In my opinion, the vice presidential debate changed three of the last six presidential elections. These elections have shown to be significant, if not decisive, even when looking back over the previous 50 years. Let’s examine six noteworthy instances.
1976: “Democrat Wars”: Mondale vs. Dole In 1976, there was the first vice presidential debate of the modern period. Following the Republican convention, which was divided, President Gerald Ford chose Kansas Senator Bob Dole as a means of bringing the Conservative and Moderate wings of the party together. Dole turned to face Jimmy.
for the debate, Mondale refuted a claim made by Dole in every speech he had made from the beginning of the century, namely that the Democrats had been in power for the outbreak of the two World Wars, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. “Senator Dole has richly earned his reputation as a hatchet man tonight, by implying, and stating, that World War II and the Korean War were Democratic wars,” replied Mondale in a moment that was clearly staged. Is it truly his intention to imply to the American people that there existed a political divide on our engagement in the war against Nazi Germany?”
