The passing of President Gerald R. Ford was more than the death of a former president; it was also the end of an era of bipartisanship. Ford came to the presidency in a time of constitutional crisis, the Watergate scandal and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. His now famous line “Our long national nightmare is over” was from the heart of a man who understood his countrymen and our Constitution. Watergate was a nightmare; Ford devoted his presidency to work toward bipartisanship and integrity. It is sad to reflect today that one of Ford’s most important, and right, decisions, probably cost him the election of 1976: the pardon of Richard Nixon. Watergate had to be ended once and for all, to heal this country, and that is exactly what Ford did, he healed this nation. Gerald Ford healed our land, and his bipartisanship of reaching out, compromising and getting something done for the people could be a great lesson for our present leadership. History will be kind to Gerald R. Ford.
