Gerald Rudolph Ford (1974-1977)
~Career Politician
Click here to go to Richard Nixon.
Born with the name Leslie King, a fact only useful for bar night trivia, Gerald Ford had the fifth shortest presidency in history and the shortest of any president who didn’t die in office.
Some might argue Ford’s greatest achievement was to provide Chevy Chase and the first season of Saturday Night Live with material in the form of his well-documented clumsiness.
But the SNL parody was a case where a lie travels halfway across the world while the truth is still getting its boots on. Ford was a star player on two undefeated national champion Michigan football teams and won the team MVP his senior year. The media’s representation of Ford as an oaf showed how the country had changed in the decade since Kennedy had unreported affairs.
Soon after Ford became President he famously declaring “our long national nightmare was over.” Ford wanted the nation to heal and move past Watergate. While some thought and still think that was a mistake, Ford’s decision to pardon Nixon is easily understood. Given the economic turbulence of the mid-1970’s, avoiding partisan bickering and a prolonged trial of a failed president provided more time to work on solutions to the myriad of problems the country faced.
Ford’s decision was not political. He had the best interests of the country in mind.
Ford is the only president that was not elected as president or vice president. A member of the House of Representatives for twenty-four years, he was appointed Vice President when Spiro Agnew resigned while facing criminal charges of bribery, extortion and tax fraud. He was president less than a year later.
In 1975 Ford was the president when we ingloriously left Vietnam in shame and defeat. This was another steaming mess left at his doorstep, but at least Ford had the courage to lose that which could not be won.
“Tell the truth, work hard, and come to dinner on time.”
-Gerald Ford
Domestically, Ford was an outspoken supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment for women (a constitutional amendment that was never ratified by all the states) and signed a law that provided education for handicapped children.
Ford golfed a lot as president, playing in a lot of Pro-Am tournaments. He once said, “I know I’m getting better because I’m hitting less spectators.” It’s not easy to play with the pros when you’re an average golfer, but Ford did it to the delight of the crowds who cheered him on and appreciated his humble demeanor.
You can learn a lot about a person when you play a round of golf with them. Legend Arnold Palmer appreciated that Ford would never take a putt given to him. He always tried to hole it and was a “true gamer.” Palmer also said that while Ford may not have been a natural as President, “he threw himself honorably into the fray at crucial points in history, did very good things for this country, and is still trying.”
“I hope never to see the day that I cannot admit having made a mistake.”
- Gerald Ford
Ford was a reluctant presidential candidate in 1976. He was connected to Nixon and the US experienced the worst recession since the Great Depression during his term. It’s no surprise he lost to Carter.
Ford’s legacy as president is clouded by his short tenure, the mess he inherited and the general despair of the 1970’s. But he showed decency in the office when the country needed it badly, which is why his grade is higher than expected and better than most.
Presidential Category: Career Politician
Final Grade: B
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