President Gerald R. Ford
Gerald R. Ford1913-2006
...
He may not have been a great President, nor even a good President, but what Gerald Ford lacked in executive skill he more than made up for in honor and accountability.
President Ford rose to power slowly; through hard work and passion for the positions he held and the people he represented. Prior to assuming the Presidency Mr. Ford spent 13 terms in the United States House of Representatives, representing the Grand Rapids, Michigan districts. During his time in the lower House of Congress Mr. Ford was a champion of conservative-Republican ideals of the time; very much a product of the Eisenhower era in American history. He would frequently chip away at and criticize Lyndon Johnson’s policies for a “Great Society”. He was loyal Republican and stood by his ideals. Though he had political disagreements with Democrats he was well-respected and most of all trusted. President Johnson would appoint him to the Warren Commission to aid in the investigation of the assassination of President Kennedy.
Though not as ambitious as his contemporaries (Nixon, Kennedy, Johnson, Rockefeller), he did have the hopes and goal of someday attaining the Speakership of the United States House of Representatives. As he gained seniority in the House and with the Republican Caucus Mr. Ford would make the case for himself to be in a position of leadership. His hard work would pay off when he was selected by his peers to be the Republican Minority Leader. He held the position for 4 terms prior to his selection by President Nixon to succeed the disgraced Spiro Agnew.
It has been said that Gerald Ford was selected by President Nixon as the safest choice, not the most capable choice. With Spiro Agnew leaving the Vice-Presidency under the cloud of bribery and tax evasion charges Mr. Nixon needed a man who would pass through both the House and Senate confirmation hearings. Gerald Ford had the respect of his peers, as well as that of his political adversaries, and this was qualification enough for the Vice-Presidency. Mr. Ford would pass through the newly created 25th Amendment process by which both houses of Congress would review a nomination for the Office of Vice-President and assume his position in October of 1973.
The Watergate scandal quickly consumed and completely engulfed the Presidency of Richard Nixon between 1973 and 1974. On August 9th 1974 Gerald Ford assumed the Presidency; following Richard Nixon’ resignation. He would hold office for 895 days. During his time in office he issued over 60 vetoes, fought to understand Cold War politics, withdrew the American military from Vietnam, and worked to unify a fractured nation. In what was a most selfless act of political courage President Ford issued a full pardon for Richard Nixon concerning any involvement he may have had with the Watergate break in. It was an act which would cost him the Presidency in his own right; having not been elected to the Vice-Presidency or Presidency.
There are few times when men make self sacrifices of power for the benefit of the people they have sworn to represent and the Constitution for which they are suppose to defend. The idea to pardon Richard Nixon was not the popular opinion of the day, but it was the right choice. It was right for two reasons. One; it brought the abrupt end to the Watergate Scandal, which had consumed the power and efforts of so many. Two; it spared the United States the humility of putting a former President on trial, where he most certainly would have been found guilty and sent to prison. Without an end, along with a lengthy legal battle, the nation would have devolved even farther into malaise and division. President Ford understand that though a crime had been committed the consequences of that crime would be a far greater a burden on the nation than the crime itself.
If President Nixon had gone to court for the crimes he may or may not have committed, a trial almost certain to reach the Supreme Court, the process would have left the nation battered. On one side there was the political dynamic of Republican versus Democrat. On another side there was the Constitutional battle of the Judicial Branch versus the Executive Branch. And thirdly there was the certainty that a President of the United States would be sent to prison. Lest we forget there was a war to be fought and economic recession to fend off. It was neither the time nor the place for the United States to fall further into disarray.
With his televised appearance before the whole of the Republic, Gerald Ford pardoned Richard M. Nixon of any crimes and with that put to rest the Watergate era. This move would haunt him the rest of his short Presidency and he would lose to Georgia Governor James Carter in the 1976 Presidential race. Following his defeat President Ford briefly retired from the political spotlight. In 1980 there was an idea that Ronald Reagan should take on President Ford as his running mate leading up to the Republican National Convention. Though cooler heads prevailed and avoided what would have been an awkward and most likely confrontational co-Presidency.
After the brief resurfacing in 1980 Gerald Ford entered the twilight of his life in peace, having saved the Republic from itself. He was a man who did not want the Presidency, but once there used its power to heal a nation, despite popular opinion. He stood up for what was right and allowed the nation to move out of a darkness that had consumed politics for nearly 3 years. There are few politicians like Gerald Ford anymore and with his passing maybe all politicians should compare themselves to our nation’s 38th Commander-in-Chief, they might learn a few things about humility and self-sacrifice.
President Ford rose to power slowly; through hard work and passion for the positions he held and the people he represented. Prior to assuming the Presidency Mr. Ford spent 13 terms in the United States House of Representatives, representing the Grand Rapids, Michigan districts. During his time in the lower House of Congress Mr. Ford was a champion of conservative-Republican ideals of the time; very much a product of the Eisenhower era in American history. He would frequently chip away at and criticize Lyndon Johnson’s policies for a “Great Society”. He was loyal Republican and stood by his ideals. Though he had political disagreements with Democrats he was well-respected and most of all trusted. President Johnson would appoint him to the Warren Commission to aid in the investigation of the assassination of President Kennedy.
Though not as ambitious as his contemporaries (Nixon, Kennedy, Johnson, Rockefeller), he did have the hopes and goal of someday attaining the Speakership of the United States House of Representatives. As he gained seniority in the House and with the Republican Caucus Mr. Ford would make the case for himself to be in a position of leadership. His hard work would pay off when he was selected by his peers to be the Republican Minority Leader. He held the position for 4 terms prior to his selection by President Nixon to succeed the disgraced Spiro Agnew.
It has been said that Gerald Ford was selected by President Nixon as the safest choice, not the most capable choice. With Spiro Agnew leaving the Vice-Presidency under the cloud of bribery and tax evasion charges Mr. Nixon needed a man who would pass through both the House and Senate confirmation hearings. Gerald Ford had the respect of his peers, as well as that of his political adversaries, and this was qualification enough for the Vice-Presidency. Mr. Ford would pass through the newly created 25th Amendment process by which both houses of Congress would review a nomination for the Office of Vice-President and assume his position in October of 1973.
The Watergate scandal quickly consumed and completely engulfed the Presidency of Richard Nixon between 1973 and 1974. On August 9th 1974 Gerald Ford assumed the Presidency; following Richard Nixon’ resignation. He would hold office for 895 days. During his time in office he issued over 60 vetoes, fought to understand Cold War politics, withdrew the American military from Vietnam, and worked to unify a fractured nation. In what was a most selfless act of political courage President Ford issued a full pardon for Richard Nixon concerning any involvement he may have had with the Watergate break in. It was an act which would cost him the Presidency in his own right; having not been elected to the Vice-Presidency or Presidency.
There are few times when men make self sacrifices of power for the benefit of the people they have sworn to represent and the Constitution for which they are suppose to defend. The idea to pardon Richard Nixon was not the popular opinion of the day, but it was the right choice. It was right for two reasons. One; it brought the abrupt end to the Watergate Scandal, which had consumed the power and efforts of so many. Two; it spared the United States the humility of putting a former President on trial, where he most certainly would have been found guilty and sent to prison. Without an end, along with a lengthy legal battle, the nation would have devolved even farther into malaise and division. President Ford understand that though a crime had been committed the consequences of that crime would be a far greater a burden on the nation than the crime itself.
If President Nixon had gone to court for the crimes he may or may not have committed, a trial almost certain to reach the Supreme Court, the process would have left the nation battered. On one side there was the political dynamic of Republican versus Democrat. On another side there was the Constitutional battle of the Judicial Branch versus the Executive Branch. And thirdly there was the certainty that a President of the United States would be sent to prison. Lest we forget there was a war to be fought and economic recession to fend off. It was neither the time nor the place for the United States to fall further into disarray.
With his televised appearance before the whole of the Republic, Gerald Ford pardoned Richard M. Nixon of any crimes and with that put to rest the Watergate era. This move would haunt him the rest of his short Presidency and he would lose to Georgia Governor James Carter in the 1976 Presidential race. Following his defeat President Ford briefly retired from the political spotlight. In 1980 there was an idea that Ronald Reagan should take on President Ford as his running mate leading up to the Republican National Convention. Though cooler heads prevailed and avoided what would have been an awkward and most likely confrontational co-Presidency.
After the brief resurfacing in 1980 Gerald Ford entered the twilight of his life in peace, having saved the Republic from itself. He was a man who did not want the Presidency, but once there used its power to heal a nation, despite popular opinion. He stood up for what was right and allowed the nation to move out of a darkness that had consumed politics for nearly 3 years. There are few politicians like Gerald Ford anymore and with his passing maybe all politicians should compare themselves to our nation’s 38th Commander-in-Chief, they might learn a few things about humility and self-sacrifice.
posted by San Soucri @ 3:54 PM
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