March 1972: The time a rat showed up at the Democratic debate
Democratic candidate Ned Coll was too young to become president in 1972, but that didn't stop the Hartford, Connecticut social worker from making a stir at the New Hampshire Democratic debate.
"This is the real problem," said Ned Coll, dangling a toy rat in the air. He hoped that the rat, which he'd hidden beneath his coat, would help illustrate the problems of the urban poor - a cause he argued should be the central issue of the campaign.
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Coll continued to hold the rat up periodically, and his opponents may have struggled to respond, but the newspapers did not.
The New York Times reported the next day that Coll had "extended an erratic campaign into the debate" and "disrupted the program's gentle pace from time to time by waving a rubber rat before the camera."
A Washington Post article summed it up this way, saying, "Coll provided most of the debate's color by waving a rubber rat at his rivals and asking voters to protest 'politics as usual.'"
Coll's campaign for the nomination was symbolic in more ways than one. At 32 years old, he couldn't legally become president.
His use of the rat during the debate was certainly a peculiar tactic. But the stunt had its desired effect - the vivid reminder of the problems of urban poor stuck with viewers long after Coll dropped out of the race.
"Face the Nation" host John Dickerson will moderate the CBS News Democratic presidential debate Saturday, November 14 at 9PM ET at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Watch it live on CBSN.