Customer Reviews

The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford (American Presidency (Univ of Kansas Hardcover))

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Greene adroitly recognizes that Ford's domestic legislative proposals faced staunch opposition from a Democratically controlled Congress. In foreign affairs, Ford failed to get SALT II ratified and an Egyptian-Israeli accord never materialized during his term. In addition, the author acknowledges that Ford used assertiveness in the Mayaguez incident. Furthermore, Greene avers that Ford received bad publicity from the press. Finally, Greene argues that Ford did not make a secret bargain with Nixon for a Presidential pardon. This book gives a balanced account about a much maligned President.

Gerald Ford is not the most popular of presidents to write about. He's almost forgotten in studies of America after 1945. This book gives him his due. Profesor Greene does a fine job of examing the important issues that faced Ford, like "stagflation," the Mayaguez incident, and dealing with the Cold War. It's a balanced account and written for scholars and the general reader.

This book is a well-researched and thought provoking book. It is the best book on a bad subject. The author obviously knows what he is talking about, sometimes to the detriment of the reader. Very in-depth. This is NOT the place to start for a study of Gerald Ford. It may be the place to end.

Gerald Ford is our most underrated modern president. Many books have, and continue to be, written on Nixon, Carter and Reagan, but few on Ford. This work helps one to both grasp and understand the pros and cons of Ford's tenure, as well as the turbulent, uncertain mid 70s. I came away seeing Gerald Ford as a competent man, and a solid president. I believe this very good book could have been better in one area. Greene, like Kissinger, Leslie Stahl, Tip Oneil, et. al., focuses on Ford the healer. To me this limits the work, as Ford's policies have grown in stature after two decades of review. His focus on a balanced budget , and his veto activity to that end, stand in sharp contrast to words and non-deeds ofhis successors. His handling of the Mayaguez incident helped re-establish presidential power over the lopsided war powers act. As well, Ford's signing the Helsinki agreements over opposition helped bring an end to the Soviet Union--a human rights stand that gave Carter a foundation for his work. I believe the nation would have been better off with a Ford victory in 1976. Overall, Greenes work should be read by anyone wanting to study Ford's presidency. It is a valuable resource on an era few have studied.

The forward of this book says, "The aim of the American Presidency Series is to present historians and the general reading public with interesting, scholarly assessments of the various presidential administrations." Based on the two volumes that I have read so far, I would say this series achieves its aims. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

If indirection was a main theme of the Eisenhower Administration, then policy reversals were a main theme of the Ford Administration. Over and over again President Ford would completely reverse his position on policy, and usually for political expediency. He was going to fight inflation by proposing a tax hike. On October 8, 1974 he proposed a one year "five percent income tax surcharge on corporate and upper-level individual incomes" in order to reduce the deficit and fight inflation. Within a very short period of time, he scrapped that proposal and proposed a tax cut. Conservatives, like Secretary of the Treasury William E. Simon, were deeply concerned that such a cut would enlarge the deficit substantially. Ford, the pragmatic politician, opted for the more popular route. He replaced the 5% surcharge tax increase with a 12% tax rebate. Some in the press called it a "flip flop." There were other policy reversals during his administration.

I was interested in the analysis of Ford's handling of the Mayaguez incident. The Khmer Rouge government asserted that the Mayaguez, an American merchant ship, had strayed into their coastal waters. It seems from the beginning that the administration was eager to show force. I was struck how, at times, they were willing to bomb areas when they did not know if the crew of the ship was within the bombing area. Fortunately the crew was returned safely, but not before some Marines were killed in the process. The analysis of the Mayaguez incident is found in the chapter entitled, "Let's Look Ferocious."

Other issues like Reagan's primary challenge, the pardon of Nixon, Carter's win, and détente are given balanced analyses also. The kind of balanced assessment in this book makes me want to buy another book in the American Presidency Series. I'm sure I will do just that. I highly recommend this book!

This book provides the reader with a close insight into a time of healing from the twin traumas of Vietnam and Watergate. Beginning with a brief biography, it quickly follows Ford's advance into House Leadership and to his selection as vice-president. A loyal vice-president, Ford defended President Nixon until belief in Nixon's innocence was mad untenable by the developing evidence. As heir apparent, Ford moved to maintain his credibility by stating that he would no longer support the President's claim to innocence.

Author John Robert Greene presents the challenges and failings of his presidency. Ford's succession was unique in a number of ways. Having never been elected president or vice-president, Ford lacked the mandate of having been selected by our ballots. The circumstances of Nixon's departure deprived Ford of mandate to carry on the policies of a beloved, fallen predecessor. He inherited an administration that was not his own, but was his party's. Lacking the time to plan an orderly transition, Ford landed in chaos of which he had to gain control while dealing with the non-stop crises du jour.

Author Greene presents the reader with his reporting and analysis, often critical, of the events of Ford's presidency. The big early issue was the Nixon pardon. Essentially Greene accepts Ford's claim that there was no deal but disputes the claims that there was no discussion of the issue before Nixon's resignation. Greene concludes that the Nixon pardon closed many doors that could have made Ford's presidency different and more successful.

A telling insight is Ford's choice of, and relationship with, Nelson Rockefeller. Chosen on the advice on Richard Nixon, Ford bucked party preferences by choosing the leading representative of the GOP's liberal wing. After accepting the position under the impression that he would have significant responsibilities, almost the co-presidency that Ford would later ask of Ronald Reagan, Rockefeller was left to dangle as the administration took a turn to the right. Contrary to explanations given at the time, that Rockefeller chose not to run in 1976, Greene indicates that he did so at Ford's request.

One good thing about a book like that is that it reminds us of the events that shaped an administration and an era. Events like the capture of the Mayaguez, the Whip Inflation Now buttons devised to rally the nation to bring a crippling economic disease under control and the uplifting Bicentennial year revive memories of those old enough to remember. On these pages we sense Ford's disappointment in the Reagan challenge and his toil through the week by week struggle that ended with Ford's narrow convention victory. This book presents the fall campaign against Jimmy Carter as a roller coaster ride that many have forgotten. The general memory is that Ford, burdened by the Nixon pardon, a painful misery index, a party divided by the Reagan challenge, entered the campaign hopelessly behind but still managed to make a credible showing that few other candidates could have matched. This book tells it a little differently. Here we are reminded of Ford's debate blunder of denying that there was any Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, followed by his stubborn refusal to try to explain it away. But for this, Greene suggests, Ford might have pulled it off.

Ultimately this book gives Ford credit for helping our country to heal, an accomplishment of which Ford himself was proud, but faults him for not accomplishing more, when more was possible.

As one who voted for Ford, I was rankled by some of the criticisms of the man who I believed, and hoped, had done better. Even so, I believe that it is a fair and informative chronicle of an important, but short era. It reminds us of a man of decency and honor, a betwixt and between figure, more conservative than Eisenhower and Nixon before him, but too liberal for the Reaganites who followed him. I am glad that I read it. Whether you view the Presidency of Gerald R. Ford as a part of our history or remember it as a part of your life, I am confident that you will appreciate it also.

Throughout history, no presidential administration needed to be given more benefit of the doubt than that of Gerald Ford. While other administrations had to come into existence as a consequence of death by natural causes or assassination, only Ford had to follow a person who resigned in disgrace. The political atmosphere was forever changed by the actions of Richard Nixon, as the American public no longer took the word of the president on faith. Jimmy Carter, who defeated Ford in the next election, made a simple, effective campaign pledge, "I will never lie to the American people."
However despite all of those problems, the sheer resilience and strength of the American political system was demonstrated, and that is the main theme of the book. Yes, Ford had his faults and probably could not have otherwise gained the presidency, but he is a good man and was the right person for the times. As someone addicted to the political theater, I was mesmerized by Watergate, disgusted with Nixon and sometimes laughed at Ford. And yet, I still liked him, and do so even more now that I have read this book. Given all the political problems, Ford did many things about as well as could be done. His downfall was the one really big mistake that he made, namely the premature pardon of Nixon.
Had he waited longer to issue the pardon, more could have come out, tensions would have been eased and the act would not have been quite so controversial. While I know why he did it, I will never understand why he felt he had to do it so soon. The behaviors of Nixon even as the pardon was being discussed and described in the book are amazing, showing a man who was still contemptuous of the political system. A delayed pardon may have altered that.
Gerald Ford was not a great president in terms of great accomplishments, initiatives or rhetoric. However, he was and is a decent man who was forced to pick up after an indecent one. For that reason he needs to be respected for what he did, helped make the political system work. This description of his presidency is a tribute to that decency and I encourage you to read it and pay a little more attention to him the next time you see him speak. I know I will.