Gerald R. Ford (1913–2006)

Quite an interesting, well written and effective book. I learned a lot that I didn't know about an era in which I grew up. I was roughly 15-17 during the Watergate scandal and already a political junkie. Even though I am liberal politically I was about the only one in Scarsdale High School who supported Ford's pardon of Nixon.

My only quibble with the book is that Defrank spends far too much time on the excruciating details of Ford's fatal illness. I think that is best left as a private show more matter, and adds little to public edification. show less

Best I can figure, the unholy combination of the discovery of political satire, a teacher’s ability to make our country’s history and the workings of our republic exciting (Thanks, Mrs. Henderson!), and the unceasing desire of a semi-literate adolescent boy to be a smartass, converged to give me my admiration of President Gerald R. Ford. “Write it when I’m Gone: Remarkable Off-the-Record Conversations with Gerald R. Ford by Thomas Defrank only confirmed and deepened that show more esteem.

Regardless of any political disagreement one might have with President Ford, his decency as a human being is unquestionable. Knowing what the country needed, as well as knowing that by answering that need he was all but certainly destroying any hope he might have of winning re-election, President Ford stepped in from of America and the world to say “our long national nightmare is over.”

In an age when finding a politician who actually believes in something is about as likely as Bill Clinton becoming a Jesuit, President Ford’s words and deeds demonstrated what belief in a principle, an ideal – no matter the cost – looks like.

The most poignant moments, when the ability of Michigan All-American Center begins to falter, are described by Mr. Defrank with such compassion and earnestness that rather than feel sorrow for President Ford, I began to share Defrank’s grief for such a mentor and great man. Defrank did this by subtly repeating Ford’s comments, and reflecting the slight loss of memory experienced as one ages.

Ford’s concern and compassion for others is easily seen in two examples from late in his life. As the war in Vietnam came to it’s conclusion, Ford kept the American embassy open as long as possible. The iconic image of that time became the thousands who climbed the ladder on top of the embassy and onto helicopters that offered freedom and safety. Today that ladder is the center piece of President Ford’s library and is something Ford took great pride in. The other example is his treatment of Ronald Reagan. Ford was no fan of Ronald Reagan, and to his dying day believed that Reagan ultimately cost Ford re-election. If ever Ford had an enemy, it was Reagan. That all changed when President Reagan’s Alzheimer’s was made public in 1994. From that moment until his death, President Ford stood by his rival in every way possible. President Ford knew that the most important aspect of leadership, regardless of all other variables, is the care, empathy and genuine love of one’s fellow man. show less

An interesting collection of interviews and reflections on the former president with excellent narration from Scott Brick, one of my favorite narrators. DeFrank was a friendly associate from the veep days, so nothing controversial there. Here, Ford sticks by the Warren Commission findings and was too far out of Nixon circle to know of any crimes ordered by the president, though he faults Nixon for letting a sloppy cover-up appear out of inaction. In 2004 Ford openly loathed Dick Cheney and show more although this ardent supported of his Republican Party changed that opinion to one of respect he never stopped being a critic of the WMD premise for invading Iraq. He felt Saddam was premised himself. Ford is the only person to have served as both vice president and president without being elected to either office. Add to this being defeated by Carter in the election and not given another opportunity to try and you have the biggest regret documented here. show less

Write It When I'm Gone is pleasant, if a little scattered. In 1974, a then Vice President Ford was finishing up an interview with 28 year old Tom DeFrank, a reporter with Newsweek, when Ford said "When I'm President...", and then swore DeFrank to silence. With the Watergate Investigations ongoing, and Nixon wounded by not defeated, his Vice President had to be a company man, 110%. The gaffe lead to an enduring friendship and a series of candid interviews, to be published after Ford's death show more in 2006.

The book is best when it talks about Ford the person. He seems to have been one of the better people to inhabit the Oval Office, an unprepossing midwesterner who genuinely cared about the people around him, who didn't let the position go to his head, and had good relationships with the press and other politicians. Ford's long and happy post-Presidency retirement, golf, swimming, corporate boards, family, charity, was a well deserved second act.

There also a lot of gossip. Ford, the consummate party man, never cared much for Ronald Reagan, who he saw as intellectually incurious, and who he resented for challenging him in the 1976 primary and not doing enough in the campaign against Carter. Ford also personally liked Bill Clinton, but thought the Lewinsky scandal was a blot on the Presidency. Cheney and Rumsfeld had their first taste of Presidential authority under Ford, and he supported both of his former staffers, but was skeptical of how they had handled the War in Iraq. Of course, by then he was approaching the end of his life.

Beyond the platitudes and light gossip, there's not much there about the Presidency, or Ford's role in history, particularly pardoning Nixon. Pleasant, and helped me some at a hard point in my life, but not a must-read. show less