Wednesday, December 27th, 2006...9:15 am
Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr.
I know that carping liberals like me are supposed to hate the pardon, but I think his only mistake in that was not demanding that Richard Nixon make an appology in return.
Other than that, a decent, but not great president. He even admitted this himself (”I’m a Ford, not a Lincoln.”). He was an admirable public servant who brought our nation through two difficult times, the humiliating fall of Saigon and the aftermath of Watergate.
I saw him once when Air Force 1 landed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. He put on a sombrero and said “Hasta loo-ego.” Lucky for him, Chevy Chase never saw that.
N.B. - I changed the picture after I found out that Wactivist used the same picture (curse you Wactivist!). This is also appropriate because just like Pelé, Ford was an excellent athlete who played his football without a helmet.
5 Comments
December 27th, 2006 at 11:27 am
Actually, i believe the new fashion is to hate Jerry not for the pardon but for promoting Cheney and Rummy - thus paving the way for the current mess we’re in.
But how could he know? RIP, Mr. President.
December 27th, 2006 at 4:34 pm
Boredinaz:
Well, Reagan ‘promoted’ Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, so there are worse things.
My guess is that in a hundred years, Ford will be about as well known a President as, say, Chester A. Arthur.
December 27th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
And Ted, speaking of ‘Ford car’ jokes, the one I remember is that we had, in fact, bought a used car from Richard M. Nixon, and it was a Ford (a play on the old campaign question that Nixon’s opponents used to ask, seeking to capitalize on his reputation for questionable integrity– ‘Would you buy a used car from Richard Nixon’?)
December 27th, 2006 at 5:21 pm
President Ford was a good public servant. He served the public with honour, respect and did his best. He was one of the people that make being in politics worthwhile and he serves as a reminder to all that not all politicians are like Tom DeLay but hardworking and decent folks who want the best for their country.
For everyone to say upon your passing that you were a good man is a rare and better accolade then any other.
December 27th, 2006 at 6:48 pm
I suppose it is possible that Gerald Ford believed that Nixon’s pardon was in the best interest of the nation as a way to put Watergate behind us. However, at the time, it seemed as though tricky Dick was given a pass and was allowed to skate out of his just punishment. All it did was remind decent, hardworking, honest Americans that powerful people are above the law, more often than not. Of course, this was back in the days when people actually cared whether or not the president was a liar.
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