon stoke a civil war than to work with reasoned and reasonable people from both parties to get things done and win the megaphone from the Bolsheviks on the Left. Reagan has got to be turning in his grave to watch his GOP kiss the feet of a circus-barker from Manhattan who bears more of a resemblance to Mussolini than to Reagan. Conservatives must retake the high ground or they'll continue to feed into the self-fulfilling prophecies of the Left. Both right- and left-wingers have stolent the megaphone and control the two parties and talk right over the majority of the electorate that is NOT extremist. If you ever heard or read Reagan's admonishment to the Young Republicans Convention in California back in 1967 about the GOP you'd soon realize that Republicans in the 21st Century have broken every tenet of Reagan's philosophy for growing the GOP and explains why in so many important states the Republican Party has "extremed" and Tea-Partied its way to irrelevancy. Respect Reagan? Do what he suggested to those Young Republicans 55 years ago, otherwise admit that Reagan is ancient history and the GOP is now the party of populist extremism with no plans to win local elections.

[@newyorkstatestormchasers]

@@briane173 seems like you're targeting the right more than the left. I wonder what your bias is....

[@briane173]

@@newyorkstatestormchasers I am what I've always been -- a libertarian-conservative who respects constitutional democracy under a federal system. That's my bias. I was raised Republican and was a Republican for the first 20 years I was eligible to vote. Then I went independent when I noticed after the GOP flipped the House and Senate in '94 that they quickly became everything I despised about the Democrat party, and that was partisanship for its own sake. I never went back. There's nothing Democrats are selling that I'm buying, and so that leaves me often holding my nose and supporting Republicans who are just as partisan but lack the statesmanship and broad appeal necessary to work with the other side to advance their objectives. And the last 13 years I've been sorely disappointed. It's not what I'm biased _toward,_ it's about what I'm biased _against_ -- and I'm against concentrating power in one office while Congress abdicates the power vested in them as a legislature, _especially_ when the person occupying the office is only interested in growing their brand and couldn't care less about anybody else -- someone who demands fealty to them and when they don't get it they act like a mob boss. The current GOP is an embarrassment, and not the party I want representing my interests when extremists from the _other_ party are capable of the damage they've inflicted on the social construct. Just look at how the Freedom Caucus operates. They're happy to commit cannibalism to get what they want -- incapable of reading the room and cooperating to maintain some unity in the face of a razor-thin majority and a hostile opposition party. All because of one man. One man with a strangle-hold on the GOP because Republicans are afraid of him. Sorry if I don't want to align with abject cowards, but I'm not sorry. Bias? absolutely. I'm biased in favor of what we enjoyed in the 1980s when a grownup was in charge -- a happy warrior with broad appeal who was a _statesman_ and possessed character. That's my bias.

[@beautiful_dizazter]

I enjoyed his wit

[@bifftannen1598]

The best thing to come from NBC in a long time

[@bobbywise2313]

You know Regan's team told him to be ready for this question. But this answer was classic. But I loved that Mondale laughed. It was a better time.

[@abacab87]

Yea, it's obvious he had rehearsed this, which is why he stumbles a bit in his delivery.

[@bobcongdon3701]

Loved him. Both of his elections were classy- on both sides. As was congress. Looking at politics today makes one sick.

[@filledwithvariousknowledge2747]

And this was despite the House being Democrat held whilst the Senate went Republican in 1980 in large part thanks to Carter (although his post- President life was a lot better in every way with his humanity missions) with his poor relations between other Democrat leaders

[@briane173]

Reagan couldn't get elected today. In his first term he worked with the opposition party to produce consensus legislation that got the results he promised when he campaigned. This is how we used to do business. "My party is in the majority; how 'bout we get 60% of what we want and you can have 40% of what _you_ want." Of course, this is also back when the Senate had some self-respect and brought honor to the filibuster, which was the best defense against partisan division and polarization. We've watched the Senate chip away at its own rules since then and the results have been predictable. This can only happen in a climate where We The People are no longer sufficiently educated in civics to understand why our system is set up the way it is, and are therefore exercising the franchise from a position of complete ignorance. How else would we wind up with woke socialism vs. white nationalist populism? Both sides want our President to run an autocracy, with an authoritarian strongman at the top. We've got thousands of years of history that tells us why that's not a good idea, yet we're doing it anyway. Reagan would've been able to blunt the influence of radical extremists in both parties and serve the people; what we have today has no intention of ever doing so. Both sides want the whole loaf and will settle for nothing less -- the rights of the minority be damned. We're not going to survive if we continue down this road.

[@FrotLopOfficial]

When did americas debate lose this level of class. Presidents literally lined up just watching each other in appreciation. Its so beautiful. Bring that back

[@rogueproductions9011]

And Joe Biden is 78 and stumbling over his words, and that’s not an issue?

[@That1PlaceBehindTheBush]

@iPac9mm I sure hope so! I can’t wait for our first black female president!!!

[@thespiderbat556]

Only reason he is stumbling is because he has a stuter

[@rogueproductions9011]

@@thespiderbat556 You believe that?

[@thespiderbat556]

@@rogueproductions9011 yes I looked it up

[@rogueproductions9011]

@@thespiderbat556 I know you looked it up, im asking do you really fall for that? He's had times when he doesn't know where he is or what's going on. Is that his childhood stutter too?

[@ericsteel173]

My father was in the Secret Service and was a senior member of Reagan’s detail. My father told a little story about him and Reagan. The first time my father met Reagan was when he was a fairly junior agent and Reagan was governor of California hosting some event when Nixon was running for President. The next time my father met Reagan was right after Reagan had won the presidency and was meeting his White House detail. What was amazing was that Reagan remembered my father and when they had first met over a decade earlier.

[@betsykeller9096]

I lived outside of D.C.,and I had a buddy who was a Secret Service agent at the White House during Reagan's tenure. My buddy swiped some jelly beans out of Reagan's jar and brought them to us. We all won when Reagan was President!

[@SenileOtaku]

A friend of ours had been one of the Marines assigned to Presidential duty.

[@josiegolden1657]

There is a vast difference between forgetting a word and forgetting the entire question you were responding to.

[@samain11]

Trump may not have the same class as Reagan but he is every bit as sincere.

[@balchana3365]

People oozed class back then

[@Youbeentagged]

Back when 2 people running for president could just smile and laugh at each other's jokes.

[@gtc1961]

If I were Mondale, the only option he had at that moment was to walk over to Reagan and shake his hand.

[@plplpliuiuy2393]

Yes he was good

[@donkovaleski6773]

I voted for Reagan... twice. One of the greatest honors of my life.

[@bubbles6126]

It would’ve been mine too if I was alive at the time

[@nickc9070]

Policy, not personality, please.

[@wrlord]

I remember being so scared after that first debate - Reagan really seemed out of it. I heard later that overpreparation had his head spinning.

[@nobyra]

Two great lessons. Don't take politics over happiness. Turn your weakness into your strength.

[@comet3969]

Kind of funny how this is recommended when Cold War released

[@2004froggy]

RIP Walter Mondale

[@deke76]

I remember this and you know it was awesome when even Mondale laughed.

[@tombarnes6923]

I'm not saying the two are similar but it reminds me of Trump's made that infamous "because you'd be in jail" line, the internet went utterly insane.

[@mrsatire9475]

"Mexico will pay for the wall" - Trump (mic drop)

[@sdrewe99]

Good ol Ronnie. Probably the most charismatic president in history.

[@mrsatire9475]

What's with the clown makeup?

[@jayeteee]

I long for the days when politics was a difference of opinion, and not a reason to hate someone you disagree with.

[@brobot_8371]

his jokes were so fire they turned california red

[@hyperionsf3220]

California was still a full blown red state at the time. California didn't go full blue until Clinton's first term.

[@fandude7]

I truly miss Ronald Reagan. A different and more polite and dignified era. Where is this country headed. God help us.

[@briane173]

It was probably the last of civil discourse when Reagan's 2nd term was over. During the campaign between Bush 41 and Dukakis it was often unnecessarily acerbic, and frankly encouraged by the two party national committees through their negative campaign ads. Problem is, voters responded to the negativity and at that point it was a fait accompli. We now see it every election cycle and continually ramped up, to include personal attacks that are bereft of anything resembling policy debate. Every debate now seems like it's held in the octagon of an MMA fight. Daniel Moynihan warned of "defining deviancy down," an admonishment that obviously fell on deaf ears. And I'm afraid We The People own this. Our system is predicated on self-government, and we're getting precisely what we say we want. So in order for civility and statesmanship to return it's gotta start with educated voters who are possessed of the same qualities. I don't see that happening anytime soon.

[@justafanmarvel9669]

One of the greatest presidents in history.. certainly in my lifetime!

[@TraumaER]

The mic drop before the term was even invented. Raegan = Legend 🙌

[@jcw3032]

He looks like a sharp and energetic man compared to Joe Biden in 2021

[@andrewvasquez2164]

He literally had Alzheimer’s lmao

[@WildBikerBill]

And President Reagan was. At the time Reagan was criticized for taking long naps. But what he did while awake more than made up for it. Biden will never be the one to give a speech on the order of Reagan's "Mr. Gorbachev, Open This Gate, Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall". 1987-06-12 kzbin.info/www/bejne/a36nd4tjmbOnqa8 Given towards the end of his final term.

[@alwillk]

@wild bill. Don’t be so naive. Reagan had great speech writers like Stewart spencer. Reagan was still an actor who read his lines well. Even Reagan said “ how can a president not be an actor”

[@WildBikerBill]

@@alwillk I didn't say he wrote it, I said he gave it, as in delivered, or spoke. Joe Biden's delivery by comparison is pitiful.

[@chargerfan2]

Reagan never had Corn Pop in his corner though. So Joe's at least has that going for him.

[@imkwuzn]

God bless President Reagan. The best President in my lifetime. We sure could benefit from his wisdom, wit and leadership today more than ever!

[@retroguy9494]

Amen to THAT! And I think God DID bless him. He nearly died in that assassination attempt. But God spared him.

[@SenileOtaku]

I will admit I wasn't a fan of Reagan when he was president. I didn't understand what he was trying to do, I didn't understand economics, etc. These days I don't see a candidate with the Demopublicans OR Republicrats I could support. Thankfully I can vote Libertarian (unless, of course the criminal administration & legislature in New York manage to shut third parties out like they did in the 2022 election)

[@Centurion-ph7gk]

Oh my god nbc saying something positive about Reagan I think I am in heaven.

[@jshepard152]

The Forehead They do that once a great Republican is dead and no longer a threat to them. Just like McCain is suddenly a war hero, strong, independent voice, blah blah blah. But when they were working overtime to elect Obama in 2008,he was Satan incarnate.

[@Centurion-ph7gk]

@@jshepard152 yeah ofc lmao they are the worst at being 2 faced

[@mikeneumann4660]

Back when men were men, and women were women.

[@peterlohnes1]

And this was the beginning of the end of the middle class.

[@mytoesarecold5555]

Yesarino

[@zudemaster]

Oldest Candidate? Biden strolls out and says "Hold My Adult Diaper".

[@kdrapertrucker]

Hold my.......uh....uh...you know.....the thing. THEY WIPED MY BUTT!

[@mrsatire9475]

@@kdrapertrucker "Uh, I don't recall" - Ronald 'brain-dead' Reagan

[@abacab87]

You know it's well known that Trump wears a diaper. I don't know about Biden, he looks pretty healthy, so I doubt it.

[@executiveorder7146]

Masa mich Kentucky was Gorbachev god father and masa mich Kentucky went to boarding school in Moscow he earned those rubles comrade ouy vee and masa mich enjoys free healthcare and affordable housing in Russia so the city cowboy played you republican more ONS and Elaine Cho slave owns a billion dollars shipping company from china to USA Elaine Cho slave is just icing so enjoy those hallars in Kentucky and Virginia closed coal mines ouyvee and whistle Dixie on bobert GED get you sum yeah boy

[@timcarpenter2441]

Reagan at his worst was still better than Biden at his best.

[@theteachingsofjosef]

Ronald Reagan...hero for America. RIP

[@wakeup6910]

Say that today and you will be accused of some kind of "ism"

[@robertk726]

He was a class act. America really needs a President like him again.

[@feyenoorden03]

wasn't he the worst?

[@AKHWJ3ST]

@@feyenoorden03 He was the best President in modern times until Trump came along.

[@AKHWJ3ST]

@@feyenoorden03 No. You're thinking about Carter.

[@rafalrzemienicki]

Love him brother

[@floridadad2817]

Biden trying this would be: "I will not...age...for my opponents...political experience."

[@shazbot10]

You know… the thing. C’mon man

[@matthewhelton1725]

Joe Biden: "I want to be boxing... I should be so lucky... kinds of things, or you know, coming out of Florida, stuff that's coming out of Robert E. Lee... was in Afghanistan; You're the one! No, anyway..."

[@igfoobar]

It's so enjoyable to see that Hillary Clinton turned out to be at least as unpopular as Walter Mondale.

[@ankurbhaskar4634]

Art C I wouldn't go THAT far. She did after all win the popular vote, and by almost 3 million more than Trump. Mondale only got 39 million popular votes compared to her 65 million. That says a whole lot.

[@davidb9114]

It was a complimentary and funny line which people appreciate as good humor.