Gerald Ford Dies at Age 93
I got a much appreciated text from Ben Keeler notifying me of this news late last night. With Ford's passing, the debate over his pardoning of Richard Nixon and the successes and failures of his presidency will begin. I enjoy listening and reading those discussions. Gerald Ford's presidency falls into the part of history that is probably me weakest. It seems like every history class I have taken stopped just after Watergate because the semester ran out. It is also interesting to watch the uniqueness of the funeral procession for a President. Tell us what you think about President Ford and his legacy in the comments.Chief Source Trivia: Can you guess the two White House Staffers pictured with Gerald Ford? Answer in the comments...
By Kyle - 12/27/2006
11 Comments:
Trivia Answer: On the left of the photo is Donald Rumsfeld. On the right is Dick Cheney.
Is Chevy Chase gonna do his famous pratfall in remembrance?
In light of all the strife that was going on in America in 1974, I think it was OK to pardon Nixon and move on. Nixon certainly was not innocent, Ford probably acted in a political interest and also good of the country.
Nixon did for the Presidency as much as Chevy Chase did for Prez Ford
Despite the picture, Ford was not what one would consider a "conservative Republican." Ran to Reagan's left in the 1976 primary and won. Nominated Stevens to the Supreme Court.
Probably was the right President at the right time.
I agree with Petey, it was time to move on.
Nixon should have fried for his foreign policy let alone watergate! And I'm not just talking about Vietnam. Pardoning Nixon was inexcusible.
Tim
I was 12 when he took office and I will never forget the situation. I remember being in camp when they pulled us out of our bunks to watch Nixon resign. Ford has strengths at which people scoffed then and scoff at now but you know what? His greatest strength was knowing what he did well and sticking to it. I didn't experience him as president the way I have experienced any president since I started to vote, but I can tell you this: as a person entering her teens, as a product of the Watergate era and the cynicism and skepticism brought in by that event and those responsible for it, I can't imagine what the 70s would have looked like if Nixon hadn't been pardoned. Consider what the country went through with Clinton impeachment efforts or even with the idea floating around about impeachment pursuits against Bush. Does an entire nation, given the rest of the global situation, really need that kind of focus?
Democracy is very messy but in clip after clip, people remember that in such a messy time as Watergate and post-Watergate, being the cleaner upper was a thankless job that Ford did as well as anyone else, and maybe better.
People call himt the Accidental President but you know what - it was no accident at all.
have any of you ever read a book about Nixon. This man was corrupt to the core. He was a constitution shredder and deserved to live out his years in jail. What would the consequences every seems to think would have occured if Nixon stayed in jail? Maybe leaders today wouldn't be as flippant about following the law! We are a nation of laws not men, right? The best thing for this country would have been not setting the precedent of letting crooks walk the streets free. Boy, Nixon sure spent alot of time talking about that.....
Tim
The Nixon era had some achievements:
Clean Water, OSHAA, Reformed the Draft making the rich non exempt, responding to the public to end the Vietnam war. He was also considereda good international diplomat (Russia, China)
Old Tricky Dick - so long buddy
When the draft was changed to a fairer lottery, many of the priveleged class were now subject to go to Nam.
Nixon eventually went morbidly insane (war does that) and subsequently, the haouse of cards fell in as his "men" ran wild culminating in Watergate.
Probably a madder individual of this period was J. Edgar Hoover who was a whack job transvestite/pervert running the FBI (look it up)
But in light of the times, Nixon seemed to fit right in....until of course (as recently) someone noticed that this kind of leadership DESTROYS our Nation.
As was stated - He probably deserved jail but believe me, Gerald Ford, at political expense, did what was right at the time. The Nation teetering on the very edge, would not have withstood the impeachment dog/pony show.
Ford on Iraq: Bush was wrong . "I don't think I would have gone to war."
Good enough for me.
I read more on what Pres Ford said. Too bad these neorepubs are so blind that they will not look to former Republicans such as Ford, Eisenhower for some good examples of how to truthfully support the Republic.
Soon we shall clearly see if Bush is insane ---if he commits more troops to Iraq against about 95% of US and world opinion.
Ford, Truman, Eisenhower, Roosevelt -I pray that your ghosts awaken W from his madness.
Post a Comment
<< Home