President Gerald Ford RIP, Remembrance

Saturday, December 30, 2006

President Gerald Ford RIP, Remembrance

At the Kansas City National Convention of 1976, the Wood County delegation and the entire West Virginia delegation had President Ford as their second choice for President . On the first ballot WV voted for Reagan. Most of us were Reagan Republicans but we realized it wasn't time for Reagan, it was Ford's, and at our caucus we swung over to Ford and were the votes that gave him the majority and the nomination. Governor Moore as leader of delegation gave the votes to a loud roar from all present.

President Ford was a dynamic, intelligent and personable leader. We were fortunate to have him talk to us at our caucus and I proudly display the photos of my wife and I with him at that meeting.

I had recently moved from the successful Young Republicans that inspired me to get more involved in the GOP to the unified and dynamic County Party (who fought the good fight after Watergate).. The two conventions I attended in 1968 and 1976 were a wonderful experience.

President Ford was from the old, what was then called the Rockefeller wing of the party. He was one of the few members of the GOP that the overwhelming Democrat Congress would approve for Vice President on the resignation of Spiro Agnew. Ford was an excellent choice to heal the country after the Watergate fiasco and his courageous pardoning of Nixon for the good of our country (saving three or more years of continued confrontation) contributed to his defeat and what turned out to be a disaster in the one term presidency of Jimmy Carter. However, unlike Reagan who latter confronted the Soviets and ended there reign over Eastern Europe, Ford followed the Nixon detente philosophy. I'll never forget his refusal to meet Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in the White House--Reagan did. He also was more liberal on domestic policy trying to solve inflation with Herbert Hoover type remedies. I still have a WIN button that were distributed. WIN stood for Wipe out Inflation Now. It didn't work and Carter exacerbated the problem leading to 20% inflation and high unemployment during his term.

Another reason Ford lost to Carter was his foul up during the second debate when he tried to say the Polish people were not resigned to Soviet dictatorship. He made it sound as if they were not occupied at all. Also his tripping and stumbling which led to media coverage of his stumbling persona and jokes that he did not wear a helmet when he played championship football at Michigan. Actually he had trouble due to a knee injury from football which continued to bother him for the rest of his life. Also back to his intelligence, we who met him found him so different then the media's impression that it was like there must be two of him.

Carter led to Reagan who ended the Soviet brutality and dictatorship over so many countries.

If anyone visits the Gerald Ford Presidential Library in Grand Rapids Michigan please check out one hallway with a picture of the inside of a bus. It is the West Virginia bus going from our motel in K.C. Kansas to the Convention Center in Missouri. Governor Moore is in the front giving the delegates a pep talk during the ride.

Rest in Peace, President Ford. You earned a fine place in American history.

Allen Ross
December 28, 2006 1:09PM

Democrat "good ole boys" Prevail

Finalists for vacant House seat selected

It's tough to beat folks who have a seat at the table. Committees should be important to public officials all the time, not just when they want something. Having seen this process conducted several ways let me say I'll stick to our procedure. Republican House of Delegates pre candidacy paperwork should start flowing in shortly, as I said previously, 2008 will be a golden opportunity to sweep all 3 seats in the 10th. There is plenty of work for all to do. Our opponents and objectives are clear to all who share these goals. The time is here to achieve the things we have talked about, and talk less about our differences. 2007 is shaping up to be the year where we Lead...Follow...or get out of the Way!

Happy New Year to all!

2007 and Beyond

It's time to look ahead as we all must do!

Things of interest to come in Wood County Politics:

• The Republican Party will finally pass the Democrats in voter registration.





• At least one of the Republicans in the House of Delegates will announce that they will not run in 2008.





• The next Republican President will start campaigning in West Virginia.

More to come I'm sure!