Gerald Ford: Taking Tumbles (1974 – 1977)

Gerald Ford ascended to the presidency upon the resignation of Richard Nixon. Since he had been selected to replace Spiro Agnew as Nixon's Vice President the year prior, Ford is the only person to ever have served as both Vice President and President without having been elected to either office. He also had the shortest term out of all presidents who did not die in office. What did he two in those two and a half years? Let's find out!

Script by Michael Thomas

Check out "Is This Wi-Fi Organic?", my book on disarming pseudoscience!

[burningphoenix]

I disagree with the idea Ford was the last moderate republican. I’d consider HW a moderate republican. Especially when you compare him to Reagan. The whole reason Reagan picked HW as VP was to make moderates happy.

[robertplatt]

The Watergate Hotel website has the slogan "create a scandal"

[DrNothing]

"The revelations of all the crimes committed by the Nixon Whitehouse stunned the Nation"... Ah, when all the news outlets reported the same reality... THANKS RUPERT!

[Kerorofan]

3:52
Wow, Dick Cheney was young once? I just assumed he was born a crotchety old man.

[ashleighstratmann]

Although it never was shown, from camera's pov and character's POV, it was obvious Ford's clumsiness getting off airforce 1 was also used in an episode of 'That's the 70s Show' where Ford visits the city the show takes place in to give a speech.

[scottpetty]

Gerald Ford was a star football player at Michigan on teams that won 2 national championships. He had offers from the Lions and Packers but turned them down to go to law school. Graduated Yale Law while also being the Yale JV head football coach.

[carultch]

I was surprised to find out that Gerald Ford wasn't Nixon's original running mate, as I had previously assumed. I knew he was one of the 9 presidents who inherited the presidency, and the only one whose predecessor lived to see his term as the successor, but I didn't originally realize that he also inherited his position as vice president.

[eaglehimmel]

Is this the last presidential video? I can't seem to find Carter, Regain, or those that followed. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough.

[DrNothing]

As Chevy Chase realized in the OG Saturday Night Live, Ford's clumsiness was comedic gold... but NOTHING will ever beat Billy Carter's (Jimmy's brother) spill down AF1's steps while pissing his pants... Ah, Georgia.

[eogg]

But he was not Senile and he was not elected president by the people.

[miguelguillen]

Hi, Dave. Will you upload a video on Jimmy Carter's presidency?

[outlander]

It was said that he couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time, poor man. Great vid as usual btw.

[SamuelTrademarked]

Hey Dave, I have an idea for an outro.

It's your intro but instead of "He knows a lot about all kinds of stuff" it's just "He knows a lot about the outro stuff! Professor Dave Concludes!"

I know it's bad, but I tried, okay?

[airmakay]

President Ford's Museum in Grand Rapids well worth the visit. Sheds a lot of light on a figure I, and I am sure many others, do not understand well.

[marywenzel]

Gerald Ford may have only been considered dumb jock in his time but he is a veritable intellectual powerhouse next to the two clowns running now.

[internetstrangerstrangerofweb]

I had a strange dream involving Gerald ford last night… I have zero idea why, but I guess I’m glad this YouTube video strangely popped up…

[kathleenr]

I did not know that! (And I am old enough to have possibly known that). I knew Spiro Agnew had been VP under Nixon but never connected that when Nixon resigned that Ford, not Agnew became president. I was young and in middle school then, and I didn't really follow politics. --- Thank you professor Dave.

[Corey-dycq]

LBJ: Helluh? Jerruh? You can't fart and chew bubbuh gum!

[pinklady]

I love history. How about history of mathematicians, physicists and engineers.

[chocolatefrenzieya]

He had the good graces not to take Betty down with him, at least lol!