[This is a series describing the
12 Post-War American Presidents from a British perspective.]
Gerald Ford was catapulted into the highest office
unexpectedly, winning neither election as Vice-President nor as President. Easy
to debunk and caricature as a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal, Ford was a worthy
if uninspiring politician whose patent honesty gave America a rest after the
alarums and excursions of the three previous incumbents and who dealt with
thorny problems in a competent fashion.
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| President Gerald Ford |
Gerald Ford (1913-2006), he preferred to be known as “Jerry”
Ford, was actually born Leslie King, the name of his father. His mother Dorothy
separated from King 16 days after Ford’s birth and quickly divorced him – King
was apparently a wife-beater – and she remarried in 1916 Gerald R. Ford senior,
a successful paint salesman in Rapid City, Michigan. Jerry knew nothing of King
until he was 12 and Jerry spoke of the loving care he always received from his
mother and step-father.
Ford was a fine athlete and also a keen Boy Scout becoming
an Eagle Scout, the highest grade in the movement – Scouts provided an honour
guard at his obsequies. Ford shone as a college football player and for two
years University of Michigan won national titles. LBJ’s gibe at Ford’s
abilities that: Jerry is a nice fellow
but he has played too much football without a helmet derives from this
enthusiasm.
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| Ford the college footballer |
Ford graduated BA in economics from Michigan and went on to
Yale Law School. While at Yale he dabbled in politics supporting Republican
Wendell Willkie in 1940 and signing an isolationist petition – the war made him
later a dedicated internationalist. He
qualified in early 1941, setting up a law practice in Rapid City. As America
entered the War, Ford enlisted in the US Navy.
Becoming in time a lieutenant commander, Ford saw much
active service in the South Pacific, especially in gunnery, on the aircraft
carrier USS Monterrey. He survived enemy
engagements, typhoons and the serious internal fire which crippled the ship.
Years later the US Navy built a class of carrier known as “Gerald Fords”.
Leaving the Navy in 1946, Ford returned to his law practice.
In 1948 he ran for the House of Representatives and won the first of 13
campaigns. His career there was anonymous in the sense that no piece of
legislation bears his name, although he was a member of the Warren Commission
investigating JFK’s assassination; he was a genial and honest Congressman,
known as a negotiator and reconciler. He became the House Minority Leader in
1965 in a Democratic dominated Congress. He was respected but LBJ coarsely
characterised him: “Jerry Ford is so dumb
he can’t fart and chew gum at the same time”.
Jerry married in 1948 Betty Bloomer, a divorced model and
dancer in the Martha Graham dance troupe. Betty proved to be an excellent and
supportive wife, ready to give her opinion on the issues of the day, normally
more liberal than Jerry’s and certainly than the Republican Right. Later in
life she declared herself to be a recovering alcoholic and chronic pill-taker
and she sponsored a number of Betty Ford
Clinics to help those oppressed by alcoholism and substance abuse. She also
campaigned for better breast cancer awareness when she suffered a mastectomy
and was a cherished public figure.
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| Jerry and Betty Ford |
Ford’s life took an astonishing turn in 1973. Vice-president
Spiro Agnew was caught out in a bribery scandal and had to resign. President
Nixon invoked the 25th Amendment for the first time and he nominated
Ford as his new Vice-president, duly confirmed by the House and Senate. Nixon
himself was becoming increasingly besmirched by the Watergate scandal and as
the evidence against him grew, finally, to avoid impeachment and removal he
resigned the Presidency on 9 August 1974. Ford succeeded as the 38th
President. Nelson Rockefeller, a liberal Republican, became Vice-president.
The Nixon legacy had to be resolved. Ford decided to give
Nixon a full pardon for his crimes and misdemeanours in office. This was very
controversial as many Americans wanted Nixon to be put on trial. Yet it was
surely prudent, after 2 years of agony, to put the Nixon story behind
traumatised America. It is said that pardoning Nixon cost Ford the election in
1976 but I doubt this. Much more influential was the poor state of the American
economy, suffering its worst recession in 40 years.
The administration’s reaction was confused, first raising
and then cutting taxes as the need to maintain employment edged out the fight
against inflation. Reluctantly federal funds were mobilised to bail out New
York City but generally conservative fiscal policies were adopted and
government spending restrained.
Foreign affairs loomed large. The 1973 Paris Peace Accords
ended US offensive combat in Vietnam. US troops were pulled out as quickly as
possible. When North Vietnam invaded the South in late 1974, President Thieu
sought US aid but this was refused by Congress – aid for evacuation was granted
but no military aid was forthcoming. Finally Saigon fell, amid chaotic scenes
and 130,000 Vietnamese were granted sanctuary in America in 1975. It was
inglorious but it was the final end of a sad chapter.
Cambodia seized an American merchant vessel and the US
reacted vigorously, losing 41 soldiers in a botched rescue, but the Cambodians
stepped back. Believing the US was a “paper tiger”, the North Koreans killed 2
US soldiers in the DMZ at Panmunjon. A huge show of force by B52s deterred Kim Jong-
Il, who issued an unprecedented apology. The Middle East was unstable as ever:
Israeli intransigence in peace talks with Egypt’s Sadat infuriated Ford and in
1975 he told Israel there would be a “reassessment” of their relationship. For
6 months Israel received no aid, to the noisy dismay of Israel’s supporters in
Washington, and it was only resumed after Israel signed the Sinai Accords with
the Arabs.
The most constructive foreign policy achievement were the
Helsinki Accords of 1975 signed by Ford and Brezhnev, limiting nuclear arsenals
and providing for inspections. Ford had retained Henry Kissinger as his
Secretary of State and his experience was invaluable.
Ford was only President for 895 days and he was reluctant to
stand as the Republican candidate in 1976. Nevertheless he overcame the
challenge from Governor Ronald Reagan of California and was nominated – Senator
Bob Dole becoming his Vice-presidential running-mate in place of Nelson
Rockefeller, considered too liberal by the Republican faithful.
The Democrats had chosen an outsider, Governor Jimmy Carter
of Georgia teamed with Senator Walter Mondale of Minnesota. The election was a
close one and Carter won by 297 crucial Electoral College votes to Ford’s 240,
while Ford won 27 states to Carter’s 23. The campaign saw the return of the TV
debate between candidates, not seen since 1960, and Ford gave a lively
performance.
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| Jimmy Carter and Jerry Ford debate in 1976 |
Ford was often depicted as clumsy and slow-witted (Chevvy
Chase made his name with Ford pratfalls) but he was much the most athletic of
Presidents and part of his appeal was that he was an Ordinary Joe. He certainly
had never sought the Presidency and he filled the office in a national
emergency with due dignity. He healed the wounds of the Nixon debacle and his
country was grateful.
Ford kept busy with good works in his long retirement and he
died at Rancho Mirage, California in December 2006. He was 93.
SMD
29.09.14
Text Copyright Sidney Donald 2014
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