Well, I wouldn't wish him to die, but I would hardly call him "one of the greatest Americans in history". Americans want to deify our chief executives, why I don't know. Maybe we subconsciously regret having gotten rid of King George back in 1783 because we keep trying to make kings out of our presidents.
posted by pete at 09:12 P.M. EST on Mon Jan 16, 2006 #
I don't think he is a deity. I think he is a great American for what he did after Watergate.
Stepping forward and leading in a time of great crisis is the hallmark of a great American. That is why nobody will ever classify Jimmy Carter as a great American or even fair president.
posted by MemyselfandI at 09:39 P.M. EST on Mon Jan 16, 2006 #
I think he is a great American for what he did after Watergate.
Do you mean,
"Now, therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from July (January) 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974."
?
You left yourself open to that. :)
posted by anonymouscoward at 09:46 P.M. EST on Mon Jan 16, 2006 #
There's a difference between name-calling and bashing and wishing someone dead in the comments, and in the story you post.
Remember what swd was banned for?
Did you see what you just did?
It was nice knowing you. Unfortunately, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.
posted by anonymouscoward at 09:51 P.M. EST on Mon Jan 16, 2006 #
I supported the pardon for Richard Nixon, as do most Americans and historians. See Stephen Ambrose's three volume biography of Richard Nixon to see where the prevailing opinion is on the Nixon pardon is now.
I was actually writing about his actions immediately following Nixon's resignation. That was a difficult time and Ford got us through it.
Just pointing out your bad taste, Coward. I, for one, hope that good fortune finds you tomorrow and the rest of your life.
You're too smart to be such a jerk. Bad parenting I gues.
posted by MemyselfandI at 09:55 P.M. EST on Mon Jan 16, 2006 #
No need to ban me, JR. I quit.
Too much incivility. Too much bad taste. Too much hostility.
While I enjoyed reading the comments of most people here, I refuse to let Coward and Limedroppings reduce me to their level -- which, as Coward pointed out -- I descended to.
Weakest link? Perhaps. But I want to be able to sleep at night and behaving like those two will leave me with insomnia.
posted by MemyselfandI at 10:07 P.M. EST on Mon Jan 16, 2006 #
You're too smart to be such a jerk. Bad parenting I gues.
Thank you for impunging my parents.
As for smartness:
ACT score: 33
SAT verbal: 750
SAT math: 640
Yes, I am too damn smart for my own good and it f***s up my life, and I really hate it. I'd give a LOT to be ignorant to the extent that I could take the news, what people say, what the government says, and so on at face value, instead of chronically questioning and trying to find out more. I'd give a LOT to not spot the bad physics and science and other wrong stuff in TV shows and movies... maybe that way I could enjoy them like everyone else does. And I'd give a LOT not to see people mess up use of the apostrophe and make the mistakes I recall being taught not to make back in third and fourth grade. And on top of that I'd give a LOT LOT LOT more not to truly believe that *everyone* can learn from their mistakes, learn not to make those common and simple mistakes that annoy me, and especially to NOT feel compelled to correct and teach people.
But that's how I am, and I hate myself every day for not being perfect enough for everyone else.
posted by anonymouscoward at 10:09 P.M. EST on Mon Jan 16, 2006 #
Why does it always have to be like this? I personally think Jimmy Carter is a great American. I don't think either he or Ford were our best Presidents in history but they were not our worst.
Why can't someone believe Ford is a greater President than Carter without it being a slam on either side?
I like green olives better than black olives, it's a personal preference. I like Monty Python I don't like South Park, it's a personal preference. I don't like George Bush, I do not think he is the best president in history we've had either. Nor am I fond of Bill Clinton. It's a personal preference.
ALLLLL men who have been Presidents should get a basic amount of respect for having held the office. Doesn't mean you have to go into a deep mourning when they die, but each President has had those who supported him, else he would not have ended up as President.
posted by psyche777 at 10:29 P.M. EST on Mon Jan 16, 2006 #
Psyche- again with the South Park...kidding.
posted by lloyd at 11:29 P.M. EST on Mon Jan 16, 2006 #
Yeah, I better watch it that could be my tagline..."She doesn't like South Park"
:-)
posted by psyche777 at 11:44 P.M. EST on Mon Jan 16, 2006 #
I too was sorry to hear about Gerald Ford's hospitalization and his illness. We should all be so lucky to live to the ripe old age of 92. We all gotta go sometime and you never know when your number is up. I lost a brother to death in Nov. 1999 and he was only 52 at the time. My wife's younger brother passed away in June of 2006 at the age of 47. In the end we are all responsible for how others view our lives.
I am pretty new to toledotalk.com but I have noticed a lot of name calling back and forth when someone does not agree with a particular opinion or ideology. Some people on this board may not care if they hurt the feelings of others here, but remember it is just a chat board for ranting and letting off steam, that's all it is. Let's try not to take things that are said to each other too personal. When you get down to it we really don't know the person that we are talking to at all on these types of chat boards. They probably have families like you, they bleed like you and I, they probably cry at times and show other emotions such as getting hurt feelings, the same as you do at times. Everyone is not hard-skinned. I guess I would be the person in the middle of a fight between the Bloods and the Crips asking "WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?" as they proceeded to KICK MY ASS and beat me down... (LOL!)
I joke around a lot with people, but when it comes down to it I try to live my life without intentionally saying hurtful things to anyone. I try to treat others as I myself would like to be treated. I know that I have written a few things on this board about Carty Finkbeiner that some here or even Carty might perceive as hurtful. But Carty is fair game when he runs for public office and then makes a continual ass of himself in the media. Mayor "Carty" is like one of the little kids on a playground that is a little different than the other kids and the other kids can't help but pick on him because it is almost like he has one of those notes taped to his back that says "kick me".
I recently turned 56 years old and I have always voted the straight Democratic ticket for President because I do believe in my heart that the Democrats aspire to help the working people and the poor of this country; while the Republicans cater to the wealthy and the large corporations. The only time that I ever voted for a Republican candidate for President was when I voted for Gerald R. Ford when he ran on his own after his appointment, but of course he lost. There were two other times in my life that I skipped voting for President altogether because I guess I saw neither the Democratic nor the Republican candidates as viable men for the important office of President.
As for Gerald R. Ford I guess I agree with MemyselfandI, when he said Ford was a great American. I can't agree that Ford was a "Great President" but I do feel that he was the right man at the right time for the job; and he did help heal the country after Watergate. Again, just my opinion. We all know what they say about opinions, "OPINIONS ARE LIKE ASSHOLES, EVERYONE'S GOT ONE".
I do believe Ford did a fair job while he was President and I do think he was a good man basically because I don't know anything about any of the skeletons that may have been in his closet. The only bone I would have to pick with Gerald R. Ford (My OPINION AGAIN), is that he should never have pardoned Nixon aka, TRICKY DICKEY. History has proven and Nixon's own tapes have proven, Richard M. Nixon deserved the nickname TRICKY DICKEY. The man was was corrupt from the word get-go and a disgrace to our country as President and I am sure that it tormented him in his retirement and seclusion. But then again neither I nor anyone else here was the President that followed Nixon and none of us were in Ford's shoes. I think he did what he thought was right for the healing of our country at the time and history will also be his judge.
My own personal opinion is that Nixon was the worst President in my lifetime and that he was probably the most corrupt President ever out of all our Presidents. Of course I am sure many of them had skeletons in their own closets that never saw the light of day. Nixon's biggest crime was that he thought he was above the laws of our land and that reminds me of our current President G.W. Bush, because he seems to have the same attitude being above the law by illegally snooping and eavesdropping on Americans. I call for impeachment! But then again who am I? Just another voice in the wilderness.
posted by ns_railroader_retired at 03:45 A.M. EST on Tue Jan 17, 2006 #
ns_railroader_retired,
There once was a kinder, gentler time here on ToledoTalk when civil discourse was the norm.
Then, ideas reigned supreme...
(and never was heard, a discouraging word, and the skies were not cloudy all day.)
Sigh, those were the good old days...
posted by Hooda_Thunkit at 12:56 P.M. EST on Tue Jan 17, 2006 #
He was attacked and eaten by wolves.
Reuters reports he was delicious.
posted by paddington at 01:33 P.M. EST on Thu Jan 19, 2006 #
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