How did GHWB take down Ferraro? (and thus deplete Mondale's post-convention lead)

Perhaps we should examine this?

forthcoming about her husband's financial scandals, IIRC. Mondale didn't vet her well.

Reagan was back firmly in the lead by the time of the Republican convention. The VP debate came later and had little impact. Ferraro had already proved to be a liability: some gaffes, continued worries about her inexperience, and especially her husband's murky financial dealings. She gave a press conference to try to defuse the allegations but that was a disaster.

Most people thought Bush won the VP debate, though he was accused of being condescending and got into trouble afterwards for saying he had tried "to kick a little ass". But it didn't really matter. Mondale-Ferraro was pretty much done by then. The only little bit of hope they got was when Reagan seemed to be out of it in the first presidential debate, leading some to wonder about his age. But he nailed the second debate and that was that.

His most annoying habit was to answer questions by saying "I've already issued a position paper on that subject, go read it".