Ok I've had enough! Gerald Ford sucked!

[Matt]

Alright, I just overheard on the news someone suggesting a coin for Gerald Ford. For godsakes, the Today Show today consisted of countless people ranting about what an amazing president Gerald Ford was...but for godsakes, he wasn't! He was a lackluster, mediocre president at best. He really did nothing to better America and unlike Carter he doesn't exactly have an outstanding post-presidency. I mean, sure it is sad he died, but to embelish his legacy simply for the sake of it...why?

 

[kytrigger]

Yeah, I agree that people are definately embelishing on his legacy now that he is dead, but he didn't completely suck or anything. IMO pardoning Nixon was the right thing to do (even though it was ridiculously unpopular). Didn't he also pull us out of Vietnam too? While he didn't do as much as people are claiming (definately not enough to get a coin), he was in a difficult situation anyway. The guy wasn't elected as President or VP which just added to further doubt in the people's minds after they already don't trust teh administration because of Nixon.

 

[Superman79]

Ford was a middle of the road Prez. He really didn't do anything great, but he didn't do anything bad. This coin thing is just sentimentality that will pass in a week. I'm all about honoring him for not screwing up the country, but a day of mourning is good enough.

They do it for all of them, just wait til Carter, Bush 1, or Clinton passes, it'll be the same thing...[shrug]

 

[Angry Sentinel]

Yeah, I found myself thinking the same things.

I assume there are a TON of reasons, but the most likely probably come from ideas such as 'propaganda', 'patriotism' (it is war-time) and 'sentimentalism'.

 

[kane9321]

Pardoning nixon was was wrong wrong wrong.
I'm sure a shady deal was involved

 

[Matt]

Yeah, I agree that people are definately embelishing on his legacy now that he is dead, but he didn't completely suck or anything. IMO pardoning Nixon was the right thing to do (even though it was ridiculously unpopular).

No it wasn't. Nixon was a criminal, he should've been prosecuted just like anyone else.The funny thing about Nixon is, though...he was twice the president Ford was. Nixon would actually be remembered as a great president if it weren't for the scandals.

Didn't he also pull us out of Vietnam too?

Nope, that was Nixon.

 

[kytrigger]

No it wasn't. Nixon was a criminal, he should've been prosecuted just like anyone else.The funny thing about Nixon is, though...he was twice the president Ford was. Nixon would actually be remembered as a great president if it weren't for the scandals.

While we obviously differ on the pardoning aspect, I completely agree that Nixon was a very good president. I think it was the Egyptian President that even referred to Nixon as the best foreign policy President we've ever had. Unfortunate that his whoel presidencey was marred by his own screw-up.

 

[Catman]

Nixon would actually be remembered as a great president if it weren't for the scandals.

That's what my 8th grade American History teacher used to say.

 

[raybia]

Alright, I just overheard on the news someone suggesting a coin for Gerald Ford. For godsakes, the Today Show today consisted of countless people ranting about what an amazing president Gerald Ford was...but for godsakes, he wasn't! He was a lackluster, mediocre president at best. He really did nothing to better America and unlike Carter he doesn't exactly have an outstanding post-presidency. I mean, sure it is sad he died, but to embelish his legacy simply for the sake of it...why?

Too bad this isn't a discussion concerning G.W.

 

[Matt]

While we obviously differ on the pardoning aspect, I completely agree that Nixon was a very good president. I think it was the Egyptian President that even referred to Nixon as the best foreign policy President we've ever had. Unfortunate that his whoel presidencey was marred by his own screw-up.

It really is funny. He was so paranoid, which led to Watergate and yet there was absolutely no need for him to be. He carried 49 states for godsakes. It was a landslide.

 

[raybia]

edit

 

[raybia]

edit

 

[Angry Sentinel]

Tell us how you really feel Raybia t:

 

[raybia]

Tell us how you really feel Raybia t:

Oops!

 

[Angry Sentinel]

Oops!

I'm in HIGH agreement with you... whether it's GW senior or GW junior.
Why my vote couldn't be mistakenly counted 25,000 times is beyond me.

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

What is this thing about his posthumously released interviews where he calls Cheney and Rumsfeld idiots and said it was wrong to go to war with Iraq?

I keep hearing about it but can't find much on it and a lot of the stuff I do find is too couched in satire.

 

[Matt]

What is this thing about his posthumously released interviews where he calls Cheney and Rumsfeld idiots and said it was wrong to go to war with Iraq?

I keep hearing about it but can't find much on it and a lot of the stuff I do find is too couched in satire.

http://today.reuters.com/news/artic...RVIEW.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C3-politicsNews-2

From Reuters. It is an interview with Bob Woodward under the condition that Woodward waited until his death to publish the comments.

 

[tomahawk53]

I agree... He wasn't THAT good of a president. But when someone dies the living tend to make them out to be 10X what they were.

 

[Matt]

I agree... He wasn't THAT good of a president. But when someone dies the living tend to make them out to be 10X what they were.

Thats the truth.

 

[tzarinna]

What tomahawk said.

 

[Darthphere]

Gerald Ford is the ****. I drive a Gerald Ford F-150, YeehAW!

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-12-28T043316Z_01_N27476866_RTRUKOC_0_US-FORD-INTERVIEW.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C3-politicsNews-2

From Reuters. It is an interview with Bob Woodward under the condition that Woodward waited until his death to publish the comments.

Thanks.

 

[Memphis Slim]

The same people who complained that the Clinton hearings dragged on too long and that we should have moved on, are the same people who think the the country should have been dragged thru more hearings with Nixon, back then.

I wish Nixon would have been punished. But I understand why ford did the pardon.

Vietman
Watergate
Protests
Country in turmoil

We needed healing at the time.

oh well.........

 

[Matt]

The same people who complained that the Clinton hearings dragged on too long and that we should have moved on, are the same people who think the the country should have been dragged thru more hearings with Nixon, back then.

I wish Nixon would have been punished. But I understand why ford did the pardon.

Vietman
Watergate
Protests
Country in turmoil

We needed healing at the time.

oh well.........

There is a big difference. Clinton lied under oath, granted. However, it was a question he should've never been asked under oath and was the product of a witch hunt.

Nixon on the other hand committed several criminal acts of his own accord.

 

[Dark Vigilante]

The same people who complained that the Clinton hearings dragged on too long and that we should have moved on, are the same people who think the the country should have been dragged thru more hearings with Nixon, back then.

Yeah well that’s because Clinton lied under oath about an extramarital affair while Nixon exploited the power of his office in an attempt to illegally put his opponents at a disadvantage in the upcoming election. Big difference.

There’s a quote about Ford, and I can't remember who said it, but it pretty much summarizes Ford's presidency in a nutshell, it was something like: "if he saw a child in need, he would give him the shirt off his back. Then he would go into the White House and veto a school lunch bill". Ford was a great man of decency and integrity, but he was a mediocre president. The only reason people are making such a big deal about his death is because he was a beacon of stability in times of great instability, something we all want now. But that doesn’t make him a great president.