Video: '1984 Walter Mondale Democratic Convention Acceptance Speech

(Thursday, July 19, 1984, evening PDT) — Former Vice President Walter Mondale accepted the nomination for President of the United States tonight at the Democratic National Convention at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, promising to “stop the illegal war in Nicaragua,” meet the Soviets once a year and slash the deficit by raising taxes.

“Let’s tell the truth. Mr. Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won’t tell you. I just did,” Mondale said in his acceptance speech.

Although Mondale intended to expose his expected GOP opponent, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, as hypocritical and position himself as the honest candidate, the choice of raising taxes as a discussion point likely damaged his electoral chances.

Mondale was nominated by defeating U.S. Senator Gary Hart of Colorado and Rev. Jesse Jackson of Illinois. Mondale received 2,191 votes (56.41%), Hart 1,201 (30.92%) and Jackson 466 (12.00%).

Video: 'Geraldine Ferraro's Full Speech at the 1984 Democratic Convention'

Earlier in the evening, Rep. Gerald Ferraro of New York was nominated by acclamation and accepted her party’s nomination for vice president, the first female to be nominated by a major American political party on a national ticket.

The convention was also noted for the keynote “Take of Two Cities” speech delivered by New York Governor Mario Cuomo on the event’s first night, July 16, 1984.

Video: '1984 DNC Tale of Two Cities Speech (Full)'

The Mondale-Ferraro ticket would challenge the GOP ticket of U.S. President Ronald Reagan of California and George H.W. Bush of Texas, both nominated for second terms in August 1984, in the 1984 general election.