That's 2 (Gerald Ford)

[BarTopDancer]

Former President Gerald Ford has died (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061227/ap_on_re_us/obit_ford) at the age of 93

[Not Afraid]

Very sad news. I always liked the Fords.

[sleepyjeff]

Nice guy.....he will be missed.

[CoasterMatt]

He was on my dead pool list - I'm doing pretty good so far.

[MouseWife]

I always liked him as well as his family. I was just reading a brief article highlighting his life. I like him even more.

Rest in peace.

[JWBear]

Rest in peace, Mr President. I wish we had more people like you in office now.

[~MS~]

He had a good life, he did good things as our only unelected pres, my prayers for comfort in their time of sadness for his family. It doesn't matter how old or how great a life, losing a loved one is sad :(

[mousepod]

I was less than 10 years old when Ford became president. As sick as it sounds, whenever I think of Ford, the first image that pops into my mind is the back cover of a Mad Magazine (#172) from 1975:
http://f3c.yahoofs.com/auc/000118692564/robcooke-img400x518-mad172_1975_vgbck.jpg?auAmqsLBtrqOUexF

Once I got a little older, it was Chevy Chase on SNL reruns that gave me another picture of Ford.
I honestly have no real first-hand memories of him as a president, while I have strong memories of both Nixon and Carter. Watching the coverage right now on MSNBC... I'm still not having any "oh yeah" moments - except that he was a member of the Warren Commission.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

What I recall were mostly the "jokes." The David Fry "First Family" LP albums were huge for me as a kid. The biggest association with Ford, besides the Nixon "thing," was the fact he was always falling down (or at least so, according to the running jokes.) Well, I guess he's taken his final dive. RIP

[Alex]

He was on my dead pool list - I'm doing pretty good so far.

So far? There're only four days left (unless yours is on a different calendar). Are points based on age or ranking on your list?

I can't say that Ford was really much more than a historical oddity. Though it is an interesting exercise in alternative history since if he hadn't pardoned Nixon, Reagan likely never would have been elected.

He was president when I was born, though. So he did lead this nation through its greatest moment.

Some dead president trivia. Not only was he the longest living man to be president, but he was among the longest living after being president.

He fell just 25 days short of living for 30 years as a former president. He was still the second longest coming in behind Herbert Hoover's 31 years and 7 months with the title. Making it to even 20 is pretty uncommon with Martin Van Buren (21 years, 4 months) and John Adams (25 years, 4 months) being the only other two.

We now have three living former presidents. If one of them kicks the bucket before 2010 this will be the first calendar decade since the 1960s in which three current or former presidents have died. If two kick the bucket then it would be the first time four have died in a decade since the 1860s when five died (and they cheated and shot one of theirs). To set a new record with six Carter, Clinton, and both Bushes will have to die in the next three years and four days.

Ford is the second president to die the day after Christmas. Harry Truman did so as well back in 1972. The all time record for a date is three with Jefferson, Adams, and Monroe all dying on July 4. The only other date to have more than one is March 8 sharing Howard Taft and Millard Fillmore.

It is still the case that no current or former president has died in the month of May. Almost 1/3 of current or former presidents have died in the months of June or July.

[sleepyjeff]

http://writingcompany.blogs.com/this_isnt_writing_its_typ/images/rumsfeld_ford_cheney.jpg

Ford with both his first and second Chief of Staffs......

[Sub la Goon]

Wow. Rumsfeld with 'burns and Cheney with hair! Groovy photo!

So we lost Brown and Ford. Who will round out the tri-fecta? My money is on Screech.

[Gn2Dlnd]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v325/gn2dlnd/win_buttonford.jpg

Whip Interment Now!

[Alex]

Several other celebrities and well knowns have died in the last few days. For purposes of the "they always go in threes" superstition, what are the requirements for qualification?

Will any big name do or does it have to be another old man remembered in the current age primarily as a tired pop culture caricature?

[Babette]

NA, €, NM and I were just discussing his non-elected status, and health, a few weeks ago. I had randomly flipped to his picture in a US States Almanac in a used book store. He is the first president I really remember from my childhood. Nixon was in office when I was born, but I was too young to remember him.

Rest in Peace, Mr. President

[RStar]

It is still the case that no current or former president has died in the month of May. Almost 1/3 of current or former presidents have died in the months of June or July.How bizzar is that?? I guess if you are elected a president you can pretty much know the months you may die in. My birthday is in May, so that's safe...

Thanks for the interesting trivia, Alex!

[Strangler Lewis]

Wow. Rumsfeld with 'burns and Cheney with hair! Groovy photo!

So we lost Brown and Ford. Who will round out the tri-fecta? My money is on Screech.

You're forgetting Mike Evans, the first and the coolest Lionel. I knew who he was in the '70s before I knew who Gerald Ford was.

[blueerica]

See, I don't really buy into numbers or superstitions. It's more coincidence. People die all the time, I don't even remember the combination, but a year or so ago, right after one of my friends said "Oh! There's the third!" someone else died.

Then there's "Seems like more people are dying" concept. I blame that on over exposure and the increasing amount of media available. Before, there were only a handful of true movie stars and only a station or two, if someone had a TV. Now, everyone has televisions, hundreds of station, the internet, movies coming out left and right, multiple genres of music - you frigging name it. It's no surprise it feels like so many people are dying. There are just more famous people available to kick the bucket.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Ford is the second president to die the day after Christmas. Harry Truman did so as well back in 1972.

I was just coming here to mention that. I happen to know that because of the coincidence that my sister was born on Dec. 26th (anniversary of Truman's death) and I was born on May 8th (Truman's birthday).

[lizziebith]

All I remember was how annoyed I was at his pardon of Nixon. :rolleyes:

[Alex]

I don't think Nixon's pardon was the right thing to do. But in the end it was probably the best thing to do in terms of the "psychological" health of the nation.

RStar, I'd have to look again at which presidents died in June and July and where they lived at the time. Back in the age before AC, summers were hell for old people in many parts of the country.

[Scrooge McSam]

All I remember was how annoyed I was at his pardon of Nixon. :rolleyes:


Be comforted, lizziebith. Since the Kennedy's gave him an award a few years back, we're not supposed to be annoyed by that memory anymore.

I do feel sorry for Ms. Ford. I always liked her. She courageously kicked her own destructive addictions and then made it possible for others to follow.

[innerSpaceman]

Yes, hear, hear regarding Mrs. Ford. She was more admirable a first lady, imo, than Ford was a president. I remember his presidency quite well. The fact that, aside from the infamous Pardon, he really did nothing too egregiously aggravating ... that makes him, perhaps, the best president of my lifetime (which stretches back to Eisenhower, btw). For all that, I don't hold the man in paricularly high regard. It's not enough to do no harm. I expect much more than that from the President of the United States.

That "do no harm" is the best we've ever gotten does not make Ford our finest chief executive. But at least my natural feelings of sadness at his passing are not conflicted with the loathing and glee I'm likely to feel at the death of any given U.S. president.



Ford is the second president to die the day after Christmas. Harry Truman did so as well back in 1972. The all time record for a date is three with Jefferson, Adams, and Monroe all dying on July 4. The only other date to have more than one is March 8 sharing Howard Taft and Millard Fillmore.
Jefferson and Adams died on the very same July 4 (in 1826) - probably a singular record. Thanks for all the pres-mortal trivia, Alex!




.

[Alex]

Yes, and according to legend when Adams died his last words were "Jefferson survives." He, of course, was unaware that Jefferson had died hours earlier.

This is likely a bit of historical mythology, though. All that's known for sure is that he said "Thomas Jefferson" shortly before dying, the context was unintelligible.

[innerSpaceman]

This is likely a bit of historical mythology, though. All that's known for sure is that he said "Thomas Jefferson" shortly before dying, the context was unintelligible.
But mythology supported by more than mere conjecture. There was a vein running through correspondence between the two men about "holding on" until the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It's likely as not to have been the subject of Adams' dying ponderances about T.Jefferson.





.

[Tref]

Yes, and according to legend when Adams died his last words were "Jefferson survives." He, of course, was unaware that Jefferson had died hours earlier ...

Ironically, Gerald Ford's last words were, "the Godfather of Soul survives ..."

[Alex]

But mythology supported by more than mere conjecture. There was a vein running through correspondence between the two men about "holding on" until the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It's likely as not to have been the subject of Adams' dying ponderances about T.Jefferson.

No, it is supported by the wishful thinking and hyperbole of contemporary eulogists. And matches with later conjecture. The people who began the "Thomas Jefferson survives" last words story had no knowledge of the correspondence between Jefferson and Adams.


It's a nice story and a perfectly good piece of hagiography and historical myth-making. It has value as that. I was just pointing out that there is no evidence of it actually happening the way it has come to be described (the only person present when he said it said she couldn't understand what he was saying). Just persnickety myth piercing on my part.

Like noting that Gerald Ford never actually literally said (as so many have come to believe) "drop dead" to New York City.





.

[CoasterMatt]

Woohoo! Fillmore and Taft both kicked the bucket on my birthday!

[Strangler Lewis]

I was born the same day as Richard Nixon, though some years apart.

I remember distinctly when Truman and LBJ died about a month apart because we got a day off from school each time.

[Not Afraid]

I remember Truman dying but barely recall Johnson's death. My first memory was of JFK's funeral, but I didn't really understand what was going on. I was more interested in John John. ;)

[Alex]

In watching some footage just now I see that Ford was a wrap around lefty.

I can not think good thoughts about someone who would so betray his people.

[innerSpaceman]

No, it is supported by the wishful thinking and hyperbole of contemporary eulogists. And matches with later conjecture. The people who began the "Thomas Jefferson survives" last words story had no knowledge of the correspondence between Jefferson and Adams.
So because the original conjecture did not have the support of later-discovered corroborative facts, it was "wishful thinking?"

Perhaps it was prescience, or intuition. Even if the story was, at first, pure speculation... the fact that it was later supported by letters between the two ex-presidents puts it squarely in the realm of probability, imo.



In any event, I will believe the charming and spooky tale about Adams and Jefferson until the day I die .... at which time, I will gasp with my last, clutching breath, "Alex Still Lives!"

[Alex]

Yes, that is pretty much the definition of "wishful thinking." With no evidence that something actually happened other than the possibility existing that it might have, deciding that it did in fact happen. That's wishful thinking.

But why isn't it enough that they died on the same the day? Why is it necessary to add something to the story to make it "better?" There is no later corroboration that John Adams said "Thomas Jefferson survives." He wasn't very lucid in his final days and may just as well have been saying "I just had the strangest dream of Thomas Jefferson riding a flying donkey while bitching about the Alien and Sedition Act."

I'd put it in the realm of possibility. The people who made claims as to what he said weren't anywhere near the man when he supposedly said them and Louisa Smith (the only person in the room with him) never made any claims on the matter beyond that he said "Thomas Jefferson."

Since I'm interested in this stuff (as my original post indicates I have some interest in dead presidents) if you know where I could find information about this correspondence between Jefferson on the topic of the 50th anniversary I'd be most grateful. I've never heard that before and the book I've read most directly focused on the topic (American Jubilee by Andrew Burstein, about the mythology surrouding the Founding Fathers) doesn't, so far as I recall, mention it either.

I expect you'll outlive me by decades, Steve, so if you do utter those as your last words it'll mean your final moments also weren't lucid.

[Alex]

RStar. The presidents who died in June/July are below.

13 presidents. 12 of them in the 19th century. Just one in 20th. Half of our first 24 presidents died in those two months. Just one of the next 15.

My "the birth of modern air conditioning allowed a more random distribution of presidential death" theory was off the cuff. But I'm liking it more.

Winter would now appear to be the more common time to die. Among the first 24 to die, only four did so in December through February. Among the the 15 post-1901 deaths six have done so.

Or I'm just finding signicance in small samples. As I recall there is some three month window where no president had a birthday until Clinton was elected. I'm sure astrologers were big on that one.

John Adams in Quincy, Massachussetts
Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville, Viriginia
James Madison in Montpelier, Virigina
James Monroe in New York City, New York
Andrew Jackson in Nashville, Tennessee
Martin Van Buren in Kinderhook, New York

(That's six of the first eight presidents that died in June or July)

James K. Polk in Nashville, Tennesse (he was already sick when he left office, though; he only made it 3 months beyond his term)
Zachary Taylor in Washington, D.C. (while in office; caues unknown but heat stroke is one of the candidates)
James Buchanan in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Andrew Johnson in Greenville, Tennessee
Ulysses S. Grant in Mt. McGregor, New York
Grover Cleveland in Princeton, New Jersey
Ronald Reagan in Los Angeles, California

[Sub la Goon]

More Presidential death information than a Sarah Vowell book!:D

I will always think of Ford as a "Company Man". From the Warren Commission to the pardoning of Nixon - he was sure to toe the Party line.

[Alex]

Speaking of pointless former president information. Someone on another message board I post at asked "what is the most number of former presidents to be alive at one time?"

I did the work and posted the answer but I might as well share the whole chart. I'll put it in a spoiler, though. The answer, by the way, is 5. Three separate times.


0 - 1792 - 3/3/97
1 - 3/3/97 - 12/14/99 (Washington)
0 - 12/14/99 - 3/4/01
1 - 3/4/01 - 3/4/09 (Adams)
2 - 3/4/09 - 3/4/17 (Adams, Jefferson)
3 - 3/4/17 - 3/4/25 (Adams, Jefferson, Madison)
4 - 3/4/25 - 7/4/26 (Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe)
2 - 7/4/26 - 3/4/29 (Madison, Monroe)
3 - 3/4/29 - 7/4/31 (Madison, Monroe, Adams)
2 - 7/4/31 - 6/28/36 (Madison, Adams)
1 - 6/28/36 - 3/4/37 (Adams)
2 - 3/4/37 - 3/4/41 (Adams, Jackson)
3 - 3/4/41 - 3/4/45 (Adams, Jackson, Van Buren)
4 - 3/4/45 - 6/8/45 (Adams, Jackson, Van Buren, Tyler)
3 - 6/8/45 - 2/23/48 (Adams, Van Buren, Tyler)
2 - 2/23/48 - 3/4/49 (Van Buren, Tyler)
3 - 3/4/49 - 6/15/49 (Van Buren, Tyler, Polk)
2 - 6/15/49 - 3/4/53 (Van Buren, Tyler)
3 - 3/4/53 - 3/4/57 (Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore)
4 - 3/4/57 - 3/4/61 (Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore, Pierce)
5 - 3/4/61 - 1/18/62 (Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan)
4 - 1/18/62 - 7/24/62 (Van Buren, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan)
3 - 7/24/62 - 6/1/68 (Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan)
2 - 6/1/68 - 3/4/69 (Fillmore, Pierce)
3 - 3/4/69 - 10/8/69 (Fillmore, Pierce, Johnson)
2 - 10/8/69 - 3/8/74 (Fillmore, Johnson)
1 - 3/8/74 - 7/31/75 (Johnson)
0 - 7/31/75 - 3/4/77
1 - 3/4/77 - 3/4/81 (Grant)
2 - 3/4/81 - 3/4/85 (Grant, Hayes)
3 - 3/4/85 - 7/23/85 (Grant, Hayes, Arthur)
2 - 7/23/85 - 11/18/86 (Hayes, Arthur)
1 - 11/18/86 - 1/17/93 (Hayes)
0 - 1/17/93 - 3/4/93
1 - 3/4/93 - 3/4/97 (Harrison)
2 - 3/4/97 - 3/13/01 (Harrison, Cleveland)
1 - 3/13/01 - 6/24/08 (Cleveland)
0 - 6/24/08 - 3/4/09
1 - 3/4/09 - 3/4/13 (Roosevelt)
2 - 3/4/13 - 1/6/19 (Roosevelt, Taft)
1 - 1/6/19 - 3/4/21 (Taft)
2 - 3/4/21 - 2/3/24 (Taft, Wilson)
1 - 2/3/24 - 3/4/29 (Taft)
2 - 3/4/29 - 3/8/30 (Taft, Coolidge)
1 - 3/8/30 - 1/5/33 (Coolidge)
0 - 1/5/33 - 3/4/33
1 - 3/4/33 - 1/20/53 (Hoover)
2 - 1/20/53 - 1/20/61 (Hoover, Truman)
3 - 1/20/61 - 10/20/64 (Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower)
2 - 10/20/64 - 1/20/69 (Truman, Eisenhower)
3 - 1/20/69 - 3/28/69 (Truman, Eisnehower, Johnson)
2 - 3/28/69 - 12/26/72 (Truman, Johnson)
1 - 12/26/72 - 1/22/73 (Johnson)
0 - 1/22/73 - 8/9/74
1 - 8/9/74 - 1/20/77 (Nixon)
2 - 1/20/77 - 1/20/81 (Nixon, Ford)
3 - 1/20/81 - 1/20/89 (Nixon, Ford, Carter)
4 - 1/20/89 - 1/20/93 (Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan)
5 - 1/20/93 - 4/22/94 (Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush)
4 - 4/22/94 - 1/20/01 (Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush)
5 - 1/20/01 - 6/5/04 (Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton)
4 - 6/5/04 - 12/26/06 (Ford, Carter, Bush, Clinton)
3 - 12/26/06 - CURRENT (Carter, Bush, Clinton)

[sleepyjeff]

Wow; six(or seven if you count when Washington was President) times there were zero former Presidents living.

Thanks Alex for the info.

[JWBear]

In watching some footage just now I see that Ford was a wrap around lefty.

I can not think good thoughts about someone who would so betray his people.
"His people"????

[Ghoulish Delight]

I much prefer to get my wrap arounds from righties.

[Alex]

"His people"????

Yes, as Malcolm X criticized blacks who straighten their hair, I hold lefties who wrap around in similar regard. As The Advocate disdains closeted homosexuals who go to great lengths to deny themselves, I so hold wrap around lefties.

It is a humiliating rejection of the uniqueness that binds us together as a race of humanity. As the brave Iraqis proudly held up their purple stained fingers, the left handed of the world must unite behind the ink-stained sides of their beautiful left hands!

Or something like that.

[Tramspotter]

Un-elected, (as though fufilling constitutional obligations is somehow unworthy)

Clumsy, (not the first but good early example loosely organized biased and pissed off media smear campain in reaction to a couple "under the microscope" gaffs) to which Ford publicaly handled in good nature and without striking back.

ho-hum (to some not advancing a grand progresivie leftist agenda is seen as failure)

Pardoned Nixon (therefore tainted and pissed off those out for establishment conservative gotcha blood).

Obligitory Leftist Culture warrior Pablim with sugar coating served up and hopefully passed on. (Check)

RIP G. Ford, one of the last Genuine Gentleman Politicians.

My flag is at half Staff this week.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

As the brave Iraqis proudly held up their purple stained fingers, the left handed of the world must unite behind the ink-stained sides of their beautiful left hands!
Oh. All this time I thought you were talking about politics, not left-handedness. You had me rather confused...

[Scrooge McSam]

Un-elected, (as though fufilling constitutional obligations is somehow unworthy)

Really. He played the hand that was dealt.

Pardoned Nixon (therefore tainted and pissed off those out for establishment conservative gotcha blood).

Yes, I often find the best way to heal a cut is to ignore the wound and forgive the knife.

Wendybeth, are you listening out there, girl?!?

My flag is at half Staff this week.

We got our DOD directives last night... half staff through Jan. 25. A fitting tribute, I think.

[Alex]

Also standard. A month at half-staff for a dead president. Even Nixon got that.

Ford had the fifth shortest term of any president and unlike the four ahead of him (Harrison, Taylor, Garfield, Harding) he inherited an administration in a time of political scandal and social malaise. In 100 years I'm sure that the name Gerald Ford will trip off the average students tongue as easily as does Benjamin Harrison and James Garfield.

[JWBear]

Yes, as Malcolm X criticized blacks who straighten their hair, I hold lefties who wrap around in similar regard. As The Advocate disdains closeted homosexuals who go to great lengths to deny themselves, I so hold wrap around lefties.

It is a humiliating rejection of the uniqueness that binds us together as a race of humanity. As the brave Iraqis proudly held up their purple stained fingers, the left handed of the world must unite behind the ink-stained sides of their beautiful left hands!

Or something like that.
Whatever you're on, I don't want any! :eek:

(ETA: And what the hell is a "wrap around leftie"?)

[Scrooge McSam]

(ETA: And what the hell is a "wrap around leftie"?)

Aren't those left handers who write with their arm curved around the top of the paper so as to get the tilt of the script correct?

I'm a straight ahead, dig holes in the paper leftie myself.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Whatever you're on, I don't want any! :eek:

(ETA: And what the hell is a "wrap around leftie"?)I believe it's when you write with your left hand by wrapping your hand over the top of the lettering so you don't get ink on it.

[Scrooge McSam]

We're such a helpful bunch, no?

[Ghoulish Delight]

At least he wasn't forced to switch to the right hand. He had a hard enough time with speaking as it was!*




*It's been shown that people born left handed but forced to switch to using their right hand often develop speech impediments.

[Babette]

What does it mean if you turn the paper about 45° clockwise and write with your left arm at a 90° angle?

[Alex]

In looking into it a bit more (really, what better have I to do with my time than look into stupid stuff), apparently he only writes left handed and does pretty much everything else right handed. Well, past tense of course.

Sounds like a conflicted soul to me. Someone should make a movie about it. One of those "part of two communities but accepted by neither" movies. It'll be quite touching.

Pen ink is definitely one of those technologies that has, unremarkedly, com a long way over the last 20 years. I went through my teen years with the outside of my left hand covered in smudged ink. Now, only the cheapest of cheap pens cause that problem (and all "erasable" ink pens).

The big problem wasn't that I couldn't get the proper angle on cursive writing (I never had any problem with that) but rather that non-ball point pens are designed to be pulled across the paper while writing rather than pushed and frequently don't work so well.

But that isn't an excuse since most of the lefties I knew who wrapped around did so long before we were allowed to use pens in school. Self-loathing bastards.

Babette: See previous three words.

(All of this is in good humor of course, I really don't care much. Just seeing a president do it kind of struck me like "nukular" does other people.)

[JWBear]

Aren't those left handers who write with their arm curved around the top of the paper so as to get the tilt of the script correct?

I'm a straight ahead, dig holes in the paper leftie myself.


I believe it's when you write with your left hand by wrapping your hand over the top of the lettering so you don't get ink on it.

Ahhhh. I get it. I thought it was something political. Thanks.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I don't like the title to this thread. :confused: Even if it means what I think it means, it's kinda tacky.

[innerSpaceman]

Alex, it seems as if I am a victim of wishful thinking. (Ha, no surprise there.) I have reviewed a few books which discuss the twilight-years correspondence between Jefferson and Adams ... and I can't find a mention or a quote of them writing to each other about mutually or individually surviving until the Fiftieth Anniversary of July 4, 1776.

I think I dreamed it.







But, by God ... that's good enough for me!

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

So, is Sadam going to be the 3rd???

[innerSpaceman]

I don't know if murders and executions count. I think you have to drop dead to be considered.











oh wait.

[CoasterMatt]

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/coastermatt/images/saddamanim.gif

[RStar]

I don't know if that is sick, or funny.

Or sickly funny.

Or...

I'm soo confuuused!

But in a good mood. So, it's funny.

Thanks Matt.

I'm just glad it's over and Sadam got what he deserved.