Transformation

Gerald Ford has made a remarkable transformation. He became President when I was four, and lost to Jimmy Carter (the first President I really remember) when I was six. Over the course of the next 30 years, the mental image I had of Pres. Ford was of a well-meaning, clumsy, bumbling joke of a man. How did I come by this mental image? Via the media, of course. Comedians,sitcoms, and even serious journalists perpetuated this image. Now, with his death, I've heard and read tributes that lauded his dignity, his wise stewardship of the country through the difficult period following Nixon's resignation, and his willingness to do what was right for the country without regard to the damage inflicted upon his political future. I hope the recent media coverage is more indicative of the type of man he was rather than the tripe I was fed for the previous 30 years. Rest in peace, Mr. President.