President Ford's Leadership
Decisive action--the hallmark of forceful leadership--has been taken by President Ford to deal with both foreign and domestic problems.
For example, during his first two years in the White House, the President:
Did not hesitate to send the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Marines to take back the American freighter Mayaguez, illegally seized by Cambodian Communists.
Wielded the power of the Presidential veto 55 times as a major weapon to battle inflation--saving American taxpayers over $9.2 billion in the process as Congress upheld 45 of the vetoes.
Betty Ford voiced the sentiments of most Americans in a Parade Magazine interview published on August 15, 1976, when she said she wants her husband:
". . . to be our President for the next four years because he has leadership and honesty and courage. He's already proven himself . . . Why change our leadership when we have a President who's set the country on a good course, who's laid the groundwork for a healthy economy, who's maintaining the peace against formidable odds?"
President Ford's major accomplishments include:
1. Cutting inflation by more than half.
The inflation rate was going up at 12.2 percent a year when President Ford took office.
The inflation rate was down to 4.6 percent for the first half of 1976.
2. Nearly 4 million people have found jobs since the bottom of the recession.
At the recession low in March, 1975, a total of 84.1 million persons had jobs.
In July, 1976, employment had risen to a historic high of 87.9 million, an increase of 3.8 million from the March 1975 low.
3. Unemployment has decreased.
Unemployment reached a high rate of 8.9 percent in May, 1975.
In July, 1976, the unemployment rate was down to 7.8 percent, and the President's economic advisors believe that it will fall below 7 percent before year's end.
4. Key economic indicators are going up steadily.
During the past year:
Housing starts have risen by 38 percent.
The Gross National Product has gone up about 10 percent.
Real per capita disposable income has gone up by nearly 5 percent.
5. Farmers are doing well.
Net farm income reached $26 billion this year, a record high.
Farm exports also are at a record high of $22 billion.
6. Growth of crime has been cut by over 75 percent.
Crime was increasing at a rate of 18 percent a year when President Ford took office.
The rate of increase went down to 9 percent last year.
The growth rate was cut to 4 percent in the first quarter of this year.
7. Dangerous downward trends in defense spending have been reversed.
Congress cut proposed defense budgets by almost $50 billion in the 10 years before President Ford took office.
President Ford reversed that trend this year, persuading Congress to vote a major increase in defense spending.
8. Alliances with the Atlantic Community and Japan have never been stronger.
When President Ford took office, there was great turmoil and uncertainty in the world over the constancy of American will and leadership.
Now the industrialized democracies are carrying forward a program of cooperation in economics, energy, East-West diplomacy, anti-terrorism, arms control and in relations with developing nations.
9. For the first time in over a decade, the U.S. is at peace abroad.
The Nation was still deeply embroiled in Southeast Asia and tensions were high in the Middle East when President Ford took office.
Today, Mr. Ford is the first President since Dwight Eisenhower who can run for election to the Nation's highest office without a single American fighting overseas.
10. The Nation is at peace with itself.
The U.S. was rocked by scandal and inner doubts about its leaders and institutions when President Ford took office.
Today the strain of scandal has been erased from the White House, doubts have been replaced by growing trust and confidence, and the mood of the country has brightened perceptibly.
