Question about President Ford

[TheGoofster]

Now let me start by saying that I am in no way bashing, attacking, or in any other means being negative about President Ford, but I do have a question.
I was only a little tyke when Ford was President, so to be honest I have no real memories of him. In fact, to be even more honest, during my lifetime I heard very little about the man. Of course I knew he was a former President, but besides that (and the fact that he was portrayed as being a bit clumsy), I really never heard much of anything about him. Up until last week, this held true. But now that he has died, suddenly I am hearing about what a great man and a great President that he was. How that he was the great comforter, or the great reconciler. How that he held the nation together during a civil crisis. And many other wonderful things.
Now my question to all of you who are old enough to remember the man and his Presidency is whether or not all of this is really true, or is this simply your standard praise of the dearly deceased?
Again, I'm not saying that he wasn't all these things, but it just seems kind of odd how that up until a week ago, no mention was hardly ever made of the man, but suddenly now he is the national hero.
I know that when somebody dies it is customary to say good things about them, and I was wondering if you think this is what is happening now with Ford, or do you think that he really was all these great things that are being said about him.

 

[kirbsam]

i wondered the same thing. not whether or not he was these things. i think he was. but why we wait until i man is dead to say all of these nice things about him.

 

[LucyStorm]

What I remember is that we were a nation in turmoil having had the race riots, the Vietnam War, and Watergate. I remember that with Ford in office, this nation settled down. I remember him as being forthright and having integrity. I was unaware of some of the things he accomplished though until today. I remember when Squeaky Fromme tried to assassinate him, but I don't remember the second shooter. I remember that he stood up and faced an angry nation when he pardoned Nixon but he did it with grace and class.

 

[grlpwrd]

I think he had his virtues and that is what people choose to remember sometimes.

He does have a library and museum and a foundation named in his honor so I don't think we waited until death to honor him.

Being young and not being coherent of what was truly going on has a lot to do with it. Many young folks only know him through history books. I hardly remember anything from when I was very little, too.

 

[eclectics]

Speaking as a staunch Democrat who remembers his tenure well, I can say I have always admired and respected Gerry Ford and the way he lived his life and conducted himself, in his public and also in his private life. I doubt I would find too many people who have anything derogatory to say about the man.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Speaking as a staunch Democrat who remembers his tenure well, I can say I have always admired and respected Gerry Ford and the way he lived his life and conducted himself, in his public and also in his private life. I doubt I would find too many people who have anything derogatory to say about the man.

I would second that,although I admit I was just a small child when he was in office.

 

[eclectics]

I would second that,although I admit I was just a small child when he was in office.

Thanks for rubbing that in, Jenny!

 

[JennyMominRI]

Thanks for rubbing that in, Jenny!

Hehe...Sorry...One thing I do remember is that my mother was a big Jimmy Carter man..One of my earliest memories is her dancing around the living room singing,Jimmy Carter won..

 

[DawnCt1]

He was a good man who came to the White House during a tumultuous time. He pardoned Nixon which needed to be done, He oversaw a chaotic departure from Saigon. The helicopters trying to evacuate refugees from the roof top of the US embassy was probably his darkest hour. We left hundreds of thousands to die at the hands of the North Vietnamese and the Khmer Rouge. He made attempts to tackle inflation and unemployment but there was essentially no improvement. Of course, he had only 2 and a half years. He was far from clumsy. He was a star athlete and he was tall and all it took was one or two pictures of a stumble or bumping his head to attract the comedians. He took it all good humoredly. And one can certainly say that he left the White House a better place than when he found it. I felt bad that he lost to Carter and sent him a letter telling him so. I can't tell you how delighted I was when the letter with no postage arrived from the White House. I still have it today.

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

What I remember is that we were a nation in turmoil having had the race riots, the Vietnam War, and Watergate. I remember that with Ford in office, this nation settled down. I remember him as being forthright and having integrity.

I have always admired and respected Gerry Ford and the way he lived his life and conducted himself, in his public and also in his private life. I doubt I would find too many people who have anything derogatory to say about the man.

Totally agree. He was president while I was in high school, and we talked about him a lot in current events class.

Jenny, I was glad too when Jimmy Carter won - he was the first president that I voted for.

 

[cardaway]

Would people say anything bad about him before he died? Not often.

Did people say anything good about him before he died? Not often.

Maybe the best thing about his legacy is he didn't do the things that get people to really rip on him long after his time was up.

Maybe it's good that the worst thing I can remember seeing is Chevy Chase doing him on SNL, and it was hardly anything like we see/saw people doing with Clinton or Bush.

 

[LuvDuke]

I'm a lifelong Democrat too. I was in college when Gerald Ford became president.

I admire President Ford for doing the right thing in pardoning Richard Nixon, although I was furious at the time. Ford was right in getting Nixon off the front pages and moving this country forward.

Gerald Ford wasn't a spectacular president, but he was a president who rose to the occasion when his country needed him most. He kept this country together by being the simple, decent man he was. He never wanted to be president, but did what had to be done. And it cost him the election in 1976. Ford, being a politician of 25 years, probably knew that, but he did the right thing anyway.

However, it was also Gerald Ford who opened up West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy to women making the military a truly equal opportunity employer. For those who didn't grow up with the open discrimination, you have no idea what a difference that made to women.

I'll always remember Gerald and Betty Ford watching Nixon's helicopter as it left the grounds of the White House and then they turned and walked back into the White House. I cannot imagine what went through their minds. And yet they did what they had to do.

I admire Gerald Ford and I consider him one the unsung heroes.

 

[JennyMominRI]

However, it was also Gerald Ford who opened up West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy to women making the military a truly equal opportunity employer. For those who didn't grow up with the open discrimination, you have no idea what a difference that made to women.

I'll always remember Gerald and Betty Ford watching Nixon's helicopter as it left the grounds of the White House and then they turned and walked back into the White House. I cannot imagine what went through their minds. And yet they did what they had to do.

.

I had no idea...wow

 

[WDWLVR]

I'm a lifelong Democrat too. I was in college when Gerald Ford became president.

I admire President Ford for doing the right thing in pardoning Richard Nixon, although I was furious at the time. Ford was right in getting Nixon off the front pages and moving this country forward.

Gerald Ford wasn't a spectacular president, but he was a president who rose to the occasion when his country needed him most. He kept this country together by being the simple, decent man he was. He never wanted to be president, but did what had to be done. And it cost him the election in 1976. Ford, being a politician of 25 years, probably knew that, but he did the right thing anyway.

However, it was also Gerald Ford who opened up West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy to women making the military a truly equal opportunity employer. For those who didn't grow up with the open discrimination, you have no idea what a difference that made to women.

I'll always remember Gerald and Betty Ford watching Nixon's helicopter as it left the grounds of the White House and then they turned and walked back into the White House. I cannot imagine what went through their minds. And yet they did what they had to do.

I admire Gerald Ford and I consider him one the unsung heroes.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Thank you and I agree!

 

[TDC Nala]

What I remember is that we were a nation in turmoil having had the race riots, the Vietnam War, and Watergate. I remember that with Ford in office, this nation settled down. I remember him as being forthright and having integrity. I was unaware of some of the things he accomplished though until today. I remember when Squeaky Fromme tried to assassinate him, but I don't remember the second shooter. I remember that he stood up and faced an angry nation when he pardoned Nixon but he did it with grace and class.

The second shooter was Sara Jane Moore. She fired a single shot at Ford in San Francisco 17 days after Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme pointed a gun at him in Sacramento.

 

[TheGoofster]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I wish I had taken time to find out more about Ford while he was still alive.
I think that one of the best compliments that can be given to him is when those of the opposite political party have good things to say about him. I don't think too many repubilicans would praise Clinton, and I don't think too many democrats would praise Bush (either one), so it really must mean a lot to hear both parties talking well of the man.
I have also heard that he was one of the best athletic presidents, but because of a couple of slips he was marked clumsy. What a shame.

 

[tar heel]

Ford became president the week I left for college. I watched the scene with the Nixons flying away while I was packing. Ford seemed decent, and I think history will show him as an okay, if short-term, president. Betty was direct and honest -- it was wonderful for an 18-year-old girl to witness. I have to admit that I remember Chevy Chase as Ford as well as I remember Ford as president.

Some of you may be surprised to hear this, but I had a "Keep Betty in the White House" button, went to a Ford campaign rally and actually voted for Ford in 1976.

 

[Disney Doll]

I'm a lifelong Democrat too. I was in college when Gerald Ford became president.

I admire President Ford for doing the right thing in pardoning Richard Nixon, although I was furious at the time. Ford was right in getting Nixon off the front pages and moving this country forward.

Gerald Ford wasn't a spectacular president, but he was a president who rose to the occasion when his country needed him most. He kept this country together by being the simple, decent man he was. He never wanted to be president, but did what had to be done. And it cost him the election in 1976. Ford, being a politician of 25 years, probably knew that, but he did the right thing anyway.

However, it was also Gerald Ford who opened up West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy to women making the military a truly equal opportunity employer. For those who didn't grow up with the open discrimination, you have no idea what a difference that made to women.

I'll always remember Gerald and Betty Ford watching Nixon's helicopter as it left the grounds of the White House and then they turned and walked back into the White House. I cannot imagine what went through their minds. And yet they did what they had to do.

I admire Gerald Ford and I consider him one the unsung heroes.

I agree with you.

He is really one of those Presidents where history recorded his true worth. He came into the Presidency at a very diffcult time...Watergate was the worst thing that had ever happened to the Presidency up until that point, in terms of scandal and corruption...at least that the American public knew about. The fall of Saigon, the end of the Vietnam War...all very dark days. President Ford's demeanor during that time was one of calm, integrity, forthrightnesss...just what a bruised and bloodied nation needed. He gave the impression that good would win, when a lot of folks thought evil was winning. He had basic American values, he was a nice man...a gentleman...but not a pushover.

I truly believe that he knew when he pardoned President Nixon that it was political suicide, and yet he did it anyway, for the good of the country, to get us beyond that. People were really pissed at him then, but now, with the perspective the years have given us, we see that he was right in doing that. One of the nes stations aired an interview with him that took place a couple of years back, and they asked about the pardon. He said very simply "I thought it was the right thing to do for the country then, and I still think, even now, that it was the right thing to do for the country". There are not any politicians today who would "throw themselves on the sword", so to speak, and sacrifice their political career for the good of the country. He did.

I think the reason why you didn't hear much about him was because he was a modest, simple man who didn't like a lot of fanfare.

 

[BrerMom]

"There will be a number of public and private services before he is laid to rest at the Ford Museum in Grand Rapids. Ford, an Eagle Scout, will be honored by local Boy Scouts."
- from http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5861778

The whole article is interesting, but I quoted this part because DH will be one of the Eagle Scouts heading to Grand Rapids with DS and his scout troop.

 

[MrsPete]

I think the main thing about Ford is that he was a man who threw himself on his own sword for the good of his country. He inherited a White House that had just gone through one of the worst scandals up until that point. People disliked and distrusted Nixon -- people wanted Nixon's head on a stake. Ford pardoned him.

If he'd taken Nixon to task for his actions, if he'd insisted upon more investigations, if he'd insisted upon punishment for Nixon's crimes, Ford likely would've been more popular during his "reign" and likely would've remained in the White House for a second term. Instead, he chose to do what was best for the country: pardon Nixon, put the troubles behind as quickly as possible, and move on. He did that, knowing that it was political suicide, knowing that he would serve out the rest of Nixon's term and would have no chance of being elected for a term of his own. He knew full well that he was making himself un-electable and was handing the White House over to the Democrats for the next election.

I think Ford is one of those people who wasn't really considered a great president during his time in office -- because the Nixon scandals that began his presidency were always hanging over his head -- but who LATER looks like a great man. Sometimes truth isn't so clear until "we" are past that time period emotionally. I think Jimmy Carter is also one of those guys who's a great ex-president (he genuinely is doing good for people these days), but who really stunk while he was in the White House. Not quite the same story as Ford, but similar themes.

As for Ford having a reputation as being clumsy, that's just silly. He was one of the most athletic men ever to hold the office of president. He was a college athlete, and his football jersey was one of only three ever retired from Michigan. I think he (and Nixon) were among the first politicians ever to suffer from "media sound bite syndome". That was the time frame when the media discovered they could control popular opinion of politicians (and others) simply by replaying one tiny, unrepresentative portion of the person's life. Now they do it to everyone -- politicians, entertainers, etc. The media has too much power in America today, and they are not using it to tell the truth: they are influencing opinions through biased journalism. Of course, the American people are also to blame -- or at least the large segment of the American people who choose to take media sound-bites as the complete story.