1984 United States presidential debates

Part of the 1984 U.S. presidential election

1984 United States presidential debates

* * *

| ← 1980 | October 7, 1984
October 21, 1984 | 1988 →

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|   |  |

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Nominee  | Ronald Reagan | Walter Mondale |
Party  | Republican | Democratic
Home state  | California | Minnesota

1984 United States vice presidential debate

|  | October 11, 1984 |

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|   |  |

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Nominee  | George H. W. Bush | Geraldine Ferraro |
Party  | Republican | Democratic
Home state  | Texas | New York

The 1984 United States presidential debates a series of debates held during the 1984 presidential election.

The League of Women Voters organized three debates among the major party candidates, sponsored two presidential debates and one vice presidential debate. Two presidential debates were held between Republican nominee Ronald Reagan and Democratic nominee Walter Mondale. One vice presidential debate was held between their respective vice presidential running mates, George H. W. Bush and Geraldine Ferraro.

## Debate schedule

[edit]

1984 United States presidential election debates

No. | Date & Time | Host | Location | Moderator | Participants
Key:
P  Participant.    N  Non-invitee.   | Republican | Democratic
President
Ronald Reagan
of California | Vice President
Walter Mondale
of Minnesota
1  | Sunday, October 7, 1984,

9:00 – 10:30 p.m. EDT[1]

| Center for the Performing Arts  | Louisville, Kentucky | Barbara Walters of ABC | P | P
2  | Sunday, October 21, 1984,

8:00 – 9:30 p.m. EDT[1]

| Music Hall, Municipal Auditorium | Kansas City, Missouri[2] | Edwin Newman of NBC (formerly)  | P | P
1984 United States vice presidential debate
No. | Date & Time | Host | Location | Moderator | Participants
Key:
P  Participant.    N  Non-invitee.   | Republican | Democratic
Vice President
George H. W. Bush
of Texas | Congresswoman
Geraldine Ferraro
of New York
VP  | Thursday, October 11, 1984,

9:00 – 10:30 p.m. EDT[1]

| Pennsylvania Hall Civic Center  | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Sander Vanocur of ABC | P | P

## October 7: First presidential debate (Center for the Performing Arts)

[edit]

First presidential debate

Date(s)| October 7, 1984 (1984-10-07)
Duration| 90 minutes
Venue| Center for the Performing Arts
Location| Louisville, Kentucky
Participants| Ronald Reagan
Walter Mondale
Moderator(s)| Barbara Walters of ABC
First debate between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale on October 7, 1984

The first presidential debate between President Ronald Reagan and former Vice President Walter Mondale took place on Sunday, October 7, 1984, at the Center for the Performing Arts in Louisville, Kentucky. The debate was moderated by Barbara Walters of ABC News and featured a panel featuring James Wieghart of New York Daily News, Diane Sawyer of CBS News, and Fred Barnes of New Republic. The topics were economic and domestic policy issues.[3]

Despite trailing far behind Reagan in the polls leading up to the debate, Mondale exceeded expectations and emerged as the clear winner of the first debate. According to a Newsweek/Gallup poll, 54 percent of debate-watchers favored Mondale, while only 35 percent sided with Reagan. President Reagan was perceived as confused and tired during the debate, whereas Mondale demonstrated articulate communication. This praised performance briefly revitalized the Mondale campaign, narrowing Reagan's lead in the polls by seven points. [4][5]

## October 11: Vice presidential debate (Pennsylvania Hall Civic Center)

[edit]

Vice presidential debate

Date(s)| October 11, 1984 (1984-10-11)
Duration| 90 minutes
Venue| Pennsylvania Hall Civic Center
Location| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Participants| George H. W. Bush
Geraldine Ferraro
Moderator(s)| Sander Vanocur of ABC

The only vice presidential debate between Vice President George H. W. Bush and Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro took place on Thursday, October 11, 1984, at the Pennsylvania Hall Civic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The debate was moderated by Sander Vanocur of ABC News and featured a panel featuring John Mashek of U.S. News & World Report, Jack White of Time magazine, Norma Quarles of NBC News, and Robert Boyd of Knight-Ridder Newspapers. The topics were domestic and foreign affairs.

The result was proclaimed mostly even by newspapers, television, other media, and historians.[6][7] Women voters tended to think Ferraro had won, while men, Bush.[8] Some media, however, either declared Bush or Ferraro the winner. The candidates were both praised for their ability to debate.

### Bush, Ferraro experience exchange

[edit]

Ferraro handled a question about her experience at the debate, after being asked how her three House terms stacked up with Bush's two House terms, career as an ambassador to China and the United Nations, Director of Central Intelligence and four years as vice president. The peak of the experience battle came when, during a discussion of the Carter administration in Iran and the Reagan administration in Lebanon, Bush said, "Let me help you with the difference, Mrs. Ferraro, between Iran and the embassy in Lebanon."[9] Ferraro responded to cap what The New York Times termed "a bristling exchange",[9] "Let me just say first of all, that I almost resent, Vice President Bush, your patronizing attitude that you have to teach me about foreign policy."[6]

## October 21: Second presidential debate (Music Hall, Municipal Auditorium)

[edit]

Second presidential debate

Date(s)| October 21, 1984 (1984-10-21)
Duration| 90 minutes
Venue| Music Hall, Municipal Auditorium
Location| Kansas City, Missouri
Participants| Ronald Reagan
Walter Mondale
Moderator(s)| Edwin Newman of NBC (formerly)
Second debate between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale on October 21, 1984

The second and final presidential debate between President Ronald Reagan and former Vice President Walter Mondale took place on Sunday, October 21, 1984, at the Music Hall, Municipal Auditors in Kansas City, Missouri. The debate was moderated by Edwin Newman, formerly of NBC News and featured a panel featuring Georgie Anne Geyer of Universal Press Syndicate, Marvin Kalb of NBC News, journalist Henry Trewhitt and Morton Kondracke of New Republic. The topics were defense and foreign policy issues.[3]

The debate is often seen as a victory for Reagan, most famously due to the line "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience," it was received with laughter from the audience, and Mondale himself. Mondale later said that it was this moment when he realized he would lose the election.[10]

## See also

[edit]

* Ronald Reagan 1984 presidential campaign
* Walter Mondale 1984 presidential campaign
* 1984 United States presidential election

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "CPD: 1984 Debates". www.debates.org. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
2. ^ "Debate Between the President and Former Vice President Walter F. Mondale in Kansas City, Missouri | Ronald Reagan".
3. ^ a b "CPD: 1984 Debates". www.debates.org. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
4. ^ Weigel, David (October 10, 2012). "When Ronald Reagan Blew a Presidential Debate and Dropped Seven Points in the Polls". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
5. ^ "AllPolitics - 1984 Debates Overview". CNN. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
6. ^ a b Nelson, Michael, ed. (1991). Historic Documents on Presidential Elections 1787–1988. Congressional Quarterly, Inc. ISBN 0-87187-607-8. pp. 785ff.
7. ^ Shade, William G.; Campbell, Ballard C.; Coenen, Craig R., eds. (2003). American Presidential Campaigns and Elections. M.E. Sharpe Inc. p. 966\. ISBN 0-7656-8042-4.
8. ^ Light, Paul C.; Lake, Celinda (1985). "The Election: Candidates, Strategies and Decisions". In Nelson, Michael (ed.). The Elections of 1984. Congressional Quarterly, Inc. ISBN 0-87187-330-3. pp. 103, 107–108.
9. ^ a b Howell Raines (October 12, 1984). "Bush and Ferraro Debate: Disagree About Leadership, Foreign Policy and Religion". The New York Times.
10. ^ "Vice President Walter Mondale Interview | Debating Our Destiny | May 25, 1990". PBS.

## External links

[edit]

* Full video of the debate on C-SPAN

* v
* t
* e

United States presidential debates

General election debates|

* 1960
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* 1984
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Primary election debates|

| Republican|

* 2004
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Democratic|

* 2004
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* 2020
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Other parties|

* Libertarian
* 2016
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* 2016

Related debates and forums|

* 1948
* Dewey–Stassen debate
* 2008
* Civil Forum on the Presidency
* CNN/YouTube presidential debates
* Science Debate 2008
* Visible Vote '08: A Presidential Forum
* 2012
* The Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium

Organizations|

* Citizens' Debate Commission
* Commission on Presidential Debates
* Free & Equal Elections Foundation
* League of Women Voters

Phrases|

* "There you go again"
* "Where's the beef?"
* "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy"
* "Binders full of women"
* "Nasty woman"
* "They're eating the cats"

* v
* t
* e

(← 1980) 1984 United States presidential election (1988 →)

Republican Party|

* Convention
* Primaries
* results

Candidates|

* Incumbent nominee: Ronald Reagan
* campaign
* positions
* Incumbent VP nominee: George H. W. Bush

* Other candidates: Ben Fernandez
* Harold Stassen

Democratic Party|

* Convention
* Primaries
* results

Candidates|

* Nominee: Walter Mondale
* campaign
* VP nominee: Geraldine Ferraro

* Other candidates: Reubin Askew
* Alan Cranston
* John Glenn
* Gary Hart
* Fritz Hollings
* Jesse Jackson
* campaign
* George McGovern

Third-party and independent candidates

Citizens Party|

Nominee
Sonia Johnson
VP nominee
Richard Walton

Communist Party|

Nominee
Gus Hall
VP nominee
Angela Davis

Libertarian Party|

Nominee
David Bergland
VP nominee
Jim Lewis

Other candidates
Gene Burns
Earl Ravenal
Mary Ruwart

Prohibition Party|

Nominee
Earl Dodge

Socialist Equality Party|

Nominee
Edward Winn
VP nominee
Helen Halyard

Socialist Party|

Nominee
Sonia Johnson
VP nominee
Richard Walton

Socialist Workers Party|

Nominee
Melvin T. Mason
VP nominee
Matilde Zimmermann

Workers World Party|

Nominee
Larry Holmes
Alternate nominee
Gavrielle Holmes
VP nominee
Gloria La Riva

Independents and other candidates|

* Charles Doty
* Larry Flynt
* Larry "Bozo" Harmon
* Lyndon LaRouche
* running mate: Billy Davis

Other 1984 elections
House
Senate
Gubernatorial

* v
* t
* e

Ronald Reagan

* 40th President of the United States (1981–1989)
* 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975)

Life and
politics|

* Birthplace
* Pitney Store
* Boyhood home
* General Electric Showcase House
* Rancho del Cielo
* 668 St. Cloud Road
* Filmography
* Political positions
* Governorship of California
* Presidential Library and Museum
* Reagan era
* Official White House portraits
* 1989 trip to Japan
* Death and state funeral
* Riderless horse

Presidency|

* Transition
* First inauguration
* Second inauguration
* Domestic policy
* Economic policy
* Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981
* Tax Reform Act of 1986
* Assassination attempt
* Strategic Defense Initiative
* Foreign policy
* Reagan Doctrine
* Cold War
* 1st term
* 2nd term
* Soviet Union summits
* Geneva
* Reykjavík
* Washington
* INF Treaty
* Moscow
* Governors Island
* Constructive engagement
* Invasion of Grenada
* Iran–Contra affair
* Libya bombing
* Cannabis policy
* International trips
* The Grace Commission
* Cabinet
* Judicial appointments
* Supreme Court
* controversies
* Administration scandals
* "We begin bombing in five minutes"
* Impeachment efforts
* Executive orders
* Presidential proclamations
* Bush transition

Speeches|

* Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine (1961)
* "A Time for Choosing" (1964)
* Neshoba County Fair "states' rights" speech (1980)
* First inaugural address (1981)
* Joint session of Congress (1981)
* "Ash heap of history" (1982)
* "Evil empire" (1983)
* Second inaugural address (1985)
* "Tear down this wall!" (1987)
* State of the Union
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988

Books|

* An American Life
* The Reagan Diaries

Elections|

* 1966 California gubernatorial election
* 11th commandment
* 1970 California gubernatorial election
* Republican presidential primaries (1968
* 1976
* 1980
* 1984)
* Republican National Convention (1968
* 1976
* 1980
* 1984)
* 1976 presidential campaign
* 1980 presidential campaign
* "There you go again"
* "Let's make America great again"
* 1984 presidential campaign
* "Morning in America"
* "Bear in the woods"
* United States presidential election (1976
* 1980
* 1984)

Cultural
depictions|

* Bibliography
* In music
* Let Them Eat Jellybeans! (1981)
* U.S. Postage stamps
* Rap Master Ronnie
* Ed the Happy Clown (1983 comic series)
* Spitting Image (TV series) (1984)
* A Mind Forever Voyaging (1985 game)
* The Dark Knight Returns (1986)
* film adaptation
* Pizza Man (1991 film)
* The Day Reagan Was Shot (2001 film)
* Reagan's War (2002 book)
* The Reagans (2003 film)
* Reagan (2011 documentary)
* The Butler (2013 film)
* Killing Reagan (2015 book)
* Killing Reagan (2016 film)
* Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020 game)
* The Reagans (2020 miniseries)
* Reagan (2024 film)
* Reykjavik (TBA)

Memorials|

* U.S. Capitol statue
* Namesakes and memorials
* Ronald Reagan Day
* Reagan Day Dinner
* USS Ronald Reagan
* Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
* Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
* Virginia statue
* Budapest statue
* Ronald Reagan Monument, Warshaw

Family|

* Jane Wyman (first wife)
* Nancy Reagan (second wife)
* Maureen Reagan (daughter)
* Michael Reagan (adopted son)
* Patti Davis (daughter)
* Ron Reagan (son)
* Jack Reagan (father)
* Nelle Wilson Reagan (mother)
* Neil Reagan (brother)
* Rex (dog)

Related|

* "What would Reagan do?"

* ← Jimmy Carter
* George H. W. Bush →
* Category

* v
* t
* e

George H. W. Bush

* 41st President of the United States (1989–1993)
* 43rd Vice President of the United States (1981–1989)
* Director of Central Intelligence (1976–1977)
* UN Ambassador (1971–1973)
* U.S. Representative for TX–7 (1967–1971)

Presidency|

* Transition
* Inauguration
* Timeline
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* January 1993
* Environmental policy
* Soviet Union summits
* Malta
* Helsinki
* Invasion of Panama
* Chemical Weapons Accord
* Gulf War
* 1991 Madrid Conference
* National Space Council
* New world order
* Somali Civil War
* Unified Task Force
* Negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement
* Cannabis policy
* Vomiting incident
* Broccoli comments
* White House horseshoe pit
* Presidential pardons
* International trips
* Oval Office desk
* Cabinet
* Quayle vice presidency
* Judicial appointments
* Thomas
* Supreme Court candidates
* controversies
* Executive orders
* Presidential proclamations

Life|

* Presidential Library
* Bush School of Government and Public Service
* Walker's Point Estate
* Post-presidency
* Death and state funeral

Speeches|

* Joint session of Congress (1989)
* State of the Union addresses
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* Chicken Kiev

Elections|

| U.S. Senate|

* 1964
* 1970

|

U.S. House|

* 1966
* 1968

Vice Presidential|

* 1980 campaign
* selection
* convention
* election
* transition
* 1984 campaign
* convention
* election

Presidential|

* 1980 campaign
* primaries
* 1988 campaign
* primaries
* running mate selection
* convention
* "a thousand points of light"
* "Read my lips: no new taxes"
* debates
* election
* 1992 campaign
* primaries
* convention
* debates
* election
* Clinton transition

Public image|

* Saturday Night Live parodies
* The X-Presidents
* Presidential Reunion (2010 short film)
* The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)
* What It Takes: The Way to the White House (1993)
* The Silence of the Hams (1994)
* George Bush: The Life of a Lone Star Yankee (1997)
* The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty (2004)
* George H.W. Bush (2008)
* Bad for Democracy (2008)
* Family of Secrets (2009)
* 41: A Portrait of My Father (2014 book)
* Destiny and Power (2015 book)

Books|

* A World Transformed (1998)
* All the Best (1999)

Legacy|

* Bibliography
* Presidential Library
* George H. W. Bush Monument
* Medal of Freedom
* Bush School of Government
* Reagan Award
* George Bush Intercontinental Airport
* USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)

Family|

* Barbara Bush (wife)
* George W. Bush (son
* presidency)
* Pauline Robinson Bush (daughter)
* Jeb Bush (son)
* Neil Bush (son)
* Marvin Bush (son)
* Dorothy Bush Koch (daughter)
* Barbara Bush Coyne (granddaughter)
* Jenna Bush Hager (granddaughter)
* George P. Bush (grandson)
* Lauren Bush (granddaughter)
* Pierce Bush (grandson)
* Prescott Bush (father)
* Dorothy Walker Bush (mother)
* Nancy Walker Bush Ellis (sister)
* Jonathan Bush (brother)
* William H. T. Bush (brother)
* Samuel P. Bush (grandfather)
* George Herbert Walker (grandfather)
* James Smith Bush (great-grandfather)
* Obadiah Bush (great-great-grandfather)
* Millie (family dog)
* Sully (service dog)

* ← Ronald Reagan
* Bill Clinton →

* ← Walter Mondale
* Dan Quayle →

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Walter Mondale

42nd Vice President of the United States (1977–1981) • U.S. Senator from Minnesota (1964–1976) • Attorney General of Minnesota (1960–1964)

Electoral history|

| U.S. Senate|

* 1966
* 1972

|

Vice presidential|

* 1976 campaign
* selection
* convention
* debate
* election
* transition
* 1980 campaign
* convention
* election
* Reagan transition

Presidential|

* 1984 campaign
* primaries
* running mate selection
* convention
* debates
* election

Family and
personal life|

* Joan Mondale (wife)
* Ted Mondale (son)
* Eleanor Mondale (daughter)

* ← Nelson Rockefeller
* George H. W. Bush →

* Category

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