Gerald Ford: A symbol of hope (My final thoughts on a great man)

[Please Delete my account!!]

I don't mean to sound all sugar coaty here.  But I've been watching news shows and documentaries all weekend long on President Gerald Ford.  Of course I don't remember the man as president seeing as how I was born in the final month of his presidency.   I remember some of the speaches he gave at Republican Conventions.  And I've watched some of his old speeches on CSPAN.    And before we move on, I just wanted to share my final thoughts.

Nobody will ever mention Gerald Ford alongside of presidents like Washington, Lincoln, or Teddy Roosevelt.   So much of a president's legacy, is dictated by the times that surround him.   Had he been president at another time, I feel Gerald Ford might have been remembered as a great president.  But most people will remember him as the only president not elected by the people and the guy who pardoned Nixon. 

I feel that the way history judges presidents is often so unfair because presidents are only remembered for the time in which they served.  But Gerald Ford inherited a bad situation.  He never wanted to be president, it was never something he aspired to be.  He was thrown into the situation by circumstances that were way beyond his control.  But the man met the challenge head on and conquered it.  Ford took over office and was faced with a country devistated by long and ugly war, a society in turmoil, tons of government scandal, and a bitterly divided nation. 

I see many parallels to the problems Ford faced and the problems we face in this country today.   Gerald Ford was a leader because he made decisions on what he thought was right, not what popular oppinion was.   Ford saved our country from the ugliness of a long trial of a former leader.  He didn't bring new legislative ideas to the office, he didn't have the flash and charisma of others like JFK, and he might have sacrificed his own re-election in the process.  But this was a man who stood on principle, and a man who's leadership and ability to make a tough decision, helped bring the country together.

I just look at where we are today.   I am coming off of one of the most difficult years for myself personally, that along with the hard times our nation is currently facing and the bitter divide we currently have in this country between the two sides, it sometimes can feel so hopless.  But people like Gerald Ford serve as a symbol of hope to me,  a reminder that great men still exist and can come forward even in the worst of times.  There are still people out there who have the ability to bring a bitterly divided country together.

Our country needed Gerald Ford to be president when he was, and our society today could sure use more men like President Ford to step up and bring out nation back together.


GOD BLESS FORMER PRESIDENT GERALD FORD!!!

[JSojourner]

Thank you for a wonderful tribute.  I loved so much about Gerry Ford, while he was President and in these many years after. 

Long before he died, I remember someone -- it might have been the late Tip O'Neill -- saying, "there is no one who dislikes Gerry Ford".  I believed it then and I believe it now.

May God grant us more Presidents like him.  And more First Ladys' like Betty.

[Eraserhead]

I think it is almost literally impossible to dislike Gerald Ford (at least as a person).

[J. J.]

I have not commented until now, but as President, he was not stellar.  I continue to oppose the Nixon pardon, without an admission of guilt.  Both his domestic and foreign policy were weak.

As a person, he was generally an honest, decent man, but those qualities did not translate into a great presidency.