Saturday, January 06, 2007

Was Jerry Ford The Only Man Who Could Have Ended The War In Viet Nam?

Frank Rich makes some interesting associations in his column for today in a 'damned-with-faint- praise' semi-eulogy for ex-President Ford.

Now I wonder: Is Rich saying that, as Nixon, the GOP hawk, was the only President who could have reached a rapproachment with China without incurring the eternal enmity of much of his party, Jerry Ford was the only President who could have ended the war in Vietnam in the face of similar rebukes?

Because, since he apparently had so little political ego (I'm a Ford, not a Lincoln), he could afford to let it go, to bring it to an end, to absorb such opprobrium as there might befall for suc and act...

Does this suggest that such a figure be needed under the present, hopeless, disterous military adventure, which so closely resembles the one from which Ford withdrew the country?

And if that is so, who is the President who will end the clusterfuck in Iraq?

Jerry Ford was a loyal soldier who likely knew he was a caretaker, and it fell to him to clean up the mess, to put the last casualties out of their misery.

Will ANY of the contenders now champing at the bit have similar humility?

Care to name one?

(Thanks To JurassicPork/Potterville for reprinting the column.)
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1 comment:

Dirk Gently said...

it would have been powell. another reason he was dumped.