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VOA慢速英语2017--Gerald Ford: Unelected

时间:2017-11-20 15:13:57

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VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents.

Today we are talking about Gerald Ford1. Ford was the 38th president, but he was never elected to the position.

Instead, an unusual series of events brought him there.

Many historians have described Ford as a good man facing a difficult situation. He tried to fix a troubled economy, end United States' involvement in Vietnam, and show people that the U.S. government could continue to operate after a crisis.

Critics from the two main political parties had problems with Ford’s efforts. And voters did not elect him president when they had the chance in 1976.

But he is remembered in American history for making many voters feel better about their elected officials.

Early life

When he was born, the future president was given his father’s name: Leslie Lynch King.

But the boy’s father was abusive. His mother separated from him a short time after their son was born. She asked a court for permission to cancel their marriage. Her request was quickly approved.

She and the boy moved from the Midwestern state of Nebraska to Michigan. In a few years, the mother married a man named Gerald Ford. The couple had three sons together.

The new family was warm and loving. In time, the oldest boy officially took his step-father’s name and became Gerald Rudolph Ford, Junior. He was called Jerry for short.

Growing up, Jerry Ford was a well-liked person and a good student. He was also a top football player. He was named the most valuable player on his team at the University of Michigan. After finishing college, he was offered work with professional football teams.

But Ford wanted to continue his education instead. He accepted coaching positions for the football and boxing teams at Yale University in Connecticut. In time, he attended the law school there.

Ford’s path to politics was similar to that of other presidents during that period. He worked at a law office in his home state. He fought in World War II. He married.

Ford’s wife was Elizabeth Bloomer. Her friends called her Betty. She had been a dancer and worked as a fashion model. The Fords went on to have four children.

When Gerald Ford was 35 years old, he launched his political career. The Republican Party chose him as its candidate for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Ford was elected to represent his home area of Grand Rapids, Michigan. But unlike many other politicians, he did not move on to the Senate or become governor of a state. Instead, he stayed in the House of Representatives for 25 years.

The job of congressman2 was, in many ways, a good choice for Ford. He was well-liked by many voters and other lawmakers. He could help different groups come to agreement. He took increasingly important positions on political issues, and in time became the top person in his party in the House.

Ford was a strong supporter of Republican presidents. In the 1968 election, Ford advocated for Richard Nixon. Ford liked Nixon’s plans for the United States, as well as his efforts to improve relations with China and the Soviet3 Union.

Both Ford and Nixon were re-elected to their positions in 1972.

But by then, major problems had come to light in Nixon’s administration.

An unusual path to the White House

One problem in the early 1970s related to Nixon’s vice4 president, Spiro Agnew. Agnew had been vice president since 1969. Five years later, officials found evidence that he had accepted money from contractors5, both while Maryland’s governor and as vice president.

In answer, Agnew resigned from the vice presidency7.

Normally, voters elect a vice president along with a president every four years. But by coincidence, the U.S. Constitution had recently been updated to say what happens if the country needs a vice president unexpectedly. It states that the president has to nominate someone for the position. Then, a majority of lawmakers in Congress must agree.

So, in 1973, Nixon nominated Gerald Ford to take Agnew’s position. Nixon was not especially close to Ford. But, he knew a majority of lawmakers would likely accept him as vice president.

They did.

However, Ford did not serve in the position long. In eight months, another unexpected event put him in the Oval Office.

Presidency

In August 1974, President Richard Nixon resigned from office. He was the first president to do so.

As a result, the vice president, Gerald Ford, became president.

Ford was sworn-in as president on August 9, 1974. Then he spoke8 to the nation on television. He said, “My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.” He told people, “Our Constitution works. Our great republic is a government of laws and not men.”

The public had understandably lost a good deal of faith in government officials, and especially in Richard Nixon. Ford wanted to re-establish their trust.

But a few weeks after taking office, Ford used his presidential powers to pardon Nixon. The pardon meant that Nixon would never face a criminal trial or, if found guilty, punishment for his actions.

Ford said he believed pardoning Nixon would help Americans begin to recover from their painful experience with the former president.

But instead, the move angered many people. They believed that Nixon should be held responsible. They also lost some of their trust in Ford.

In addition to these political troubles, Ford faced other difficult issues. The American economy was struggling. His administration had to deal with unemployment, inflation and the lasting9 effects of an energy crisis. The high price of oil imports came at a time when Americans were using more and more gasoline.

Ford took steps aimed at improving the economy. But critics said he was not consistent. Some criticized him for increasing government spending and cutting taxes; others criticized him for reducing government spending and raising taxes.

Ford also oversaw10 the withdrawal11 of Americans from Vietnam. An earlier agreement had brought a ceasefire to groups in South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and Communist forces. The U.S. officially withdrew its combat troops in 1973. But the fighting restarted.

Ford asked Congress to approve military and humanitarian12 aid for the area. But U.S. lawmakers did not approve the full amount. And in time, they cut military aid.

In 1975, Communist forces began to take control of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam.

Ford ordered all remaining Americans in the country to leave, along with any South Vietnamese who were connected to the United States.

He said that, as far as Americans were concerned, the Vietnam War was finished.

Americans did not appear to blame Ford for the troubling end of the country’s involvement in Vietnam. And some recognized that the country’s economic and energy problems had started long before he became president.

But, in general, Ford did not have the support of Congress. And many voters did not forgive him for pardoning Nixon.

In 1976, Ford officially campaigned for president for the first time.

He won his party’s nomination13 in a close race against Ronald Reagan, the former governor of California.

But he lost the general election to the Democratic candidate, who said one of his best qualities was that he did not have experience in the federal government.

The argument appeared persuasive14 to many voters, who still did not appear to be enthusiastic about the government. In the 1976 election, nearly half of all people who were legally able to vote chose not to.

Ford left the presidency graciously. He said that, because he had not planned to be president, he was thankful for the unexpected opportunity.

Legacy15

Although Ford said he was ready to retire from politics, he continued to be active in public life. He advised others on government affairs, published books, and sat on boards and committees.

His wife, Betty Ford, also left a lasting effect on the public.

As first lady, she had spoken about her experience with breast cancer.

After her husband left the presidency, she also spoke openly about her battle with alcohol and drug abuse.

In 1982, Betty Ford co-founded the Betty Ford Center in California to help people get treatment for drug addiction16.

She announced her husband’s death in 2006. Gerald Ford died of heart disease at the age of 93.

By that time, most the public had accepted that one of Ford’s biggest achievements was to help the country recover after Nixon resigned. President Bill Clinton gave Ford a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts.

And even Jimmy Carter, who beat Ford in the 1976 presidential election, began his inauguration17 speech by thanking Ford. Carter said, “For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor18 for all he has done to heal our land.”

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

Words in This Story

professional - adj. paid to participate in a sport or activity

advocate - v. to support or argue for

contractor6 - n. a person who is hired to perform work or to provide goods at a certain price or within a certain time

coincidence - n. a situation in which events happen at the same time in a way that is not planned or expected

responsible - adj. used to describe the person or thing that causes something to happen

consistent - adj. always acting19 or behaving in the same way

enthusiastic - adj. feeling or showing strong excitement about something

graciously - adv. in a way that is very polite and shows respect

achievement - n. something that has been done or achieved through effort : a result of hard work


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 Ford KiIxx     
n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过
参考例句:
  • They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上,所以我们只能涉水过河。
  • If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪,必须极度小心。
2 Congressman TvMzt7     
n.(美)国会议员
参考例句:
  • He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
  • The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。
3 Soviet Sw9wR     
adj.苏联的,苏维埃的;n.苏维埃
参考例句:
  • Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
  • Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。
4 vice NU0zQ     
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
参考例句:
  • He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
  • They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
5 contractors afd5c0fd2ee43e4ecee8159c7a7c63e4     
n.(建筑、监造中的)承包人( contractor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后,接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 contractor GnZyO     
n.订约人,承包人,收缩肌
参考例句:
  • The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
  • The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样,有几分要看地势而定。
7 presidency J1HzD     
n.总统(校长,总经理)的职位(任期)
参考例句:
  • Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
  • Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。
8 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
9 lasting IpCz02     
adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持
参考例句:
  • The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
  • We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。
10 oversaw 1175bee226edb4f0a38466d02f3baa27     
v.监督,监视( oversee的过去式 )
参考例句:
  • He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统,安然引退。 来自互联网
  • Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网
11 withdrawal Cfhwq     
n.取回,提款;撤退,撤军;收回,撤销
参考例句:
  • The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
  • They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。
12 humanitarian kcoxQ     
n.人道主义者,博爱者,基督凡人论者
参考例句:
  • She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业,并作了很大的贡献。
  • The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。
13 nomination BHMxw     
n.提名,任命,提名权
参考例句:
  • John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
  • Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。
14 persuasive 0MZxR     
adj.有说服力的,能说得使人相信的
参考例句:
  • His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
  • The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。
15 legacy 59YzD     
n.遗产,遗赠;先人(或过去)留下的东西
参考例句:
  • They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
  • He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。
16 addiction JyEzS     
n.上瘾入迷,嗜好
参考例句:
  • He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
  • Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。
17 inauguration 3cQzR     
n.开幕、就职典礼
参考例句:
  • The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
  • Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。
18 predecessor qP9x0     
n.前辈,前任
参考例句:
  • It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
  • The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。
19 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。

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