Home > Politics > We’ll miss you, President Ford

We’ll miss you, President Ford

December 27, 2006

“President Ford was a great man who devoted the best years of his life in serving the United States. He was a true gentleman who reflected the best in America’s character. … He assumed power in a period of great division and turmoil. For a nation that needed healing and for an office that needed a calm and steady hand, Gerald Ford came along when we needed him most.”
- President George W. Bush

He did lots of other stuff too, including, in his short time in office, 51 spending vetos of which only 13 were overturned.  He achieved the rank of lieutenant commander in the US Navy during WWII, worked his way through law school, and served 25 years in Congress, where he earned a reputation as being able to work with anyone.  He described himself accurately as “a moderate in domestic affairs, a conservative in fiscal affairs, and a dyed-in-the-wool internationalist in foreign affairs.”

He is remembered by most people for only two things; his pardon of Richard Nixon (which was exactly the right move), and physical clumsiness (which is entirely untrue as he was very athletic).

In case anyone has forgotten, this is what a real Republican looks like.

Categories: Politics
  1. December 28, 2006 at 09:05 | #1

    “this is what a real Republican looks like.” Yep. We need some more just like him to step up and take over the party. I might even consider supporting it again….

  2. December 28, 2006 at 11:34 | #2

    DOF—

    Good one!

    MC

  3. December 28, 2006 at 12:47 | #3

    Would that we had more Republicans around like him.  Alas, the mid-term Congressional losses of the GOP in ‘74, his narrow ‘76 primary victory over Reagan, and his subsequent loss to Carter, all spelled the end to that era.

    Yet another thing to blame Nixon for.

  4. December 28, 2006 at 18:41 | #4

    Personal integrity… an unusual quality in a politician at that level of play. He was chosen because he was the anti-Nixon, or at least the anti-Agnew. Let’s not look too closely at Nelson Rockefeller though. The Party needed to hide their dirty faces behind a clean, clear-eyed True Believer. Too bad it took that kind of pressure to make it happen.

  5. December 31, 2006 at 18:06 | #5

    >>>>>physical clumsiness (which is entirely untrue as he was very athletic). <<<<<<

    His falls were due to an old football knee injury.

  6. January 2, 2007 at 21:15 | #6

    I’ve been thinking a lot about the pardon.  I was conflicted about it at the time.  I understand his rationale.  With his passing, I have thought about it more.  And my conclusion is (with all due respect to him as a person and for his clarity on relations with Canada,) … it was wrong.  Just wrong.  Not only did it sweep aside the concepts of justice and accountability, but it lent license to subsequent Presidents.  Ollie North, John Poindexter, Elliot Abrams, Caspar Weinberger.  Now we have GW Bush lying (“everyone knows it”) about why we had to go to war in Iraq.  Wanna bet against him pardoning Scooter Libby?  The impetus to impeach Bush is pretty much gone … he’d just be pardoned anyway.

    There’s no time to attend to the messy business of doing the right thing at home.  After all, we have to attend to the business of spreading democracy and justice in the Muslim world.

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