In death, a president gets his respect
I find the recent love fest in the news media over what a wonderful "uniter" former president Gerald Ford was after the Watergate mess to be very interesting. This isn't the news reaction I remember at the time of Ford's presidency ("'Good and decent man' served us well," Opinionline, The Forum, Friday).
Just as Ronald Reagan was portrayed as a detached old fool by some members of the news media during his term as president and then honored as the slayer of the Soviet dragon after his death, Ford was once vilified by reporters and hounded by seemingly every wag with a camera or typewriter.
Ford was run into the ground by every outlet from Saturday Night Live to network news programs and newspapers.
Even good old Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., admitted during the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Awards ceremony in 2001 that he was once a Ford-basher, but that time had proved him wrong and that Ford was the right man for the time. Wow!
It wouldn't surprise me one bit that 30 years from now, we might be hearing a different account of the presidency of the liberals' favorite pioata, George W. Bush.
Robert Fillman
Indianapolis
Civility remembered
I did not vote for former president Gerald Ford when he ran in 1976; I voted for Jimmy Carter instead. At the time, I was angry over Watergate and Ford's pardon of former president Richard Nixon in September 1974. I think this pardon, more than anything else, contributed to Ford's electoral defeat in 1976.
Looking back more than 30 years later, I still believe that Ford's pardon of Nixon was wrong. Nixon was just as guilty as his aides, who were convicted for their Watergate crimes.
I would, however, take Ford over any modern-day, right-wing Republican, including our current president, George W. Bush. Ford seems moderate compared with the righties we have today in politics and their ultra right-wing, talk-radio cohorts.
If Ford were in politics today and expressed his past views, those right-wing, talk-show fanatics would have their knives and swords ready to stab him for his moderation.
Also, Ford and Carter deserve to be commended for the fine relationship they developed after they left politics. You never would have known they once ran against each other.
Unfortunately, that civility is lacking today and might never return.
Source: USA Today, JAN 03, 2007
Just as Ronald Reagan was portrayed as a detached old fool by some members of the news media during his term as president and then honored as the slayer of the Soviet dragon after his death, Ford was once vilified by reporters and hounded by seemingly every wag with a camera or typewriter.
Ford was run into the ground by every outlet from Saturday Night Live to network news programs and newspapers.
Even good old Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., admitted during the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Awards ceremony in 2001 that he was once a Ford-basher, but that time had proved him wrong and that Ford was the right man for the time. Wow!
It wouldn't surprise me one bit that 30 years from now, we might be hearing a different account of the presidency of the liberals' favorite pioata, George W. Bush.
Robert Fillman
Indianapolis
Civility remembered
I did not vote for former president Gerald Ford when he ran in 1976; I voted for Jimmy Carter instead. At the time, I was angry over Watergate and Ford's pardon of former president Richard Nixon in September 1974. I think this pardon, more than anything else, contributed to Ford's electoral defeat in 1976.
Looking back more than 30 years later, I still believe that Ford's pardon of Nixon was wrong. Nixon was just as guilty as his aides, who were convicted for their Watergate crimes.
I would, however, take Ford over any modern-day, right-wing Republican, including our current president, George W. Bush. Ford seems moderate compared with the righties we have today in politics and their ultra right-wing, talk-radio cohorts.
If Ford were in politics today and expressed his past views, those right-wing, talk-show fanatics would have their knives and swords ready to stab him for his moderation.
Also, Ford and Carter deserve to be commended for the fine relationship they developed after they left politics. You never would have known they once ran against each other.
Unfortunately, that civility is lacking today and might never return.
Source: USA Today, JAN 03, 2007
posted by Mary Mezack at 2:36 PM
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