Looks Back on His Landslide Defeat : Mondale Says He ‘Mishandled My Case’

Walter F. Mondale, looking back on his landslide defeat in the 1984 presidential election, said Sunday that he “fundamentally mishandled my case to the American people” by failing to emphasize the positive side of his message.

“They heard opportunity from the other side, they didn’t hear it from me,” the former Democratic nominee said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

It was Mondale’s first appearance in a national forum since the November election, in which President Reagan carried 49 states for one of the most lopsided reelection victories in American history. Mondale carried only his home state of Minnesota and the District of Columbia.

Mondale said he continues to believe that “I was essentially correct on the fundamental issues,” but he added that he was no match for Reagan when it came to communicating with the American people.

Lauds Rival’s Ability

“The fact of the matter is, President Reagan’s ability to communicate--even things that I think are demonstrably not accurate--verges on genius,” Mondale said. “I don’t think anybody accused me of the same capability.”

In the future, he said the Democrats “must find a candidate who, in addition to being right on the issues and stating them correctly, can master this modern challenge of communication in this huge country of ours.”

Mondale disagreed with analysts who contend he was particularly hurt by a perception that he was too closely tied to special interest groups such as organized labor, teachers and feminists.

“I don’t believe that was the essential problem,” he said. “My approach was above all a commitment to the public interest and not to the special interests. But I’m not sure that’s the way it appeared to the American people.”

Resents Jesse Jackson

In a separate interview with the Washington Post, Mondale expressed resentment toward civil rights activist Jesse Jackson for making “life quite difficult for me.”

“I tried to treat the first black candidate for President of the United States with dignity and to accept the seriousness of that candidacy, and I believe that was right,” Mondale said. “I don’t believe that Jesse treated me in an equivalent way.”

Mondale had kind words for Sen. Gary Hart (D-Colo.), his chief competitor for the Democratic nomination.

“At the convention, he was the first to come to me and sign up,” Mondale said. “He did everything he could to produce a successful convention, and he went out of that convention and he did everything he could for me in that campaign.”

Assails Reagan Move

In his television appearance, Mondale criticized Reagan for agreeing with Senate Republicans to a budget compromise that would cut 2% from the cost of living increase to Social Security program recipients.

Mondale said Reagan “backed off his commitment” made during the campaign not to tamper with Social Security.

When asked about the Republican contention that Reagan’s commitment did not apply to the cost of living increases, Mondale replied: “That won’t wash, and the record won’t sustain that at all.”

He predicted that Congress would refuse to go along with the proposal under which Social Security recipients would be guaranteed a 2% increase, regardless of the inflation rate. If the rate were above 4%, recipients would receive an increase equal to the amount above 4%, plus the guaranteed 2%.