I wish Jerry’s breed of Republicans still existed. If they did, I’d probably be one.
No it wasn’t. The process was necessary in order for healing to take place. The process was not allowed to occur, and instead of healing, further deterioration of the political climate took place.
It’s not an opinion; it is a fact. Ford’s “decent unpretentious character” may remain intact, but he erred grievously.
Only two people became President in the 1970s. Ford in 1974 and Carter in 1977.
Nixon became president (again) in the 70s. He also was president for three years of the 70s before that election. 
I think the opposite is more likely. The Fords long held contempt for the Reagans due to Ronnie’s run at the nomination in '76. I suspect that Ford desperately wanted to win his own election to legitimize his status as a President.
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Another interesting legacy of Ford. He fully embraced the business opportunities available to an ex-President, and used his fame to grow quite wealthy by joining the boards of several companies after he left the White House. Ford really set the tone for becoming rich from the office, which Bill Clinton seems to have gleefully followed.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.businessinsider.com/gerald-ford-changed-everything-by-making-money-off-his-presidency-2015-6
New York City’s not all that fond of him.
That was the genesis of Twitter.
He was the right man for the times, an honorable man. And an average president.
Carter took the USA south in many areas. If Ford had won, things could have been different.
He was a caretaker at a time when the country was tired and just wanted to curl up in the womb position.
Pardoning Nixon was a decision someone had to make knowing half the country would hate him whichever way he decided…He made his decision and sure enough, half the country hated him.
Well he is one of three Republican presidents since Coolidge (the other two being Eisenhower and GHW Bush) who I don’t have a visceral disdain for so I’ll give him that.
Hard to judge … it was a particularly bad time to be President … as I understand, Ford stated years after that he had a choice … either prosecute Nixon or do everything else the President was supposed to do … he chose to do everything else … I can’t blame him but it did (perhaps) set a bad precedent … would Nelson Rockefeller done any better?
I liked Ford and understood he operated under a severed handicap. He never ran for VP. He was appointed and then ascended to the Presidency. Congress saw him as a caretaker. He couldn’t pursue an ambitious agenda.
I would have loved seeing how he did in a elected term as President. He had served in the house for twenty-five years and was respected & well liked. He understood Congress and how to get legislation passed.