President Gerald Ford only served 2 years as President. He was sworn in shortly after my birthday, Aug.9, 1974; after President Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal that rock his Presidency. It wasn’t enough time to either show if he would be a good or a bad President. This will be a biography on him and his wife, Betty.

President Ford had this common with Hillary Clinton, and that is: he had some baggage. The baggage wasn’t of his own choosing like old Hillary.

What was going on during the time of Ford’s Presidency?

Before he became President, Nixon was President. During the start of Nixon’s second term there was the Watergate scandal that rock his Presidency. Spiro Andrew resigned first, and Ford became Vice-President. Nixon denied the whole incident and even joked on Laugh In that “I’m not a crook!” (I won’t go into the detail on that right now though.)

Anyway, the day Nixon resigned happened to have been my birthday, August 9, 1974. A day that my birthday will be marked forever. Ford then soon took office.

On September 8, 1974 Gerald Ford granted a full and unconditional pardon to Richard Nixon for any crimes that he might have committed against the United States as President. That may have been one of his downfall. Should he had done that or should he distanced himself from Nixon?

The United States was also just coming out of the Vietnam War at that time. Some may say should we have been in Vietnam? I was only a child during the Vietnam War; so I don’t know the whole story. When I was in high school, I wasn’t much taught about the Vietnam War and why we were there in the first place. Instead, I was taught on what was going on in the United States during that time. There were riots in the streets in the form of protest against the war in Vietnam. Much like the riots that happened in the streets during 2020.

President Ford also faced a domestic energy crisis and a weak economy mark by high inflation and unemployment.

So not only did he had similarity with Hillary Clinton and all her baggage; except his baggage wasn’t of his own; he also had similarity with the worse President, Joe (drum roll please) Biden.

Another similarity Ford had with Biden was the fact that he had a reputation for being clumsy. Even though Ford was one of the most accomplished athletes ever to grace the oval office. He was a gridiron star who won college football national championships in 1932 and 1933 with the University of Michigan and was also an expert downhill skier. In other words, Ford may had been a clutch; but what can we say about Biden’s clumsiness?

There’s a big difference between the two of them. Ford was much younger than Biden. Biden may have some health issues and definitely unfit to be President. He can’t ride a bike without falling and walk up Air Force One without falling.

When Jimmy Carter ran for President in 1976, he was an unknown with no baggage; and the American people wanted and needed a change badly after Watergate and the Vietnam war.

In 1948, Gerald Ford met and married Elizabeth(Betty) Bloomer Warren. She was a former professional dancer and department store fashion coordinator. They had 4 children: Michael, John, Steven, and Susan.

Now Betty Ford suffered with alcoholism. She was an alcoholic; thus her clinic came about in Rancho Mirage, California to help others struggling with addiction. Betty Ford, herself struggled with prescription pills and alcohol.

It goes to show even the rich struggle with alcohol and addiction as well as the poor. At least she admitted her addiction; why doesn’t Nancy Pelosi admit her addiction? It takes courage to admit that you’re human and have an addiction. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, admitting that you have an addiction of any kind is shameful. No one wants to admit their weakness. So they would rather struggle with that secret alone than get the help they desperately need. Just like you cannot force someone to get the help they need. They got to want the help. I have to admire Betty Ford for admitting that she had an addiction and for getting the help for it.

Steven Ford was an actor. He was on the daytime soap The Young and the Restless in 1981. Probably his biggest role ever.

President Ford had a tough time riding on Nixon’s coattails because the scandal and the Vietnam war. Whereas, George Bush was able to ride on Reagan’s coattails because of Reagan’s popularity.

If Betty Ford could admit that she had an addiction and was an alcoholic anyone can. It takes courage to admit it. We’re only human. We all have our problems. I don’t care if you are rich or poor. It’s not a sign of weakness, as some people may think. It’s actually a sign of strength.

If Ford was President at a different time, would he had been a better President? How would you rate Ford as President? Those are tough questions to ponder.