When I think about the passing of Gerald Ford several things come to mind: that unforgivable pardon of Nixon, his unfortunate participation on the Warren Commission, even Chevy Chase's mercilessly funny parody of Ford on the early days of Saturday Night Live. But his death represents something else to me, something fundamental about the current political landscape.

Ford, despite a brief tenure in office, has had reaching influence. As Jon Weiner pointed out, the leadership of Justice John Paul Stevens and the ascension of Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney all lead back to Ford. But also he was one of the last of a dying breed: the moderate Republican.

By today's standards Ford was a real moderate Republican --maybe even a liberal. In 1976 when Ford ran for re-election he was besieged on both sides. The left wing never forgave him for pardoning Nixon while the right didn't like his extension of détente policies with regards to Communism. They also didn't like the presence of a moderate Republican on his ticket, in the form of Nelson Rockefeller.

Ronald Reagan launched one of the most successful insurgent political campaigns in modern history and nearly stole the Republican nomination from the sitting president. Reagan ran hard to the right and forced Ford in that direction in order to save his political life. When Ford finally emerged the winner of the '76 Republican nomination he knew he had to extend an olive branch to the hardcore conservatives of his party to retain their support in November. His compromise was handing the vice-presidential nomination to the 1976 equivalent of right-wing Republican, Bob Dole.

Not only did this move backfire on former President Ford, by making him seem indecisive, but it also signaled the slow death of the liberal wing of the Republican party. Ford's nomination of Dole was meant to be a concession but it really ended up ceding the party's future. Ford lost a close election by 1970's standards to Democrat Jimmy Carter, but the groundwork for a conservative revolution was definitely solidifying. In 1980, Reagan returned, steamrolled over the competition, and. won the GOP nomination. The GOP never looked back. In retrospect, Ford looks like a model of bipartisanship and decency, but then again all of our leaders grow in stature in the shadow of George W. Bush.

Comments (18)

1. Its an easily forgivable pardon for me, when one considers the larger picture. You narrow minded Nation Staffers have to consider the larger picture.

   Posted by CHIP THORNTON at 12/27/2006 @ 4:27pm

2. Ford said, Americans are not vengeful, Americans dont like the idea of people (like Richard Nixon) being put behind bars for crimes. He was "moderately" effective, his big thing was before Nixon was even charged with anything giving Nixon a pardon, denying justice.

   Posted by LiberalPride at 12/27/2006 @ 4:32pm

3. And what do we see today?....The Blogosphere trying to kill off the "moderate, even conservative Democrats" as a force in the DNC.

   Mr Howard makes an interesting point. 30 years ago saw the end of the moderate Republicans...but today the Democrats face the possibility of following their lead.

   Might work for them for a few years (as it did with Reagan and upto Bush-43)...but will the same crash come to them in 30 years?

   Who would be the "liberal Dubya" of 2032?

   Posted by Mask at 12/27/2006 @ 5:11pm

4. George Bush didnt want to investigate 911, because he said it would distract our intelligence agencies. Then the families organized and organized, protested and protested, demanded and demanded, and got their investigation, which Bush then stonewalled, refused to take the oath to tell the truth, refused to let Condi swear to tell the truth, wouldnt testify without Big Dick holding his little arm, appointed Henry Kissinger who then had to recuse himself because he had Saudi clients that would be too embarrassing to admit. Ford didnt want to investigate Richard Nixon about Watergate - but Republican Authoritarian Conservatives tried to impeach Bill Clinton about a blowjob.

   Posted by LiberalPride at 12/27/2006 @ 6:52pm

5. Adam Howard still has a good point. Gerald Ford's basic respect for America's Constitution and the rule of law and his failure to absolutely pander to the extreme right-wing in American society would make him a pariah in today's Republican Party.

   It would have been interesting if this last election had included voting for the office of President. The jury is still out on whether or not the Republicans blindered, ideological extremism, their fundamental inability to deal with reality, and their arrogantly dismissive attitude toward the average American has made them a long-term minority party.

   Posted by fromredbird at 12/27/2006 @ 7:05pm

6. The saddest part of this Christmas past was seeing servicemen and women sitting in the airport in Denver for 5 DAYS of their leave.

   Posted by RIO BRAVO 12/27/2006 @ 4:14pm

   What the hell would you know about leave from military service given that you've never served your country?

   Denver airport looks like a dream to me. I had to take a smelly, packed Victory Liner through Huk-infested Pampanga province once to get to my flight to go on leave. You wouldn't have the first clue about anything like that.

   Posted by fromredbird at 12/27/2006 @ 8:34pm

7. "...Republican Authoritarian Conservatives tried to impeach Bill Clinton about a blowjob."

   Posted by LIBERALPRIDE 12/27/2006 @ 6:52pm

   You wish LP, but it was really about perjury!! Had slick Willie told the truth, Andrew Jackson would remain the "only" president who was impeached.

   Also, Congress can't force the President or any members of his cabinet to go before any committee to testify (separation of powers, or did you forget that?). And, Condi did agree to appear before the 9/11 commission after the panel guranteed that they would not ask her to reveal sensitive national security info.

   Posted by ACook at 12/27/2006 @ 8:35pm

8. FRB, you're an average American?! Who woulda guessed...

   Where were you stationed at? SE Asia??

   Posted by ACook at 12/27/2006 @ 8:38pm

9. If the Chimp and Co had to take an oath, other than the one they took on inauguration day that they spat on, they would find themselves in far deeper than clinton.

   Can anyone deny that the republican party has been overcome by the religious right, forcing the moderates out? they don't want to accept Romney because he isn't a "real" christian. Ask Joe Schwarz, even an endorsement from the chimp and the NRA wasn't enough to save him.

   Posted by crabwalk at 12/27/2006 @ 9:45pm

10. In order for Iraq to heal and come together, in the spirit of Gerald Ford, Maliki should pardon Saddam. He could be placed under house arrest in Crawford Texas. Chimpy could parade him around, they could play dress up in uniforms and make meaningless pronouncements from the courthouse steps.

    "the Americans will be crushed into the sand by my Republican Guard"

    "We were never stay the course"*

    " I love the iraqi people, they love Father Saddam"

    "Don Rumsfeld has my complete faith and will remain in office"

    "I believe Iraq will be able to defend, govern and sustain itself. Otherwise, I'd pull our troops out."*

    "Make no mistake about it, I understand how tough it is, sir. I talk to families who die."*

    *- actual quote

    Posted by crabwalk at 12/27/2006 @ 10:04pm

11. Ford on OIF:

    "Well, I can understand the theory of wanting to free people," Ford said, referring to Bush's assertion that the United States has a "duty to free people." But the former president said he was skeptical "whether you can detach that from the obligation number one, of what's in our national interest." He added: "And I just don't think we should go hellfire damnation around the globe freeing people, unless it is directly related to our own national security."

    Ford "very strongly" disagreed with the current president's justifications for invading Iraq and said he would have pushed alternatives, such as sanctions, much more vigorously. In the tape-recorded interview, Ford was critical not only of Bush but also of Vice President Cheney -- Ford's White House chief of staff -- and then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who served as Ford's chief of staff and then his Pentagon chief.

    "He was an excellent chief of staff. First class," Ford said. "But I think Cheney has become much more pugnacious" as vice president. He said he agreed with former secretary of state Colin L. Powell's assertion that Cheney developed a "fever" about the threat of terrorism and Iraq. "I think that's probably true."

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/27/AR200612 2701558.html

    Posted by crabwalk at 12/27/2006 @ 10:08pm

12. president Gerald Ford was a great american, but alas, not a great president. His legacy is written from the more modest realm of congress, rather than from the White House, and there his record is one to be proud of. As a President,he shined when compared to his successor, Jimmy Carter, but was by any standard a lesser statesman than Richard Nixon; It is often said that events make the man, rather than the reverse; this maxim certainly applies to President Gerald Ford. R.I.P.

    Posted by davebarlett at 12/27/2006 @ 10:20pm

13. Posted by CRABWALK 12/27/2006 @ 10:08pm

    CRAB, over on John Nichols' Ford column you said he deserved a "pauper's funeral"....

    now you're CITING Ford and his view of Iraq and Cheney?!??!??

    Posted by Mask at 12/27/2006 @ 10:22pm

14. Posted by ACOOK 12/27/2006 @ 8:38pm

    what is an "average" american and what brings RED into such a classification? Overweight? Under informed? Underhwelmed by your president?

    Posted by crabwalk at 12/27/2006 @ 11:40pm

15. What is it about pwoggies that makes them go all squishy when a ex-president croaks? That rat-bastard-fuck sells millions of dollars in US arms to Indonesia so Suharto can kill 200,000 East Timorese and all the braindead pwoggies at La Nation have to say is he was a fucking Moderate?

    Burn in Hell, Ford.

    Posted by AlanSmithee at 12/28/2006 @ 07:57am

16. Posted by ACOOK 12/27/2006 @ 8:38pm

    "I'm really awfuly glad I'm a Beta, because I don't work so hard. And then we are much better than the Gammas and Deltas. Gammas are stupid. They all wear green, and Delta children wear khaki. Oh no, I don't want to play with Delta children. And Epsilons are still worse. They're too stupid to be able …"

    Posted by canaar at 12/28/2006 @ 09:40am

17. The saddest part of this Christmas past was seeing servicemen and women sitting in the airport in Denver for 5 DAYS of their leave.

    Posted by RIO BRAVO 12/27/2006 @ 4:14pm

    What the hell would you know about leave from military service given that you've never served your country?

    Denver airport looks like a dream to me. I had to take a smelly, packed Victory Liner through Huk-infested Pampanga province once to get to my flight to go on leave. You wouldn't have the first clue about anything like that.

    Posted by FROMREDBIRD 12/27/2006 @ 8:34pm

    FRB, you're an average American?! Who woulda guessed...

    Where were you stationed at? SE Asia??

    Posted by ACOOK 12/27/2006 @ 8:38pm

    I took you off the ignore list temporarily out of curiosity.

    You think serving in SE Asia is average? It isn't, but anyway, the point is that RIO Bravo has never served and he's insufferably boring with his pretensions that he understands and feels for those who serve more than those who served.

    Posted by fromredbird at 12/28/2006 @ 3:35pm

18. FRB, I think you read too much into my statement. I merely pointed something that struck me as odd. How could think I thought your service in the military was average? I don't question men and women who serve with distinction, my husband served for 19 years.

    Step back for a minute and breath.

    Thanks for letting me know I'm on your ignore list. You don't have to be curious about what I say, just don't peek...hehe.

    Now, if I can only get JR to do the same thing....

    Posted by ACook at 12/28/2006 @ 8:01pm