Should Ford Have Pardoned Nixon?

Before I write about this topic, I would like to express my high regard for the 38th President of the United States, Gerald R. Ford. He was a principled man. He did what he thought was best for the nation regardless of the political repercussions and despite attacks from both the left and the right. Succeeding two of the most deceptive presidents in our history, he was remarkably sincere. I hope presidents like him do not become less common as the years pass.

"Well, when the President does it, that means that it's not illegal." - Richard Nixon

Should Ford have pardoned Nixon? Ford’s rationale was to end the “national nightmare” of the Watergate scandal. Indeed there is a good argument to be made that it was in the best interests of the country to put that awful ordeal behind us. However, in light of the current administration's transgressions, I find myself questioning the late president’s decision.

It’s essential to our republic that the President not be above the law. Subsequently, in order to ensure this, we need to hold presidents accountable when they violate the law. If we fail to hold any particular president accountable, we not only excuse his individual violation(s), but we set a precedent for future presidents to follow. We send the message to future presidents that they are, in fact, above the law.

Nixon was forced out of office. Though he wasn’t impeached, it seems certain that he would have been had he not resigned. So then it is true that he was held accountable, but the questions is was he held accountable enough? Was the punishment exacted on Nixon enough to cancel out the potential precedent?

Well, at the time I probably would have answered yes. But now considering Bush’s obviously illegal warrantless wiretapping, detaining American citizens without charges and of course his tendency to add defiant statements to bills he signs into law, my answer is no; I believe Ford should not have pardoned Nixon. Perhaps if Nixon were convicted or even jailed, Bush would think twice about breaking the law. It’s hard to say, really. But the chance of it having that effect would have been worth extending the “nightmare”.