Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from radiotopia.

My name is Jody Avergan.

This day October 21st, 1984, a presidential debate between Ronald Reagan and Walter

Mondale and we get one of the most iconic lines in debate history, maybe political

history, facing some tough questioning about his age and

fitness to continue to serve in office, the 73-year-old Reagan says, quote, I will not make age an issue

in this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience.

It's a very, very good line and it got a very good response and it is largely remembered as one in which Reagan kind of swept aside those

questions those big questions about his age but it is worth revisiting just how big

that fitness for office question was I was a little surprised at some of the

language and discussion around it before you get that quip at the debate. It is also

worth remembering that you know a couple weeks later Reagan went on to

absolutely demolish Mondale in the election, the last real blowout in US

presidential elections. We are certainly getting questions about age in this

year's race. I don't know if we'll get the blow out in this year's

race but let's discuss here as always Nicole Hammer of Vanderbilt and Kelly Carter

Jackson of Wesley hello there. Hello Jody. Hey there. Listeners I think you probably realize we are very much in like election mode, all of our conversations

basically are topics that feel like they are from previous elections and feel like they have some

residences here, so obviously this age

thing we've discussed it we will get into the residence before this race but this is we've touched

on this a couple times this is the maybe iconic debate line.

So there's two things I want to talk about with the line itself, which is just kind of

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