THE VICE PRESIDENCY: The Veep Most Likely to Succeed?

• Share

(5 of 7)

For his part, Ford left a postinaugural conference with Nixon brimming with loyalty. "I can assure you that the President has no intention of resigning," he told newsmen at the White House. "When all of the facts are out, he did assure me that he will be completely exonerated." Ford continued: "If I were a member of the House of Representatives and the President indicated he was coming to my district, I'd be darned glad to have him." Ford was putting up a brave front on that score, in accordance with his political rule: "You don't tackle your own quarterback."

Such spirited support, of course, is a major reason why Ford was picked by the President for his new job. The two men have known each other since both arrived in Washington as freshman members of the House in the late '40s. Ford has said: "For whatever reason, Nixon and I have never seriously disagreed on any vital, substantive issue."

Their closeness in viewpoint may partly result from broadly similar backgrounds. Raised in Grand Rapids by his mother and stepfather, who adopted him, Ford went to the University of Michigan and was a football star. After graduating from Yale Law School and serving in the Navy during World War

II, Ford entered politics, defeating the isolationist incumbent, Bartel J. Jonk-man, in the 1948 Republican congressional primary and went on to win in November with 60.5% of the vote. He has always been re-elected by more than that margin, thanks to efficient help and his own personal attention to the hometown electorate, which still amazes local Democrats. Says Grand Rapids Democratic Co-Chairman A. Robert Kleiner: "If anybody's grandmother in Poland is having trouble getting a U.S. visa, Jerry's right there."

Ford describes his views as generally "conservative in fiscal affairs, moderate in domestic affairs and internationalist in foreign affairs." His detractors argue that those labels cloak an essentially conservative outlook in all affairs; yet Ford's views on most issues have not been entirely predictable. He has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Peace Corps and foreign economic aid, for example, as well as an ardent cold warrior and backer of the Johnson-Nixon Viet Nam policy. On domestic issues, he would like to see a constitutional amendment permitting school prayer and a legal ban on abortions. He has also supported federal aid to higher education and welfare reform.

At confirmation hearings, Ford was criticized most harshly for his civil rights record, seemingly an odd rebuke since he has voted in favor of every major civil rights bill since 1949. His critics complain, however, that the final yes votes shield a far murkier record of support for amendments and other Southern-supported obstructions that were intended to cripple the purpose of the original legislation. Ford maintains that his preliminary voting record reflects both his attempts to conciliate between party factions and his own instincts against "moving too fast." Ford carefully pledged in his inaugural remarks to support "equal justice for all Americans."