3/11/2024 0 Comments Ford media centerFord attempted to cultivate this image with the public by inviting the press to see his common-man, next-door-neighbor lifestyle. He thus was uniquely situated to lead the country in the aftermath of Watergate. And Congress was determined to take back some of the power it had ceded to the President over the previous four decades.įord had risen through the Republican ranks in Congress in large part because of his reputation for decency, integrity, and fairness, and his willingness to compromise. The public, by all accounts, was demanding honesty and accountability from its political leaders. Just as important, the Watergate scandal had profoundly altered the political environment. Fiscal problems were hampering a number of state and city governments, and divisive social issues-such as busing, abortion, and women's rights-were splintering the American polity. The American economy was sputtering, with both inflation and unemployment on the rise. The future, however, held many challenges and uncertainties. After taking the oath of office to become the thirty-eighth President of the United States, Gerald Ford forthrightly declared, "Our long national nightmare is over." With this simple statement, the new President both recognized the anguish caused by Watergate and indicated that he intended to lead the country forward.
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