President Ford is dead

As I am sure you know by now, Jerry Ford has died at the age of 93. Lots of people have lots of opinions about the importance of Ford’s tenure, his pardon of Richard Nixon, and his legacy as the unelected “Accidental President”. But the bigger issue is the era and the values that the man represented. Ford was a pragmatist, funny and self-deprecating, and well respected for his integrity and humility. Until his elevation, Ford was a long serving member of Congress. He understood that your opponent was not your mortal enemy and that it is more important find common ground on issues rather than highlighting divergence. He was the last President to hold office in a period of Congressional collegiality; when partisan rancor was minimal and at the end of the day, members on both sides of the aisle could put aside their policy differences and have a civil drink with each other. How the times have changed...