Gerald Ford

I was alive, but barely sentient when Gerald Ford became President. I have no memory of him as President at all. I have no memory of my own that Chevy Chase lampooned him falling on SNL and subsequently became addicted to prescription pain killers. I learned that from Trivial Pursuit. Who was Gerald Ford?

Steve has a nice piece in his honor.

So does Mark.

Everyone I've read or heard agrees that Ford did the right thing when he pardoned Nixon, though it was political suicide and he eventually lost to the relatively unknown Jimmy Carter. Carter acknowledged this move in his inaugural address and Ted Kennedy, who opposed the pardon, later admitted that it had been the right thing.

Ford also seems to have been universally regarded as an honest man of integrity who didn't take himself too seriously.

Ford on Wikipedia. A few highlights:

• Biological father was abusive, but stepfather and resultant family was happy
• Only US President who was an Eagle Scout
• Star football player
• Michigan, Yale Law
• Opposed US entry into WW2 at first, but joined Navy after Pearl Harbor
• His wife, Betty, struggled with alcoholism and addiction and achieved sobriety
• Ford was the target of two assasination attempts, interestingly both by women