Gerald Ford, who died today at age 93, will never be one of those presidents who makes the top 10 lists. His tenure was short, and he deliberately took the step that guaranteed he would not be elected to the position on his own.
His decision to pardon Richard Nixon before the ex-president had even been charged with any crimes enabled the nation to move forward...and is generally believed to have cost Ford the presidency in 1976.
At that time, there were many who claimed the fix was in and that Ford had already promised to pardon Nixon. Today most recognize the decision for what it was...one of the most courageous ever made by a president of the United States.
In these days when politicians make their decisions based on public opinion polls and focus groups, the presidency of Gerald Ford, brief thought it was, looks better all the time.
1 comment:
I didn't always agree with his decisions, but I did respect him.
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