Chapter 21 FORD AND CARTER AS PRESIDENTS Flashcards
When did Ford take the Oath?
Took the Oath of Office on 9th August 1974
He aimed to put Vietnam, Watergate, the riots and the spluttering economic situation behind him, draw a line under the period since Kennedys assassination
How was Gerald Ford perceived by the public?
He cultivated a ‘man of the people’ image
He had a reputation for decency, integrity and fairness
Former University American Football star and Eagle Scout
Served in the navy in the Second World War
How was Ford presented in Saturday night live?
1975 Chevy Chase impersonated Ford by stumbling and falling down stairs accidentally injuring himself etc
Proof of Ford clumsiness
Fell down the stairs of Air Force One in 1975
What did LBJ say about Ford
That Ford had played too much football without his helmet
Quote about Ford clumsiness
‘Jerry Ford is so dumb he can’t fart and chew gum at the same time’
Gerald Fords pardonning consequences
Ford pardoned Nixon on 8 September 1974
This decision led to outrage in the public as polls suggested more Americans wanted Nixon punished and the design disastrously affected Fords polling
When did Carter defeat Ford ?
1976
What was Carters advantage that led him to the win?
Carter had traveled over 50,000 miles, visited 37 sates, and delivered over 200 speeches before other candidates annoyed their candidacy
Carter background personality
devout Christian and Southerner this got supporters like George Wallace
He promised an outsider’s insight and a return to morality but struggled with the economy and foreign affairs
What were Carters first policies?
His first policies were designed to heal divides;
he pardoned the Vietnam-era draft resisters
ended funding for the B-1 bomber airplane
and pushed for a comprehensive consumer protection bill
What were the cons of Carter? (3)
1) Carter was unwilling to use his position to win friends in Congress through the usual method of promising federal spending in certain states and districts. This left Congress unwilling to cooperate with him
2) Carter’s initial popularity with the media faded quickly as he wasn’t as charismatic as Kennedy or Reagan
3) His success were difficult for the public to understand and didn’t sound as captivating as a victory in a war or civil rights,
Energy Policy, SALT II talks and the Camp David Accords
Carters bad soundbites ??
When and what happened during the 3mile island accident?
28 March 1979
Due to human and mechanical errors at the Three Mile Island nuclear generator in Pennsylvania resulted in a partial meltdown of the reactor core.
This was the most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history, although its small radioactive releases had no detectable health effects on plant workers or the public.
The aftermath of the accident culminated in a 200,000-strong rally in New York
Two key stories to make perceptions of Carter damaged him public image
In August 1979 a story about the president being attacked by a rabid began to do rounds in Washington
October 1979 Carter collapsed from heat exhaustion while jogging in full view of the national press
How many pieces of legislation did Carter pass
The Carter Congress passed 29 new pieces of legislation including
3 significant anger acts
5 environmental acts
several pro business acts
What was Carters promise to America and how was it not kept?
’ Ill never tell a lie, ill never tell a misleading statement, ill never betray the confidence that any of you had in me and ill never avoid a controversial issue’ administration and even his family chipped away at this moral rectitude
Ford and social unrest
For the 2 years under Ford it was the quietest period for social unrest ford was blessed with some respite
Carter and social unrest
Mexicans under Cesar Chavez
LGBT activists were invited to the White House in 1977 for the first official visit but in March 1980 Carter formally refused to issue an Executive order banning LGBT discrimination in federal government
Equal credit opportunity act:
Ford signed it in 1974 which outlawed credit discrimination on the bases of race, color religion, national origin, sex, marital status or age.
Though it had been introduced through Nixon
Bryan v Itasca
1976 Supreme Court ruled that a state did not have the right to assess a tax on the property of an indigenous American living on a reservation
this paved a way for considerable new freedoms for tribes
Taylor v Louisianna
1975
The Supreme Court ruled that excluding women from the jury pool was illegal because it violates a persons rights to a fair trial
Betty Ford
Betty Ford clinic for treatment of drug addiction
Had approval ratings of 75% for her openness about drug use, psychiatric treatment and premarital sex
What did Carter pass in 1978
Pregnancy discrimination Act,
discrimnation on the basis of employment as a pregnant women was illegal
Marital RAPE
Due to feminist activism, the first marital rape law was enacted in South Dakota in 1975 however it took until 1993 for marital rape to become a crime in all 50 states
What was the significance of the perception of political corruption
Nixon Watergate and Spiro
But also Teddy Kennedy for his actions of the death of a young women Mary Jo Kopechne in Massachueses in 1969
Result of faith in politicians was shaken
For both Ford and Carter these perceptions effected their poll ratings
Corruption under Ford
- Pardoning Richard Nixon tainted Ford presidency
-Church Committee revealed that the CIA had not been honest about their interventions oversea to the Americans since its creation
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What did the Pardoning of Nixon lead too
It lead to substantial democratic gains in 1974 midterm congressional elections giving them a 291 to 144 advantage in the House of reps and 61-39 advantage in senate
Corruption under Carter
-Bert Lance role of Office Management and Budget Director was fired a year into administration when he was connected to some suspicious banking practices in Georgia, (despite being found not guilty this tainted the impression of the Carter Executive).
-Hamilton Jordan Carters young chief of Staff, rumors about him doing cocaine even though this was proved false accusations were hard to shake
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Due to corruption what happened to voting of midterm elections
1974 and 1980 voter turnout in the midterm elections hit a 30 year- low
Carter humiliation form sister
Ruth Carter Stapelton was pictured in public with Larry Flynt the owner of the pornographic magazine Hustler
Carter humiliation from brother
Billy Carter younger brother
Marketed his own brand of beer ‘Billy Beer’ and had received a sum of 250,000 for an unspecified reason from the Libyan government after visiting the country three times in 1978 and 79 leading to senate investigation dubbed ‘Billygate’
