New Book On Gerald Ford Reveals Disdain For Clinton

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fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
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Originally posted by: Pabster
Originally posted by: eskimospy
For like the twentieth time, there is no such thing as some mythical "gentlemen's agreement" in which former presidents do not criticize current ones. If you take just a small amount of time to look it up you will see many many cases of former presidents trashing current ones, including George H. W. Bush trashing Clinton while he was in office.

Please direct me to a scenario where a former President spoke against a sitting President - in a foreign land - during the middle of a war. Thanks.

Way to paint an incredibly strict scenario to try and avoid being wrong. That's not what the 'gentleman's agreement' has to do with. It is a misguided belief that former presidents somehow have agreed not to criticize the current one... and it's a myth.

As for criticizing Bush, I'll see if I can find another president other then Carter who did. Hrmmm... oh here's one! His name is Gerald Ford and you can read about it here. Now he did ask Woodward to wait to publish his comments until after his death, but obviously that had nothing to do with not wanting to criticize Bush while he was still president, and had everything to do with Ford not wanting to deal with the issue.
 

Pabster

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
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Originally posted by: eskimospy
Way to paint an incredibly strict scenario to try and avoid being wrong. That's not what the 'gentleman's agreement' has to do with. It is a misguided belief that former presidents somehow have agreed not to criticize the current one... and it's a myth.

AKA you spouted off nonsense, as usual.

Never in history has a scenario as I outlined happened before. Before Clinton, that is. And then we've got Carter...

Your argument about Ford would have been valid, had the book been published while he was still alive. The fact that he (Ford) specifically ordered it NOT published until his death invalidates your premise.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
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Originally posted by: Pabster

AKA you spouted off nonsense, as usual.

Never in history has a scenario as I outlined happened before. Before Clinton, that is. And then we've got Carter...

Your argument about Ford would have been valid, had the book been published while he was still alive. The fact that he (Ford) specifically ordered it NOT published until his death invalidates your premise.

Why?
 

UberNeuman

Lifer
Nov 4, 1999
16,937
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Originally posted by: Pabster

Perhaps you missed the first sentence...

Former president Gerald R. Ford said in an embargoed interview in July 2004 that the Iraq war was not justified.

That interview was for the book we're discussing in this thread.

and... how would Jimmy Carter not be a gentleman by your standards? Jerry Ford is criticizing a sitting president - only that he didn't have the spine to do it while it meant something or face the fire for doing it...
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
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Originally posted by: Pabster
Originally posted by: eskimospy
Why?

Because he never talked about it until his death. Ford was a gentleman.

First of all, this is all a nice attempt to pivot away from the fact that the gentleman's agreement you mentioned in your OP was in fact proven to be a load of crap, but that's okay.

Secondly, I fail to see how criticizing someone somehow gets classier when you're doing it from beyond the grave. You know as well as I do that it changes nothing, particularly in reference to the stated purpose of your ficticious 'agreement', being that former presidents somehow want to respect the difficulties faced by the current one and not interfere. You know, I was about to spend a minute or two typing out why the logic you're using is so stupid but then I realized there's no point. You are immune.
 

DAPUNISHER

Super Moderator CPU Forum Mod and Elite Member
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Aug 22, 2001
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"Sex Addict" and "Foreign Policy Wimp" says Ford Those are fairly accurate descriptions. Still, I rate those higher than a "born again" drunk that claims God speaks to him. ;)
 

Pabster

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
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Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
Still, I rate those higher than a "born again" drunk that claims God speaks to him. ;)

That's a fairly harsh assessment of Ted Kennedy :laugh:
 

DAPUNISHER

Super Moderator CPU Forum Mod and Elite Member
Super Moderator
Aug 22, 2001
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Originally posted by: Pabster
Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
Still, I rate those higher than a "born again" drunk that claims God speaks to him. ;)

That's a fairly harsh assessment of Ted Kennedy :laugh:
I could definitely tear him a new one too. That whole family seems to suffer from mental illness and chemical dependencies.