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R.I.P. Betty Ford

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Fri Jul 08, 2011 at 09:09:34 PM EST
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Former First Lady Betty Ford has died at age 93. This is a really nice op-ed by the Times, that shows her multiple interests, the hardships she overcame, her independence and flashes of her personality. R.I.P.

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    R.I.P. Betty Ford | 8 comments (8 topical)

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    Betty Ford was a breath of fresh air. (5.00 / 3) (#2)
    by hairspray on Sat Jul 09, 2011 at 09:50:17 AM EST
    She was honest, courageous and outspoken.  She was a Republican woman of the "old days."  I wish more GOP women were like her, then their party wouldn't be the party of the crazies. Today's fundamental testosterone dominated GOP hierarchy have shunted all of the moderates aside, including wonderful people like Betty.

    I also think the fact that she was (none / 0) (#8)
    by shoephone on Sat Jul 09, 2011 at 03:13:43 PM EST
    a Martha Graham dancer says volumes about her sensibilities.

    Parent
    I will always remember the line (5.00 / 0) (#3)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jul 09, 2011 at 10:09:21 AM EST
    from the Yaya Sisterhood, "They'll explain it all to you when you get to the Betty".

    She was fairly unique (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by brodie on Sat Jul 09, 2011 at 11:15:46 AM EST
    for her time within the GOP political context as being both outspoken and liberal on controversial social issues.  Previous GOP First Ladies and the ones that came later -- Pat Nixon, Mamie Eisenhower, Mrs Truman, Babs Bush Sr and Jr, Nancy Reagan -- either were silent, absent, or confined themselves to non-controversial areas.

    But Betty Ford found a way to speak out about things like abortion, equal pay for equal work, and the ERA.  Unthinkable in today's GOP (the one that took over when Reagan was elected and which has only gone even further right) for a Repub FL to come out in favor of choice for women or for something as "radical" as the ERA.

    I didn't care much for her husband as president, at least after the Pardon, but Betty's positive presence and refreshing candor for a FL almost created enough good will for Jerry, even among liberal Dems, that he was at least knocking on the door of a full term, despite the terrible PR over the Nixon thing.

    I applaud her for speaking out even as her views were anathema to many in her party.   No Republican Stepford wife she.    

    Scratch the "Mrs Truman" (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by brodie on Sat Jul 09, 2011 at 11:18:27 AM EST
    part -- don't know how that got in there.  Got carried away perhaps listing all the First Ladies from yesteryear.  Or it was the silent/absent aspect that made me include her name.

    Parent
    I didn't agree w/the Pardon (none / 0) (#10)
    by brodie on Sat Jul 09, 2011 at 05:22:05 PM EST
    at the time and I've never changed that position.  It smacked of a shady inside deal between Nixon and Ford and it immediately threw into doubt what was up to then (just a few weeks of course) a presidency seen as a breath of fresh air after Tricky, creating of itself its own sort of "national distraction".  It also of course removed from the public their ability to get out of Nixon a f