A Mercenary for Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford died last night, the oldest living President in history, recently passing Reagan, who had passed Hoover already this decade. His passing brought to mind the few minutes I spent as a mercenary in the Ford campaign of 1976.

During the 1976 Presidential Praimary I was handed a little ethical decision. The local support group for President Gerald Ford gave me a photo and the words they wanted on a full-page ad in our little weekly newspaper, Broadside. I was an outspoken supporter of former Governor Jimmy Carter. I accepted the ad, and designed the most attractive ad I could manage for Ford. I thought it my duty to give the Republicans the best ad I could design given the content they presented me.

Meanwhile the Carter supporters in Rome also bought an ad, but gave us no leeway in its design, we printed it as it came to us (ugh!). So I had the displeasure of printing an attractive ad (I thought) for Ford whom I opposed and an unattractive ad (I thought) for Carter, whom I supported.

At least I was able as an editor to publish my column in support of the man from Plains.

(Click on the pic if you are curious about my 30 year old editorial.)

Ford’s opponent in the primary, of course, was the former actor and governor of California, Ronald Reagan. Reagan’s supporters also bought an ad in that edition of Broadside.

Floyd County ended up presenting Carter 79% of the vote in the Democratic primary. Reagan won the much smaller GOP primary with 63%.

I always admired Gerald Ford for his integrity and gentlemanly conduct. He supported many environmental protections that are anathema to the current Republican Party. He was the last Republican nominee to support a woman’s right to abort an unwanted pregnancy. He was a moderate Republican, left of Reagan but right of Rockefeller. Nowadays he would be considered a liberal Republican, I think. I believe he was motivated by real concern for the country in pardoning Nixon. I once thought it the right decision, but now wonder if a trial would have better clarified the crimes of Nixon and helped to prevent some of the excesses we lament now.

Here are some other reactions to President Ford's death:
President Ford did not agree with Bush's Invasion of Iraq

Oh!pinion on Gerald Ford