Winner's Curse: An Evaluation Of Presidents Truman And Ford

Winner’s Curse: An Evaluation of Presidents Truman and Ford

When one thinks of great presidents, neither Harry S. Truman nor Gerald R. Ford may come up first in one’s mind. The two were overshadowed by the president before him. If one thinks of Truman, one may think of who came before him: Franklin D. Roosevelt. As for Ford, one’s mind may wander to Nixon instead. Both had to make choices that rotted at their reputation and are still debated to this day. Despite the fact their childhoods differed, both became president the same way. Though they have similarities in office that almost seem ironic, the two also have many differences while they served as president that can be addressed.

Firstly, a brief history of how the two were raised

While Truman stepped in due to former president Roosevelt’s death, Ford’s situation went differently. The Watergate scandal, of which Ford called a “National nightmare,” involved a burglary in the Democratic National Committee headquarters. This burglary had connections to the current president at the time, Richard Nixon, of whom was believed to have participated in the cover-up of the scandal. (“The Watergate Committee,” 2022) Nixon had to resign or risk being impeached. Ford, predecessor of Nixon, pardoned Ford despite his previous actions, saying “...the tranquility to which this nation has been restored by the events of recent weeks could be irreparably lost by the prospects of bringing to trial a former President of the United States. The prospects of such trial will cause prolonged and divisive debate over the propriety of exposing to further punishment and degradation a man who has already paid the unprecedented penalty of relinquishing the highest elective office of the United

From their childhood to their presidency, the two went through similar situations while still having great differences that separate them. In the face of decisions that still impact the world to this day, these presidents both had to stand up and choose what they needed to do for their nation. Even if their decisions had no clear answer, they did their job as president to evaluate what the American people needed at that moment, and what would be the best possible solution to such a problem. Such a quality ties the two together and shows the major differences and similarities between both Harry S. Truman and Gerald R.