Why the hell is Ford now being applauded for pardoning Nixon?

Answer 1

He was applauded by some when he did it. I think because he weighed the situation and decided it was best to let the people heal without having a President sitting in a jail cell. I think in their hearts most Americans back then, and I was one of them, were sick at heart and scared for their country. The turbulence of the 60's and 70's, Vietnam, Watergate, it was all too much. You think the country is divided now? Back then the mood was much uglier out there on the streets than it is now. Watergate had taken so long to come to a conclusion and we were looking at a trial of an American President, not just an impeachment. Though it was less than he deserved, a lot of Americans were content to simply watch him slink away humiliated and demoralized. Even now I'm not sure it was the right thing to do, but you could almost hear the entire country take a deep breath of relief that it was just finally over.

Answer 2

By who?
Other Republicans? Surely not by those, that Honor the Constitution, him being pardoned not only cost Ford re-election....it cost America its Belief that no one is above the law.

"Watergate" is now an all-encompassing term used to refer to:

1. political burglary
2. bribery
3. extortion
4. wiretapping (phone tapping)
5. conspiracy
6. obstruction of justice
7. destruction of evidence
8. tax fraud
9. illegal use of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA.)
10. illegal use of the Federal Bureau of Investigations
(FBI.)
11. illegal campaign contributions
12. use of public (taxpayers') money for private purposes

These Watergate crimes began from the moment President Nixon took office and continued until he was forced to resign the Presidency in August 1974. The larger question we must now ask is what would the President of the United States and his top advisers engage in the above list of crimes. As some of my answers pointed out, these crimes are usually associated with organized crime and criminal conspiracies.

Answer 3

The applause is coming from republicans. Most Democrats are holding back on the criticism out of respect for the dead until after the funeral. Pardoning Nixon was not Ford's only mistake but it was the biggest.

Answer 4

Beats the hell out of me?! I'm tired of hearing about Ford and what a great person and president he was. He didn't do much while he was President except; pardon Nixon, admit to a Vietnam War defeat, and let his wife drink too much

Answer 5

It's a Republican and media spin.

Supposedly the country would have been so torn apart by years of lawyering that it was better to pardon a guranteed felon who created the worst constitutional crisis in history.

So Republicans let Republicans off the hook for the good of the country. That's why they call themselves patriots!

Answer 6

Beats me. I think Nixon should have been hung from the nearest telephone pole personally! But when you are big and important your big and important friends always wash your back when you've washed theirs. Probably Nixon said to Ford, "Pardon me and I won't tell people how your wife is a drunk!!" This country needs a good revolution to kill all the rich and powerful bastards running this country, in my opinion!!

Answer 7

Maybe we are setting the stage for Bush etc to be pardoned for whatever is going on in Iraq???? Given his penchant for issuing signing statements basically saying that a law he just signed doesn't apply to him.....

Answer 8

Bush hopes he will be pardoned after being impeached.

Answer 9

Because other politicians are thinking that they my need pardons soon. They are trying to convince the American people what a noble and charitable thing it is.

Answer 10

It's a political ploy called a "talking point". All the Republicans got together and agreed to say how great it was, over and over and over again, until it sinks in.