MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Walter Mondale returned to center stage of Minnesota politics Wednesday night as a modern-day Rip Van Winkle, a former vice president, senator and ambassador called upon to run for a Senate seat in a state that has changed dramatically since his political prime.
But Mondale, 74, a revered public figure and Minnesota’s elder statesman, is a good fit in many ways for Democrats as they try to hold on to Sen. Paul Wellstone’s Senate seat and control of the U.S. Senate.
His nomination Wednesday night is also a gamble, inviting Republican attacks that Mondale represents the past while Republican Norm Coleman, 53, is the man of the future.
“Tonight the nation — in fact, the whole world — is watching Minnesota, not just to see who will win, but how we conduct ourselves. If there was ever a time to put aside political dogfighting, now is the time,” Mondale said moments after accepting the unanimous nomination from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party delegates to replace Wellstone on Tuesday’s ballot.
Joined by his wife, children and grandchildren, Mondale pledged to be “your voice and Paul Wellstone’s voice.”
Talk radio was sizzling Wednesday over sharply partisan remarks delivered by Rick Kahn, a Wellstone friend. Some Republicans demanded equal time to respond to what they charged was a partisan rally for the Democrats.
Sensing a potential political backlash, Wellstone campaign manager Jeff Blodgett apologized Wednesday. “I was surprised … and I deeply regret it,” Blodgett said, adding that he did not know what Khan was going to say. Mike Erlandson, chairman of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, also apologized.
Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, who was booed at the ceremony, said Wednesday he objected to the tone of some of the remarks and, on a talk radio program, Ventura threatened to appoint an Independent to fill the remaining time of Wellstone’s term in office.
Poll numbers released Wednesday showed Mondale, who had not yet announced his candidacy, with an 8 percentage-point lead over Coleman, 47 percent to 39 percent.