Geraldine Ferraro: A Break with Tradition

In need of a political lift, Mondale picks a woman running mate

CAMPAIGN James Johnson kept his glacial blue eyes glued to the motel-room TV set, his mouth slightly open as if in wonder. Walter Mondale's campaign chairman had been in the state capitol in St. Paul earlier that day, of course, but he wanted to relive that poignant experience. He switched around among all three networks, nodding in silent approval as anchormen described Mondale's running-mate selection as historic and unprecedented. The phone broke into Johnson's reverie: it was his boss calling. Johnson told him the story had dominated...

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