Lemon law
Lifer
- Nov 6, 2005
- 20,984
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In the grand scheme of things, we all too often look at the bold, visionary, and trend setting actions to measure a President. And by that measure---Gerald Ford comes up short. But we also have to remember the times---and the deep divisions---and the fact that Gerald Ford had but two years and no real mandate because he was appointed. We could also talk about a great President---villified during his time in office--and that man was Abraham Lincoln.
But Abraham Lincoln's greatest accomplishment was to get this nation through a civil war and perserve the Union----which he did during his lifetime--but Lincoln's vision---to let the South up gently
and thereby heal the country fell to his successor---Andrew Johnson---who against great opposition did carry out that Lincoln vision---and came very close to being impeached over it. Only much later do we see the wisdom of the Andrew Johnson Presidency.
But we sadly do not measure the greatness of a President in a more important area---namely the failure to do really stupid things---to over reach and in the subsequent failure to bring diaster down upon the nation.---national leaders like Napoleon---or a Hitler--or a Tojo----and I daresay we will be adding GWB soon---men who would be great hero's if their resultant victories hired the historians to sing of their deeds---and instead their loses leave the more unbiased to write of the shortcomings---and the diaster and misery they brough to their own nation and surrounding nations.
By many measures---Gerald Ford will be remembered kindly by historians as a man who steered this nation through a difficult time. I cannot think of a man during that time who would have done a better job.------and we have now lost a true American man of the people.
But Abraham Lincoln's greatest accomplishment was to get this nation through a civil war and perserve the Union----which he did during his lifetime--but Lincoln's vision---to let the South up gently
and thereby heal the country fell to his successor---Andrew Johnson---who against great opposition did carry out that Lincoln vision---and came very close to being impeached over it. Only much later do we see the wisdom of the Andrew Johnson Presidency.
But we sadly do not measure the greatness of a President in a more important area---namely the failure to do really stupid things---to over reach and in the subsequent failure to bring diaster down upon the nation.---national leaders like Napoleon---or a Hitler--or a Tojo----and I daresay we will be adding GWB soon---men who would be great hero's if their resultant victories hired the historians to sing of their deeds---and instead their loses leave the more unbiased to write of the shortcomings---and the diaster and misery they brough to their own nation and surrounding nations.
By many measures---Gerald Ford will be remembered kindly by historians as a man who steered this nation through a difficult time. I cannot think of a man during that time who would have done a better job.------and we have now lost a true American man of the people.
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