The Politics of Bob Dole The Man Once Called the Darth Vader of Congress Had a Soft Spot January 23, 2022 – Bob Dole died last month at 98 and left a legacy of a tough, grim Congressional curmudgeon who failed to achieve the presidency three times but quietly helped the poor, including creating a key economic lifeline: food stamps. “He had a very tough outside,” said author and Dole researcher Mark Zwonitzer. “He has a really soft core inside.”