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President Ford received heavy criticism for pardoning Nixon.  Ford watched helpless as [[South Vietnam]] fell to a Communist invasion, after all American forces had been removed.  He promoted [[détente]] with the [[Soviet Union]], incurring the wrath of the conservatives, led by [[Ronald Reagan]]. He narrowly defeated Reagan for renomination in 1976 by the [[Republican party]], then lost narrowly to Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]].   

President Ford received heavy criticism for pardoning Nixon.  Ford watched helpless as [[South Vietnam]] fell to a Communist invasion, after all American forces had been removed.  He promoted [[détente]] with the [[Soviet Union]], incurring the wrath of the conservatives, led by [[Ronald Reagan]]. He narrowly defeated Reagan for renomination in 1976 by the [[Republican party]], then lost narrowly to Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]].   

Ford was basically a conservative, pro-business, local activist who was a decent person and good family man; in his three years in office, he did much to heal the deep national wounds he had inherited from Nixon. The nation liked him personally but rejected his foreign  and economic policies. Ford was scandal free, but marred by too many stumbles, literally and figuratively; he was one of a series of failed presidents in the 1960s and 1970s. 

Ford was basically a conservative, pro-business, local activist who was a decent person and good family man; in his three years in office, he did much to heal the deep national wounds he had inherited from Nixon. The nation liked him personally but rejected his foreign  and economic policies.

==Early Life==

==Early Life==

==Congressional Career==

==Congressional Career==

Both his father, a Republican leader in Grand Rapids, and the late Republican Senator [[Arthur H. Vandenberg]] urged young Ford to run for Congress. Vandenberg, who was an internationalist, wanted to oust the isolationist Republican congressman from the Grand Rapids area district, Bartel Jonkman. Ford won the primary by more than 9,000 votes and went on to an easy victory.  At this stage his basic political basic outlook was influenced by [[Wendell Willkie]], by service in World War II, and by hostility to the dominant local machine. Ford ran as a minority reformer. Ford's view of himself as a minority reformer willing to stand up and oppose what he saw as corruption.<ref>William A. Syers, "The Political Beginnings of Gerald R. Ford: Anti-bossism, Internationalism, and the Congressional Campaign of 1948." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' 1990 20(1): 127-142. ISSN 0360-4918.</ref>

Both his father, a Republican leader in Grand Rapids, and the late Republican Senator [[Arthur H. Vandenberg]] urged young Ford to run for Congress. Vandenberg, who was an internationalist, wanted to oust the isolationist Republican congressman from the Grand Rapids area district, Bartel Jonkman. Ford won the primary, defeating incumbent Congressman Bartel J. Jonkman by more than 9,000 votes and went on to an easy victory in the general election.  At this stage his basic political basic outlook was influenced by [[Wendell Willkie]], by service in World War II, and by hostility to the dominant local machine. Ford ran as a minority reformer. Ford's view of himself as a minority reformer willing to stand up and oppose what he saw as corruption.<ref>William A. Syers, "The Political Beginnings of Gerald R. Ford: Anti-bossism, Internationalism, and the Congressional Campaign of 1948." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' 1990 20(1): 127-142. ISSN 0360-4918.</ref>

In 1949, the year he entered Congress, Ford was selected by the [[U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce]] as one of the country's ten outstanding young men. Ford's rise in the House was steady, assured by his repeated reelection from the strongly Republican district in a conservative region.

In 1949, the year he entered Congress, Ford was selected by the [[U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce]] as one of the country's ten outstanding young men. Ford's rise in the House was steady, assured by his repeated reelection from the strongly Republican district in a conservative region.

In 1961, Ford became chairman of the House Republican Conference, making him the third most powerful Republican in the House of Representatives.  

In 1961, Ford became chairman of the House Republican Conference, making him the third most powerful Republican in the House of Representatives.  

In 1963 Ford took over as chairman of the House Republican caucus. Two years later, with the help of young turk House colleagues [[Melvin Laird]] of Wisconsin, Robert Griffin of Michigan, and Charles Goodell of New York, Ford became House minority leader by ousting the current Leader [[Charles Halleck]] of Indiana by a 73-67 vote. His weekly press conferences with [[Everett Dirksen]], the GOP Senate leader, made them the national voice of the Republican party.  In 1963 was appointed by the new president [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] to the [[Earl Warren|Warren Commission]], which investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He supported Kennedy and Johnson's involvement in the [[Vietnam War]].

In 1963 Ford took over as chairman of the House Republican caucus. Two years later, with the help of young turk House colleagues [[Melvin Laird]] of Wisconsin, Robert Griffin of Michigan, and Charles Goodell of New York, Ford became House minority leader by ousting the current Leader [[Charles Halleck]] of Indiana by a 73-67 vote. His weekly press conferences with [[Everett Dirksen]], the GOP Senate leader, made them the national voice of the Republican party.  In 1963 was appointed by the new president [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] to the [[Earl Warren|Warren Commission]], which investigated the assassination of President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He supported Kennedy and Johnson's involvement in the [[Vietnam War]].

Domestically, he was consistently conservative, and led the fight against Johnson's [[Great Society]]. As long as the [[Conservative Coalition]] was intact he usually won; Johnson's landslide in 1964 over [[Barry Goldwater]] brought in scores of new Democrats and opened the door for liberal legislation and Ford was usually on the losing side. Ford's conservatism was endorsed by the voters in 1966, as the [[New Deal Coalition]] started unraveling because of voter disgust with Johnson's inept handling of the Vietnam war and the violent outbreaks in large American cities.  

Domestically, he was consistently conservative, and led the fight against Johnson's [[Great Society]]. As long as the [[Conservative Coalition]] was intact he usually won; Johnson's landslide in 1964 over [[Barry Goldwater]] brought in scores of new Democrats and opened the door for liberal legislation and Ford was usually on the losing side. Ford's conservatism was endorsed by the voters in 1966, as the [[New Deal Coalition]] started unraveling because of voter disgust with Johnson's inept handling of the Vietnam war and the violent outbreaks in large American cities.