Gerald Ford was probably one of the least appreciated Presidents while in office but by all accounts was a great man. He inherited the office during one of the darkest periods in the history of the presidency and set about cleaning up all the messes that Tricky Dick had created or inflamed. He knew that the country needed to put Watergate in the past in order to move forward. The only way to do that was to pardon Nixon and avoid the destructive poison of prosecuting a President for crimes committed while in office. President Ford also knew, he must have, that in doing so he was denying himself of any chance of getting elected. He did what he felt he had to do for the good of his country even though he had been lied to by the very man he pardoned. His actions resulted in the election of Jimmy Carter who, although a good man, was an ineffective president. As bad as Carter was, the continuation of the Watergate scandal would have proved far more destructive. Gerald Ford was a man of conviction, of outstanding character, who believed in his country above all else. He sacrificed his own career because he knew it was the right thing to do. How many people serving in public office today have the moral fortitude to do what they know is right, consequences be damned? Not nearly enough in my opinion.
Rest in peace, Sir. You did what needed to be done.
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