FORD Gerald

Was born in 1913.
Gerald Rudolph Ford was born July 14, 1913 in Grand Renidse, Michigan, in a strictly religious environment and as a scholar studying law at Yale University. After the Second World War, . he an officer with high awards held on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific, . Ford went into politics and in 1948 was elected to the House of Representatives of the 5 th District in Michigan, . which by 1965 rose to leader of a faction of Republicans,
. Ford entered the White House, while in the doubly disadvantaged. On the one hand, he opposed equally suspicious and self-assured Congress that would limit the power to the president and strengthen the supervisory functions of the legislature. On the other, . was the first president of the United States, . not having plebiscite legitimacy, . because he was not elected on the list of candidates the Republican Party, . as proposed by Nixon approved in October 1973 and departed in the post because of corruption and bribery scams Vice President SPYROU Agnew,
. To a greater extent than any other vice-presidents, who unexpectedly promoted to the highest office, Ford was considered a transitional president, at least up until the elections did not acquire its own mandate. In his speech on taking office, he was ostentatiously modest and funny beating cars and name the president, stressed that he only Ford, but Lincoln.

Americans favor immediately gave way to sharp criticism, when in September 1974, Ford pardoned Nixon without recognizing the fact of his guilt. Inevitably became public suspicion of backroom deals. Nixon really feelers in that direction before the resignation, but there is no evidence that Ford has provided his entry into the White House promise of pardon. His explanation of the desire to protect the nation from a long and painful process is seen as credible by most historians, . which also recognize, . that Ford summed up the decision and created a necessary political space for action,
. To his critics, he became from that time "man who pardoned Nixon, and Ford himself, looking back, thought that this decision cost him his re-election.

. The fact is that Americans, if they do vote, mercilessly punish the Republicans ballots for Watergate
. In the mid-term elections in autumn 1974 the Democrats achieved a majority in the Senate and two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives. In such circumstances, Ford could not hold its own government program, but was significantly limited by the fact that the bills Congress has blocked a presidential veto, and suffered with several sensitive lesions. Excessive and, . because of the limited legitimacy of the Ford, . problematic use of the veto 66 times in just over six months - was directed primarily against the limitation of presidential powers such as, . issued against the 1976 law on the national emergency, . which clearly defines the powers in the internal and external emergency, . and also against the law of the expenditure,
. Conservative in relation to the state treasury Ford tried to overcome the inflation index, . increased due to the energy crisis to 10%, . inflexible limits on public spending, . especially in the social sector, . and ridiculed by the experts Campaign, . which called for voluntary savings,
. That he aggravated the recession began, which was raised in 1975, the unemployment quota to 11%. Even if there have been successes in the fight against inflation, stagflation, stagnant growth at a relatively high rise in prices, it seemed, firmly holds the American economy. Ford has succeeded in limiting the low cost of the Congress, . but also the little he was in a position that any short-term change in world economic and structural problems of the American economy - the explosion of energy costs and loss of international competitiveness.,


. However, his concept of integrating economic, . military and political issues now encountered in the relations between East and West on the border, . when it became, . that the Soviet Union is not going to liberalize its political system for the sake of trade and arms control and refuse to expand its influence in the Third World,
. Given the growing domestic political resistance, as for example, against making "the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) in 1975, Ford was more difficult to adhere to the policy of detente. Add to this humiliating flight of the last Americans from Saigon in April 1975, which finally cemented the defeat of America in the Vietnam War. When two weeks later, Cambodian troops captured an American cargo ship, Ford ordered a military action release that caused a great endorsement, but the past with big losses.

. Criticism of the policy of detente was only one aspect of the right wing of the Republican revolt, has long been arguing with the course of the Nixon and Ford administrations, which they perceived as too liberal
. Opposition inside the party leader was a former California governor Ronald Reagan, who openly opposed the Ford Foundation in the fight for the nomination of a presidential candidate for elections in 1976. Ford initially did not take the challenge seriously, but in the primaries Reagan has made significant strides. Only at the convention in Kansas City, the president was able to bypass your opponent with a slight advantage, . but parted with with his liberal Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, and agreeing with the conservative candidate Senator Robert Dole,
. Pre-election fight in 1976 took place under the sign of discontent with Washington's power elite, which is perceived as corrupt and arrogant, bestowed America in the Vietnam War and Watergate.

. If the political experience of the Ford Foundation and its international position were decisive in the fight against cute, . but produces the impression of a naive and provincial Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter, . then televised debates would not be this incredible blunder, . he said, . that there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe,
. This has led to doubts about his competence in the area where he could and had to score points. In November 1976 he was defeated in the election, which Carter won with a slight advantage of 50.1% versus 48%, and no doubt, voters punished Gerald Ford for the cause for which he personally was not responsible.

. Once he was asked how he would like to see themselves in history, and Ford replied that he wanted to, to be seen as "a nice guy, who left the White House in better condition than that in which he found it"
. No one disputes, only the president of the United States shall be applied over large scale. However, it should accept the fact that Ford got a heavy inheritance, and his position of power was weak, as never before in the history of the modern institution of the presidency. Besides Ford and did not aspire to this post. He calmly accepted his defeat and enjoys since the eldest statesman of great prestige, than ever before.

Source: Peoples.ru