3. Reagan Turns the Attack Around
The 1984 election saw Ronald Reagan running for his second term against Walter Mondale. Reagan had been suspected of showing early signs of senility around that time due to his appearing slow and confused in contrast to his usual sharp, witty self. In a debate on October 21, Reagan uttered the now-famous 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.” This both got a good laugh from the audience and showed them that he was in good enough health to continue as president, which he did after winning another term by a massive landslide.
