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Ford was President for 29 months during a time of great political turmoil and the ignominious ending of an unpopular war. Congress was overwhelmingly Dem controlled. He was appointed to both the VP and the Presidency. Ergo, he did not have a popular mandate to do anything and he lacked the ability to set the political agenda.

He was Minority leader in the House, a largely honorific title with little or no power when it came to doing anything significant in the Dem controlled House, which they controlled during the 62 year period 1933-95 for 58 years including 40 years straight.

If he had stepped aside in 1976 we might have had a Reagan four years earlier.

I doubt if Reagan could have won in 1976 given the mood of the country and his political philosophy, which the country was not ready for given the Goldwater experience. It is was far better in the long term for Carter to fail and be the measure for comparison.

Lets not forget in 1974 Turkey invaded Cyprus on Fords watch.

Turkey invaded Cyprus in two waves on 20 July and 14 August, 1974. Ford took the oath of office on August 9, 1974, the same day that Nixon resigned. What precisely did you expect Ford to do?

Excellent summary of the historic situation. I would disagree with your characterization of Ford's tenure in the House, however. Newt Gingrich proved that the party in the minority needn't roll over for the majority, particularly when it is acting irresponsibly, as the Dhimmicrats were in the late 60s and early 70s. Ford was from the accomodationist wing of the Republican party, more concerned with maintaining their own perks and the "institution" than with actually doing things for the country. Bob Michel was the same type of "go along to get along" Republican.

You know, what the DBM calls a "good Republican."

Clearly that's an oversimplification and doesn't account for lots of things he did do, such as taking on Johnson's "great society" programs in the 60s, but it's how I picture him.

I also agree with those that characterize Ford as an "anti-conservative Republican," if you take Reagan to represent the conservatives in the party. Lots of people have pointed out the slap in the face selecting Nelson Rockefeller as his VP was to conservatives. At the time it was intended to broaden his standing across the party as Ford was nominally a midwestern conservative (of the old school) and Rockefeller represented a different wing of the party, but events later made me associate Ford (and the old school midwest Republicans) with the country club Rockefeller Republicans as oppposed to the Reagan conservatives.

It's also interesting to me the account in the New York Times indicating that Ford and Carter became close friends based largely on their mutual dislike of Ronald Reagan. I take the report with a big grain of salt based on the source, but it is consistent with my impression of the late President Ford.

I do agree that Reagan probably couldn't have been elected in 1976 and that it took 4 years of Carter to slap people "up side the head" and make them realize that, yes, the Dhimmicrats really are that stupid, dishonest and incompetent. I think that's going to be the consensus in two years, as well, after we have watched the wheels fall off of Nazi Pelosi's little red wagon.

None of this is that strongly held or backed by any research. It's just my impression, having lived through the times in question (though I wasn't paying that much attention to politics at the time).