A Companion to Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter

摘要

Ford and Carter are lesser lights in the presidential firmament. They were worthy men who held an office in a difficult decade - one of them by accident, the other by concerted effort -, but then they suffered the harshest rebuke the American people can give: they were ejected from office. They were both uncharismatic men and based their appeal on honesty and plain-dealing. Neither of them was a big personality or a striking orator nor they had any notable policy ideas. Both of them faced the same ailing economy crippled by inflation, stagnant production and an energy crisis. Ford deplored what Nixon's dirty tricks had done to the government and the country. He tried to mend the damage and made a pathetic attempt to rescue his discredited party. Carter deplored the failure of government itself - it was expensive, unresponsive and remote.