Bibliograph

The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford, John Robert Greene

Type

Label

The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford, John Robert Greene

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 195-240) and index

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

30474536

Responsibility statement

John Robert Greene

Series statement

American presidency series

Summary

Reaching beyond the image of Ford as "healer" of a war-torn and scandal-ridden nation, John Robert Greene extends and revises our understanding of Ford's struggles to restore credibility to the presidency in the wake of Watergate and Vietnam. Few presidents had ever been asked to achieve so much in so little time against such great adversity. Greene shows that Ford's efforts to lead the nation were severely hampered by Nixon's misdeeds, by America's ignominious disengagement from an unpopular war, and by a watchdog Congress eager to put a brake on presidential power. Greene reveals evidence on Ford's roles in Watergate and challenges the prevailing view of the infamous Mayaguez incident. He argues persuasively that Ford made no "deal" with Nixon, but that his pardon of Nixon was costly nonetheless, for it shadowed his entire presidency thereafter. He also shows that the Mayaguez catastrophe was less a simple "rescue mission" than it was an attempt to revive sagging political fortunes by attacking Cambodia. In addition, Greene details Ford's rise to prominence within the Republican Party; chronicles the president's problematic relations with his staff, the new Democratic Congress, and Ronald Reagan; sheds new light on the selection and performance of Vice-President Nelson Rockefeller; offers new insights into the election of 1976; and provides a look at Ford's Amnesty Program for Vietnam Era Draft Evaders. --From publisher's description

Table Of Contents

"Thank God, it worked" -- Transition -- "For God's sake, enough is enough" -- "Doesn't he have any sense of timing?" -- Stagflation -- "Brush fires" -- "A rogue elephant" -- "Reassessment" -- "The running" -- "Let's look ferocious" -- "I didn't take Reagan seriously" -- "The no-campaign campaign" -- "If I'm remembered, it will probably be for health the land."

Classification