Posted on 01/12/2007 1:45:53 PM PST by NormsRevenge
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - In 25 years of interviews with his hometown paper that could only be released upon his death, former President Ford once called Jimmy Carter a "disaster" who ranked alongside Warren Harding, and said Ronald Reagan received far too much credit for ending the Cold War.
"It makes me very irritated when Reagan's people pound their chests and say that because we had this big military buildup, the Kremlin collapsed," Ford told The Grand Rapids Press.
The best president of his lifetime, Ford said, was a more moderate Republican: Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Harry Truman "would get very high marks" for his handling of foreign crises, Ford said. He also praised Richard Nixon as a foreign policy master, despite the Watergate scandal that drove him from office.
Ford considered John F. Kennedy overrated and Bill Clinton average. He admired George H.W. Bush's handling of the Persian Gulf War and had mixed opinions of Carter, who defeated Ford in 1976.
In 1981, Ford said: "I think Jimmy Carter would be very close to Warren G. Harding. I feel very strongly that Jimmy Carter was a disaster, particularly domestically and economically. I have said more than once that he was certainly the poorest president in my lifetime."
But two years later, he praised Carter's performance on the Panama Canal treaty, China and the Middle East. And in 1998, he said Carter "will be looked on as a better president than some comments we hear today."
"He was a very decent, fine individual," Ford told the paper. "There were no major mistakes. There just weren't a lot of exciting results."
Ford's gave the interviews on the condition that his remarks be withheld until after his death.
According to the newspaper, Ford declined to rate George W. Bush, saying he did not know him well enough.
Ford said Reagan, who challenged him unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination in 1976, was "a great spokesman for attractive political objectives" such as a balanced budget and defeating communism, "but when it came to implementation, his record never matched his words."
Reagan was "probably the least well-informed on the details of running the government of any president I knew," Ford said. In a separate interview, he said Reagan "was just a poor manager, and you can't be president and do a good job unless you manage."
Ford contended his own negotiation of the Helsinki accords on human rights did more to win the Cold War than Reagan's military buildup. Other key factors were the Marshall Plan that helped rebuild Europe after World War II and the establishment of NATO, he said.
"When you put peace, prosperity and human rights against poverty, a massive unsuccessful military program and a lack of human rights, communism was bound to collapse," he said. "No president, no Democrat or Republican, can claim credit for those programs. I'll tell you who deserves the credit — the American people."
Re #101
Couldn't agree more.
LoL, Ike never did anything...
Now before I get flamed for saying that, I want to go on record saying that I like Ike too.
Eisenhower knew only one thing, seek out, engage and then destroy the enemy. He was damn good at it too, but, when he became President he figured out that Congress was the enemy and since he couldn't kill them he said screw it and went and played golf for eight years.
And that's saying a lot considering LBJ and Slick.
Reagan was the 2nd president who understood the power of electronic media, the 1st to use it en masse effectively.
Ford did not understand and, as a consequence, was unable to assess RR's presidency in its true effect.
Ford's perspective, values, and style were all rooted in - and only understood by him - in what were essentially linear 1940 terms.
"I'm beginning to think I have spent far too much time defending Pres. Ford's intellectual capacity..."
Well he was defeated by Jimmy, the Bunny Hunter. What does that tell you about the feelings of the time.
Seems a Pot-Kettle situation to me.
You are being far too generous limiting your criticism to just the 20th Century.
ROTFLMAO!!!!!
not sure who assumes what, but it does provide some perspective from someone who 1) actually knew the people he was talking about, unlike us and 2) has a vastly different perspective on american politics and history by virtue of having adult memories as far back as the great depression. He actually remembers the Eisenhower administration he mentions as he (ford) was in his 40's then, unlike almost all posters here (how many octogenarians post here?). It is notable that almost no-one is commenting on his eisenhower comments.
As far as media motive in releasing comments or what-not, that is always assumed but it isn't obligatory to feel or believe as others wish. It is also worth realizing that even this article may have selectively offered comments about Reagan and not printed others which would provide more perspective, or even soften the apparent criticism he made.
That said, from the comments selected in this article, there does seem to be underlying jealousy of Reagan, but what do I know.
"It also says much about the man that he didn't have the guts to speak these criticisms while alive, but only after his death. "
You mean you LIKE it when Clinton and Carter show they have the guts to criticize sitting presidents? Would you have liked to hear these comments from Ford in the early 80's rather than now?
One thing that was an unspoken rule until Clinton left office was that former presidents KEPT THEIR MOUTHS SHUT about their predecessor(s).
The standard period of mourning for an ex-President is 30 days. The flag should go back to full staff on January 25.
jeez...who knew that Ford was such a two-faces schizo...
And we are suffering for this up until the present day. Thank you FORD! -sarc
Compassionate conservatism - we breathe it, we live it .
Or as I heard the other night from a couple of libs, "The U.N. prevented World War III and was responsible for the collapse of the Soviet Union".
We were at a bar and I couldn't testify to the sobriety of the individuals but upon hearing that I sobered up quickly. I believe the libs were smoking crak.
If he wasn't senile, he was stupid.
So....he said Reagan wasn't an institutional-thinking bureaucrat? aiight.
Too many dollars chasing too few goods -- classic definition of inflation. The supply of certain goods are relatively inelastic in the short term (supply). Probably the chief reason the cuts were phased in over several years (3, I think).
Thanks you--I figured it was something like that.
Yes they did. Unfortunately Ford is no different than Clinton and Carter. He opened his mouth. Just because he asked the media to hold off until his death makes no difference.
--LBJ-Nixon-Ford-Carter was the worst succession of leaders since Nero-Galba-Otho-Vitellius.--
Very well stated. Also, Reagan = Augustus (great leader), Clinton = Caligula (lecherous and immature), and GWB = Claudius (inarticulate but effective).
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