Gerald Ford

<h1>Text Preview</h1> <p> <P>Gerald Ford became the first person to reach the White House without being elected president or vice president. In 1973, President Richard Nixon appointed Ford to replace Spiro Agnew, who resigned his position as vice president before pleading no contest to charges of bribery and tax evasion. The following year, the former House minority leader became the 38th U.S. president, succeeding Nixon who faced impeachment proceedings for his involvement in the Watergate scandal.<br></P> <P>Ford's candor and outgoing personality won him both Republican and Democratic supporters, and his humility reassured Americans that he would not participate in political "dirty tricks." After taking the oath of office, Ford stated that "the long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works." </P> </p> <p> <P>During his first month in office, the new president faced perhaps the toughest decision of his political career—whether to grant the embattled Nixon a pardon. Believing that prolonged legal proceedings would harm the morale of the country and keep Congress from dealing with other issues, Ford pardoned Nixon for any crimes he might have committed as president before formal criminal charges were filed. Public response to the decision was not favorable for the president who was still trying to adjust to the power of his new position. <br></P> <P>Many Americans cried foul and accused Ford of making a deal with the former president to pardon him if he agreed to resign. Although the president maintained that it was the right thing to do for the country, the decision damaged his bid for re-election in 1976.</P> </p> <p> <P>After naming Nelson Rockefeller vice president and replacing Nixon's staff, Ford concentrated on the problems his new administration inherited—namely rising inflation, the oil crisis and fears of energy shortages, and the war in Southeast Asia. Since the last year of Nixon's term was overshadowed by the Watergate investigation, these issues had received little executive-level attention. </P> </p> <p> <P>Ford prioritized the issues at hand, and recognized inflation as the primary concern of Americans and the chief cause of the nation's economic problems. Rising unemployment figures coupled with the worst recession since the Great Depression created a gloomy economic outlook for the United States. Ford refused to approve legislation to control wages and pricing, opting instead to support voluntary restraints by promoting a campaign to "Whip Inflation Now." WIN buttons circulated throughout the country and became a national joke, prompting critics to declare Ford's response to inflation ineffective.<br></P> <P>In 1975, President Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger flew to Helsinki, Finland, to meet with Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev and representatives from more than 30 other European nations. Conference attendees signed the Helsinki Accords, which called for human rights guarantees and increased commerce between the Eastern and Western blocs. The group also legitimized the expanded post-World War II Soviet boundaries in Eastern Europe.</P> </p> <p> <P>During that same year, the Ford administration faced the continuing crisis in South Vietnam. As North Vietnamese forces scaled a full force attack on South Vietnam, Ford asked Congress for more money and weapons to stop the invasion. The legislators refused, and on May 1st, the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese army overtook Saigon, which they renamed Ho Chi Minh City. <br></P> <P>The collapse of South Vietnam happened so quickly that remaining Americans had to be evacuated by helicopter. Approximately 140,000 South Vietnamese, many of whom feared death because of their allegiance to America, were also rescued and given asylum in the United States. Eventually, a total of 500,000 Vietnamese refugees sought safety on American soil. The longest war in U.S. history had finally ended at a cost of $118 billion and 56,000 dead and 300,000 wounded Americans. <br></P> <P>Ford's poor handling of the economy and foreign affairs damaged the public's confidence in his performance. Despite his weak record, the incumbent defeated challenger Ronald Reagan for the Republican presidential nomination in 1976. The victory, however, was narrow. Democrats realized that Ford was a vulnerable candidate, and planned a strategy based on his weaknesses.</P> </p> <p id="TextCopyright">Copyright 2006 The Regents of the University of California and Monterey Institute for Technology and Education</p>