A Moderate President
Tuesday, December 26th, 2006
When I was 16 or 17 I went with my family to Palm Springs and Los Angeles. Here are me and Kelly watching ex-President Gerald Ford at a Rancho Mirage celebrity golf tournament that also featured Bob Hope, Lawrence Welk and Wayne Rogers (from M*A*S*H). Lawrence Welk said hi to me, but Dad said Welk looked like he thought I was going to mug him.
I’m sorry to hear that Gerald Ford has died, the day after Christmas in 2006. I thought he was a decent man and a moderate President, which was certainly what America needed after six years of Richard Nixon. In fact, after six years of George W. Bush, I think we need a Gerald Ford again.
I don’t think Ford was wrong to pardon Richard Nixon. The sad loss of his reputation was punishment enough for Richard Nixon.
I wish I could say something smart relating to John Updike’s Memories of the Ford Administration (which is, by the way, an ironically-titled novel and not a memoir), but the truth is that even though I liked the book I didn’t finish it. I’ll try to dig it up and maybe I’ll file a report on LitKicks next week.
