Gerald Ford
I don't know. I guess it irks me a bit, but at the same time, I don't have an answer. I'm finding all this fawning over Gerald Ford by the nightly news media just a little...hypocritical. I know when people die, we get selective memory and say lots of nice things about them, but still...
I remember Gerald Ford, when I was in high school and college. It was in my idealistic, blissfully ignorant liberal days. Chevy Chase was using him to help further his comedic career on Saturday Night Live and the nightly news was telling me what a jerk he was for pardoning Richard Nixon. Chevy Chase...no big deal. Presidents are always fodder, but back then I didn't know that Gerald Ford was one of the more athletic and coordinated presidents we ever had, as Chase portrayed him falling all over a Christmas tree. What does that say about the rest of those guys?
The thing that hits me is, no, it's not exactly the same news guys, because those talking heads from the 70's aren't talking much anymore, but it's the same organizations that vilified him then. They had me, and millions of others, duped into believing he had to go. Now all I hear is how strong he was for doing what the country needed, despite public opinion and despite knowing he was killing his re-election chances. Well, damn. A guy who does what's right for the country without regard for his latest poll numbers. Isn't that what we want in a President? Isn't that what we hope for? Why then, couldn't we see that at the time? Why did we ridicule this great man? I know, hindsight is 20/20, but if he was such a great person of character and willing to do what the country needs to be done (and I believe he was...and it's nice that we finally figure it out), why couldn't we see that through bell bottoms and disco balls?
Rest in peace President Ford. It's nice that, at least in hindsight, we figured it out.
I remember Gerald Ford, when I was in high school and college. It was in my idealistic, blissfully ignorant liberal days. Chevy Chase was using him to help further his comedic career on Saturday Night Live and the nightly news was telling me what a jerk he was for pardoning Richard Nixon. Chevy Chase...no big deal. Presidents are always fodder, but back then I didn't know that Gerald Ford was one of the more athletic and coordinated presidents we ever had, as Chase portrayed him falling all over a Christmas tree. What does that say about the rest of those guys?
The thing that hits me is, no, it's not exactly the same news guys, because those talking heads from the 70's aren't talking much anymore, but it's the same organizations that vilified him then. They had me, and millions of others, duped into believing he had to go. Now all I hear is how strong he was for doing what the country needed, despite public opinion and despite knowing he was killing his re-election chances. Well, damn. A guy who does what's right for the country without regard for his latest poll numbers. Isn't that what we want in a President? Isn't that what we hope for? Why then, couldn't we see that at the time? Why did we ridicule this great man? I know, hindsight is 20/20, but if he was such a great person of character and willing to do what the country needs to be done (and I believe he was...and it's nice that we finally figure it out), why couldn't we see that through bell bottoms and disco balls?
Rest in peace President Ford. It's nice that, at least in hindsight, we figured it out.
Labels: Politics
John put this out here at 8:58 AM
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