History UsefulNotes / GeraldFord

He was the longest-lived person to serve as president until UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush took the title in 2017; since Ford's passing on in December 2006, and Bush's passing in 2018, UsefulNotes/JimmyCarter has long since surpassed both Ford and Bush in longevity. He got an aircraft carrier named after him while he was still alive, though he didn't live to see her laid down (2009), much less launched (2013) or commissioned (2017). Notably difficult to caricature [[TheNondescript due to a complete lack of distinguishing features]]. Satirical portrayals usually focused on his [[TheKlutz clumsiness]], mainly due to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jsu_qgVuhg that one time he fell down the stairs deplaning Air Force One, in front of TV cameras]] (which is ironic because he was a star athlete on the football team of his alma mater, the [[UsefulNotes/CollegiateAmericanFootballPower5Conferences University of Michigan]]) and genial demeanor. Fittingly, he's usually depicted as a bit of a clumsy but amiable doofus.

He was the longest-lived person to serve as president until UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush took the title in 2017; since Ford's passing on in December 2006, and Bush's passing in 2018, UsefulNotes/JimmyCarter has long since surpassed both Ford and Bush in longevity. He got an aircraft carrier named after him while he was still alive, though he didn't live to see her laid down (2009), much less launched (2013) or commissioned (2017). Notably difficult to caricature [[TheNondescript due to a complete lack of distinguishing features]]. Satirical portrayals usually focused on his [[TheKlutz clumsiness]], mainly due to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jsu_qgVuhg that one time he fell down the stairs deplaning Air Force One, in front of TV cameras]] (which is ironic because he was a star athlete on the football team of his alma mater, the UsefulNotes/UniversityOfMichigan) and genial demeanor. Fittingly, he's usually depicted as a bit of a clumsy but amiable doofus.

* Having the shortest completed tenure of any US president, at just 895 days; everyone with a shorter presidency died in office.[[note]]UsefulNotes/WarrenHarding (881 days), UsefulNotes/ZacharyTaylor (492 days), and UsefulNotes/WilliamHenryHarrison (31 days) all died of illness, while UsefulNotes/JamesGarfield (199 days) was assassinated.[[/note]]

-->'''Tom Brokaw:''' Alright, alright.. [graphic of Ford surrounded by a pair of wolves] "Tragedy today, as former President Gerald Ford was eaten by wolves. He was delicious." Now.. now, that's just superfluous, you know?\\
'''Producer:''' It's a former President, Tom. What do you say - [[InsaneTrollLogic he's not delicious?]]

--> '''Gerald Ford''': "I was told there would be no math."

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Two Bad Neighbors", after UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush moves away, Gerald Ford moves into the house Mr. Bush just left, and immediately becomes a good friend of Homer as they're both simple, amicable salt of the earth types who shared common ground (read: they both tripped on the same piece of sidewalk at the same time and fell flat on their faces shouting "D'oh!").
** Their photo together is still in the family closet.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', after Fry admits that he was going to vote for Clinton but decided voting wasn't cool, Gerald Ford's head says "Frankly, I've never felt voting to be all that essential to the process."
-->'''UsefulNotes/RichardNixon''': [[SarcasmMode Yeah, no kidding, Ford.]]

* The final episode of ''Series/TheLateShow with Creator/DavidLetterman'' opened with the clip of Ford saying [[SelfDeprecation "Our long national nightmare is over"]], which then was echoed by fellow presidents UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush, UsefulNotes/BillClinton, UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush, and UsefulNotes/BarackObama.

* Ford's death resulted in a FunnyAneurysmMoment on ''Series/ThirtyRock''. Less than a month before his death, an episode aired in which Pete hopes the [[ShowWithinAShow Show Within The Show]] will be preempted and says "How's Gerald Ford's health?" In the DVD release, the line was changed to "It's still hurricane season, right?"

* One notably hilarious ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' [[http://snltranscripts.jt.org/96/96dbrokaw.phtml sketch]] featured Dana Carvey as Tom Brokaw pre-recording news briefs for every possible death of Gerald Ford including suicide, overdosing on crack cocaine, walking into a propeller, and being eaten by wolves. Carvey apologized to the former president at the end of the episode and the sketch is featured in his "Best Of..." compilation.

-->-- '''Gerald Ford'''

* He is also the beneficiary of being vindicated by history, as historians and political analysts now state that he performed well in an extremely difficult job during a very turbulent period of American history, especially given the fact that he was outright forced into the position. Most notably, even though it was a difficult decision for him and undoubtedly cost him the election against Carter, it's pretty much generally accepted (even by those who were heatedly against it at the time) that his pardon of Nixon was the right thing to do. A minority view, however, continues to hold that Ford's pardon was damaging to the rule of law and gave future presidents the message that any corrupt acts they commit in office will not result in punishment.

The 15th President from the Republican Party, Ford is unique in that he's the only person thus far to assume the office without having been elected to the office of President ''or'' Vice-President. A long-time Republican congressman who dreamed of becoming Speaker of the House, he was appointed to the vice-presidency after Nixon's original Vice-President, Spiro T. Agnew, resigned amidst a slew of criminal investigations of corruption, tax evasion, and general jerkishness. Then Nixon resigned eight months later, making Ford the president. Consequently, he's considered the last "accidental president" in US history (though some give the label to UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush as well thanks to the controversial circumstances behind his first election) and the only one of this kind to ascend to the Oval Office through a method that didn't require the death of his predecessor.

He was the longest-lived person to serve as president until UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush took the title in 2017; since Ford's passing on in December 2006, and Bush's passing in 2018, UsefulNotes/JimmyCarter has long since surpassed both Ford and Bush in longevity. He got an aircraft carrier (yet to be completed) named after him while he was still alive. Notably difficult to caricature [[TheNondescript due to a complete lack of distinguishing features]]. Satirical portrayals usually focused on his [[TheKlutz clumsiness]], mainly due to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jsu_qgVuhg that one time he fell down the stairs deplaning Air Force One, in front of TV cameras]] (which is ironic because he was a star athlete on the football team of his alma-mater, UsefulNotes/UniversityOfMichigan) and genial demeanor. Fittingly, he's usually depicted as a bit of a clumsy but amiable doofus.

Ford didn't do a whole lot in office beyond negotiating ''[[UsefulNotes/HistoryOfTheColdWar Russo-American Détente]]'' with UsefulNotes/LeonidBrezhnev. Domestically the extraordinary circumstances of how he assumed the office were the distinguishing feature of his presidency. Between the major neutering of the President's powers that came in response to Watergate (which would not be restored to what they once were until UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush's presidency), Congress falling into the hands of opposition politicians (again in response to Watergate) and the circumstances by which he became president causing him to not be taken seriously by Congress or the media--both of whom saw him as nothing more than a temporary caretaker, so he was effectively powerless. He is, to date, the only President to hold office since UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt that never made ''Time'' magazine's "Person of the Year."[[note]]''Time'' typically selects US presidents as "Person of the Year" for the year of their election, and Ford was never elected.[[/note]] Additionally, a 2005 Creator/DiscoveryChannel poll of the 100 greatest Americans included all of the presidents since FDR ''except'' Ford. Nevertheless, he helped the nation to heal from the "long, national nightmare" of the Watergate scandal, declared that UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar came to an end "as far as America is concerned" when Congress rejected a $722 million aid package for South Vietnam, and helping to restore morale in time for [[FoundingDay the U.S. Bicentennial celebration in 1976]]. He's most famous for:

* Opposing ''Roe v. Wade'', though he became 'pro-choice'[[note]]In US politics, the debate over abortion is defined in terms of 'pro-life' and 'pro-choice'. The former means one is in favour of making abortion illegal, and the latter means one is in favour of keeping it legal. It is also a very, ''very'' controversial subject[[/note]] later in life.

* On the matter of Carter and Ford, Carter's victory in 1976 made Gerald Ford the first incumbent to be defeated in an election since Herbert Hoover all the way back in ''1932''. [[note]]Harry Truman served the remainder of FDR's elected term after his death, and then was elected to one term of his own before declining to seek re-election (''ex post facto'' laws meant that, in theory, the 22nd Amendment's establishment of term limits didn't apply to him, since it was ratified during his tenure); Dwight Eisenhower was elected to two proper terms; JFK died during his first term, of which LBJ served the remainder of before being elected to one term of his own and declining re-election (Kennedy was far enough into his term upon his death for LBJ to be eligible for two full terms under the 22nd Amendment). Finally, Richard Nixon was elected to two terms, only to resign during his second term, of which Gerald Ford served the remainder of before Jimmy Carter defeated him.[[/note]]

* Having the shortest completed tenure of any US president, at just 895 days; everyone with a shorter presidency died in office[[note]]UsefulNotes/WarrenHarding (881 days), UsefulNotes/ZacharyTaylor (492 days), and UsefulNotes/WilliamHenryHarrison (31 days) all died of illness, while UsefulNotes/JamesGarfield (199 days) was assassinated[[/note]].

* His debate gaffe in 1976 when he said that Eastern Europe was not under Soviet domination (It was, as per the UsefulNotes/WarsawPact.)
* The attempt on his life by [[UsefulNotes/CharlesManson Manson Family]] {{cult}}ist [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynette_Fromme Lynette Fromme]], and another by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Jane_Moore Sara Jane Moore]] only seventeen days later. He's the only US President to have been on the receiving end of assassination attempts by women.
* Puns on his name being that of a car (although he's not related to Henry Ford or his descendants; he legally changed his name in honor of his stepfather in 1935). Besides the quote below, other Republican primary challengers distributed buttons reading "Ford is an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsel Edsel]]" and "Trade in your Ford in '76". And then there's the fact that the most famous satirist of him was ''Chevy'' Chase.
* Being something of an enthusiastic sports fan. He was an alumnus of the University of Michigan and reportedly nagged the presidential band that he wanted them to play the U of M fight song "Hail to the Victors" in lieu of Hail to the Chief as his presidential fanfare. For this reason, most Michiganders[[note]]Even those who usually back the sports teams of U of M's instate (read: friendly) rival Michigan State[[/note]] have quite fond memories of him.

** It gets better. While he grew up in Michigan, he was actually born in Omaha, Nebraska...and that makes him the only president to have been born in Nebraska, meaning that in a way, two states can claim Ford as their only president.

* Towards the end of his life, he became increasingly vocal about the Republican Party's rightward shift and warned that the [=GOP=] could become unelectable if they went too extreme. He also supported anti-discrimination laws to protect [=LGBT=] people.

He refused to criticize UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush while he was alive, insisting that an interview where he said "[Defense Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld and [Vice President Dick] Cheney and the president made a big mistake in justifying going into the war in Iraq" not be released until after his death.

* Towards the end of his life, he became increasingly vocal about the Republican Party's rightward shift and warned that the [=GOP=] could become unelectable if they went too extreme.

* [[NeverLiveItDown Falling on the steps of Air Force One.]]

* Being married to Betty Ford, one of the most politically active First Ladies in history. She pushed for, among other things, the Equal Rights Amendment, breast cancer awareness and abortion rights, and spoke candidly about marijuana use and premarital sex, often leading conservative critics to call her "No Lady". It's been argued that she had a greater impact on the US than her husband did -- she was named "Woman of the Year" by ''Time'' in 1975 and the 1976 Ford presidential campaign distributed material prominently featuring her face with the slogan "Vote for Betty's Husband!". Today, she's also known for establishing the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse recovery.

He was the longest-lived person to serve as president until UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush took the title in 2017; since Ford's passing on in December 2006, and Bush's passing in 2018, UsefulNotes/JimmyCarter has long since surpassed both Ford and Bush in longevity. He got an aircraft carrier (yet to be completed) named after him while he was still alive. Notably [[http://www.filibustercartoons.com/Ford.html difficult to caricature]] [[TheNondescript due to a complete lack of distinguishing features]]. Satirical portrayals usually focused on his [[TheKlutz clumsiness]], mainly due to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jsu_qgVuhg that one time he fell down the stairs deplaning Air Force One, in front of TV cameras]] (which is ironic because he was a star athlete on the football team of his alma-mater, UsefulNotes/UniversityOfMichigan) and genial demeanor. Fittingly, he's usually depicted as a bit of a clumsy but amiable doofus.

AKA "Mr. NiceGuy", "The Accidental President", or just plain "Gerry Ford". Creator/ChevyChase pretty much owes his career to him.

* Opposing ''Roe v. Wade'', though he became 'pro-choice'[[note]]In US politics, the debate over abortion is defined in terms of 'pro-life' and 'pro-choice'. The former means one is in favour of making abortion illegal, and the latter means one is in favour of keeping it legal. It is also a [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment very,]] ''[[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment very]]'' [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment controversial subject]][[/note]] later in life.

* Remarking upon UsefulNotes/RichardNixon's resignation that "the long national nightmare is over", then granting Tricky Dick a pardon for anything he may have done--probably his most unpopular action. Ford himself would seem to agree, as he reportedly told a golf buddy during a discussion about Heaven and Hell: [[ImGoingToHellForThis "I know I will go to hell, because I pardoned Richard Nixon."]]

Ford didn't do a whole lot in office beyond negotiating ''[[UsefulNotes/HistoryOfTheColdWar Russo-American Détente]]'' with UsefulNotes/LeonidBrezhnev. Domestically the extraordinary circumstances of how he assumed the office were the distinguishing feature of his presidency. Between the major neutering of the President's powers that came in response to Watergate (which would not be restored to what they once were until UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush's presidency), Congress falling into the hands of opposition politicians (again in response to Watergate) and the circumstances by which he became president causing him to not be taken seriously by Congress or the media--both whom saw him as nothing more than a temporary caretaker, so he was effectively powerless. He is, to date, the only President to hold office since UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt that never made ''Time'' magazine's "Person of the Year."[[note]]''Time'' typically selects US presidents as "Person of the Year" for the year of their election, and Ford was never elected.[[/note]] Additionally, a 2005 Creator/DiscoveryChannel poll of the 100 greatest Americans included all of the presidents since FDR ''except'' Ford. Nevertheless, he helped the nation to heal from the "long, national nightmare" of the Watergate scandal, declared that UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar came to an end "as far as America is concerned" when Congress rejected a $722 million aid package for South Vietnam, and helping to restore morale in time for [[FoundingDay the U.S. Bicentennial celebration in 1976]]. He's most famous for:

'''Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr.'''[[note]]Born '''Leslie Lynch King, Jr.'''; he was [[AdoptiveNameChange rechristened with his stepfather's name]] after his mother remarried.[[/note]] (July 14, 1913 – December 26, 2006) was the 38th President of the United States ([[TheSeventies 1974–77]]), following UsefulNotes/RichardNixon and preceding UsefulNotes/JimmyCarter.

----

[[caption-width-right:300:Any similarity to [[Film/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger]] is purely coincidental.]]

[[caption-width-right:300:''"Let us remember that our national unity is a most priceless asset."'']]

AKA "Mr. NiceGuy", "The Accidental President", or just plain "Gerry Ford". [[Series/SaturdayNightLive Chevy Chase]] pretty much owes his career to him.

----
-->Any similarity to [[Film/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger]] is purely coincidental.

----

[[caption-width-right:300:Any similarity to [[Film/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger]] is purely coincidental.]]

* Being in favor of gay rights toward the end of his life in the '90s and early '00s, all the while remaining faithfully married to Betty Ford.

The 15th President from the Republican Party, Ford is unique in that he's the only person thus far to assume the office without having been elected to the office of President ''or'' Vice-President. A long-time Republican congressman who dreamed of becoming Speaker of the House, he was appointed to the vice-presidency after Nixon's original Vice-President, Spiro T. Agnew, resigned amidst a slew of criminal investigations of corruption, tax evasion, and general jerkishness. Then Nixon resigned eight months later, making Ford the president.

* He is also the beneficiary of being vindicated by history, as historians and political analysts now state that he performed well in an extremely difficult job during a very turbulent period of American history. Most notably, even though it was a difficult decision for him and undoubtedly cost him the election against Carter, it's pretty much generally accepted (even by those who were heatedly against it at the time) that his pardon of Nixon was the right thing to do. A minority view, however, continues to hold that Ford's pardon was damaging to the rule of law and gave future presidents the message that any corrupt acts they commit in office will not result in punishment.

* He is also the beneficiary of being vindicated by history, as historians and political analysts now state that he performed well in an extremely difficult job during a very turbulent period of American history. Most notably, even though it was a difficult decision for him and undoubtedly cost him the election against Carter, it's pretty much generally accepted (even by those who were heatedly against it at the time) that his pardon of Nixon was the right thing to do. A minority view, however, continues to hold that Ford's pardon was damaging to the rule of law and gave future presidents the message that they any corrupt acts they commit in office will not result in punishment.

Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr.[[note]]Born '''Leslie Lynch King, Jr.'''; he was [[AdoptiveNameChange rechristened with his stepfather's name]] after his mother remarried.[[/note]] (July 14, 1913 – December 26, 2006) was the 38th President of the United States ([[TheSeventies 1974–77]]), following UsefulNotes/RichardNixon and preceding UsefulNotes/JimmyCarter.

* Having the shortest completed tenure of any US president, at just 895 days; everyone with a shorter presidency died in office.