Remembering Gerald Ford

On this national day of mourning for the passing of President Gerald Ford, Michael Barone has some historical information about the 38th president:

Gerald Ford, who died last week at age 93, lived longer than any other president and survived after leaving office longer than any other president but Herbert Hoover. So we've had time to reflect on where he and his presidency stand in history. As commentators have been reminding us, Ford healed the wounds of Watergate and provided steady leadership in difficult times. But there is more to be said.

Ford came to office when the postwar consensus on foreign and economic policy was in ruins. The nation seemed on a downward trajectory at home and abroad. By dint of hard work and with the help of top-flight appointees, he helped to steer us toward a different course.

This, despite the fact that he was very much part of the postwar consensus himself. He was elected to Congress in 1948, defeating an isolationist Republican incumbent. This was a victory for the bipartisan Cold War policies of President Harry Truman and Republican Sen. Arthur Vandenberg, who, like Ford, was from Grand Rapids, Mich.

Read the whole thing here.