Famous Quotes & Sayings

Gerald R. Ford Quotes & Sayings

Enjoy the top 100 famous quotes, sayings and quotations by Gerald R. Ford.

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Famous Quotes By Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1627679

I think they ought to be treated equally. Period. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1970553

I do believe that the buck stops here, that I cannot rely upon public opinion polls to tell me what is right. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 379340

We are bound together by the most powerful of all ties, our fervent love for freedom and independence, which knows no homeland but the human heart. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1118465

Real assistance is to help people to help themselves. We can't do everything for everybody, but there is room for all who try to make it. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1033105

We have come tardily to the tremendous task of cleaning up our environment. We should have moved with similar zeal at least a decade ago. But no purpose is served by post-mortems. With visionary zeal but the greatest realism, we must now address ourselves to the vast problems that confront us. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2108311

This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1658574

The American dream does not come to those who fall asleep. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 644668

If you have not chosen me by secret ballot, neither have I gained office by any secret promises. I have not campaigned either for the Presidency or the Vice Presidency. I have not subscribed to any partisan platform. I am indebted to no man, and only to one womanmy dear wifeas I begin this very difficult job. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1643270

That, in part, is why the Constitution's framers gave justices life tenure ? to enable them to rule wherever the law and the Constitution led them, without obligation or fear of political reprisal. Former Republican president Gerald Ford recently paid tribute to John Paul Stevens, his only appointee to the Supreme Court, who is also far more liberal than Republicans expected. He has served his nation well, ... with dignity, intellect and without partisan political concerns. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1759468

I do believe, with all my heart and mind and spirit, that I, not as President but as a humble servant of God, will receive justice without mercy if I fail to show mercy. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 203907

In a democracy, the public has a right to know not only what the government decides, but why and by what process. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2009173

I watch a lot of baseball on the radio. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1917256

In a political sense, there is one problem that currently underlies all of the others. That problem is making Government sufficiently responsive to the people. If we don't make government responsive to the people, we don't make it believable. And we must make government believable if we are to have a functioning democracy. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 382991

We came from many roots, and we have many branches. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1788054

I would hope that understanding and reconciliation are not limited to the 19th hole alone. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1934493

The three-martini lunch is the epitome of American efficiency. Where else can you get an earful, a bellyful and a snootful at the same time? — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1845683

America now is stumbling through the darkness of hatred and divisiveness. Our values, our principles, and our determination to succeed as a free and democratic people will give us a torch to light the way. And we will survive and become the strongernot only because of a patriotism that stands for love of country, but a patriotism that stands for love of people. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 665883

We must proceed with our own energy development. Exploitation of domestic petroleum and natural gas potentialities, along with nuclear, solar, geothermal, and non-fossil fuels is vital. We will never again permit any foreign nation to have Uncle Sam over a barrel of oil. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2191043

As a man of the Congress, let me reaffirm my conviction that the collective wisdom of our two great legislative bodies, while not infallible, will in the end serve the people faithfully and very, very well. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2071228

I know I am getting better at golf because I am hitting fewer spectators. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 407016

An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 236265

Our constitution works. Our great republic is a government of laws, not of men. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1184469

Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them - a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 403195

My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over. Our constitution works. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2064633

It's discouraging how hard it is for a President to slice away large chunks of a $305 billion budget. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 589585

One of the enduring truths of the nation's capital is that bureaucrats survive. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2254322

So much of what passes for public life consists of little more than candidates without ideas, hiring consultants without conviction, to stage campaigns without content. The result, increasingly, is elections without voters. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1424844

We ... declared our independence 200 years ago, and we are not about to lose it now to paper shufflers and computers. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2169036

I am the first to admit that I am no great orator or no person that got where I have gotten by any William Jennings Bryan technique. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1830545

All my children have spoken for themselves since they first learned to speak, and not always with my advance approval, and I expect that to continue in the future. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1965492

I once told you that I am not a saint, and I hope never to see the day that I cannot admit having made a mistake. So I will close with another confession. Frequently, along the tortuous road of recent months from this chamber to the Presidents House, I protested that I was my own man. Now I realize that I was wrong. I am your man, for it was your carefully weighed confirmation that changed my occupation. The truth is I am the peoples man, for you acted in their name, and I accepted and began my new and solemn trust with a promise to serve all the people and do the best that I can for America. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1963045

America's leadership is essential. America's resources are vast. America's opportunities are unprecedented. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 615775

I am determined to seek self-sufficiency in energy as an urgent national priority. My goal is to make America independent of foreign energy sources by 1985. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 639690

I am a Ford, not a Lincoln. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1873592

I recognize the need for technology that enriches life while preserving our natural environment. My goal is to stimulate productivity, but use technology to redeem, not to destroy our environment. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1851940

I have always felt that the real purpose of government is to enhance the lives of people and that a leader can best do that by restraining government in most cases instead of enlarging it at every opportunity. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1850088

Ronald Regan doesn't dye his hair - he's just prematurely orange. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 696104

Today, America can regain the sense of pride that existed before Vietnam. These events, tragic as they are, portend neither the end of the world nor of America's leadership in the world. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2007157

Let America symbolize humanity's struggle to conquer nature and master technology. The time has now come for our Government to facilitate the individual's control over his or her future-and of the future of America. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1819592

In the two centuries that have passed since 1776, millions upon millions of Americans have worked and taken up arms, when necessary, to make [the American] dream a reality. We can be proud of what they have accomplished. Today, we are the world's oldest republic. We are at peace. Our nation and our way of life endure. And we are free. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 721780

I couldn't wait to start the day. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 777085

As I rejected amnesty, so I reject revenge. I ask all Americans who ever asked for goodness and mercy in their lives, who ever sought forgiveness for their trespasses, to join in rehabilitating all the casualties of the tragic conflict of the past. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1741167

The political lesson of Watergate is this: Never again must America allow an arrogant, elite guard of political adolescents to by-pass the regular party organization and dictate the terms of a national election. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1736820

As President, I am determined to offer leadership to overcome our current economic problems. My goal is for jobs for all who want to work and economic opportunity for all who want to achieve. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1714159

I know well the coequal role of the Congress in our constitutional process. I love the House of Representatives. I revere the traditions of the Senate despite my too-short internship in that great body. As President, within the limits of basic principles, my motto toward the Congress is communication, conciliation, compromise, and cooperation. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1706575

Truth is the glue that holds government together. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2143381

To know John Kennedy, as I did, was to understand the true meaning of the word. He understood that courage is not something to be gauged in a poll or located in a focus group. No adviser can spin it. No historian can backdate it. For, in the age old contest between popularity and principle, only those willing to lose for their convictions are deserving of posterity's approval. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 161376

There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration ... The United States does notconcede that those countries are under the domination of the Soviet Union. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2249218

Sit down before facts as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion - or you shall learn nothing. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2225373

I've had a lot of experience with people smarter than I am. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2211308

History and experience tell us that moral progress comes not in comfortable and complacent times, but out of trial and confusion. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 269445

I just don't think we should go hellfire damnation around the globe freeing people, unless it is directly related to our own national security. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2182087

For nearly two hundred years, our nation has derived its strength from the diversity of its people and of their beliefs. That strength has been greatly enhanced by [the Islamic] religious heritage. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2173175

A coalition of groups is waging a massive propaganda campaign against the president of the United States. an all-out attack. Their aim is total victory for themselves and total defeat for him. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2155935

The Constitution is the bedrock of all our freedoms; guard and cherish it; keep honor and order in your own house; and the republic will endure. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 586843

It's more like it is now than it ever has been. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2142713

Personal excellence can be achieved by a visionary goal, through planning, dedicated execution, and total follow-through. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2135946

Mr. President, putting it bluntly, wouldn't we just be continuing a bloodbath that already exists in Cambodia if we voted the 222 million in aid? — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 290315

Let us put an end to self-inflicted wounds. Let us remember that our national unity is a most priceless asset. Let us deny our adversaries the satisfaction of using Vietnam to pit Americans against Americans. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 2102387

A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 330897

I am a Ford, not a Lincoln. My addresses will never be as eloquent as Mr. Lincoln's. But I will do my very best to equal his brevity and his plain speaking. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 421597

Things are the way they are now, more than they ever have been before. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 567233

If Lincoln were alive today he'd be turning over in his grave. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1682215

We have too long treated the natural world as an adversary rather than as a life-sustaining gift from the Almighty. If man has the genius to build, which he has, he must also have the ability and the responsibility to preserve. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1120036

I believe that prayer in public schools should be voluntary. It is difficult for me to see how religious exercises can be a requirement in public schools, given our Constitutional requirement of separation of church and state. I feel that the highly desirable goal of religious education must be principally the responsibility of church and home. I do not believe that public education should show any hostility toward religion, and neither should it inhibit voluntary participation, if it does not interfere with the educational process. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1345930

Never be satisfied with less than your very best effort. If you strive for the top and miss, you'll still 'beat the pack.' — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1310538

I have had a lot of adversaries in my political life, but no enemies that I can remember. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1303628

I am committed to furthering the self-determination of Indian communities but without terminating the special relationship between the Federal Government and the Indian people. I am strongly opposed to termination. Self-determination means that you can decide the nature of your tribe's relationship with the Federal Government within the framework of the Self-Determination Act, which I signed in January of 1975. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1238721

I remain convinced that pardoning Nixon was the right thing to do. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 878257

Theirs is an American tragedy in which we all have played a part. It could go on and on, or someone must write "The End" to it. I have concluded that only I can do that. And if I can, I must. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1150601

An American tragedy in which we all have played a part. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1141281

In all my public and private acts as your president, I expect to follow my instincts of openness and candor with full confidence that honesty is always the best policy in the end. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1140461

Tell the truth, work hard, and come to dinner on time. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1376037

To me, the Presidency and the Vice-Presidency were not prizes to be won, but a duty to be done. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 905707

I have taken special interest in these accounts [of UFOs].. I think there may be substance to some of these reports ... I think we owe it to the people to establish credibility regarding UFOs and to produce the greatest possible enlightenment on this subject. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1111569

I think that sports, particularly football, gave me an opportunity to be out front, to be a leader, which helped me later on, when I got into politics. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1068657

Frankly, I've never felt voting to be all that essential to the process. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1055665

A great nation cannot abandon its responsibilities. Responsibilities abandoned today return as more acute crises tomorrow. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1041783

If I went back to college again, I'd concentrate on two areas learning to write and to speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1037046

It's the quality of the ordinary, the straight, the square, that accounts for the great stability and success of our nation. It's a quality to be proud of. But it's a quality that many people seem to have neglected. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 938252

America needed recovery, not revenge. The hate had to be drained and the healing begun. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1008027

All of us who served in one war or another know very well that all wars are the glory and the agony of the young. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1512443

For millions of men and women, the church has been the hospital for the soul, the school for the mind and the safe depository for moral ideas. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 942655

The spirit of seeking understanding through personal contact with people of other nations and other cultures deserves the respect and support of all. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1664326

Let us remember that our national unity is a most priceless asset. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 780492

Things are more like today than they have ever been before. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 788307

I hope never to see the day that I cannot admit having made a mistake. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 817899

It is good to be back in the Peoples House. But this cannot be a real homecoming. Under the Constitution, I now belong to the executive branch. The Supreme Court has even ruled that I am the executive branchhead, heart, and hand. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1603855

I would like to deny all allegations by Bob Hope that during my last game of golf, I hit an eagle, a birdie, an elk and a moose. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1602529

The harder you work, the luckier you are, and I worked like hell. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1597883

Humor can help you to disagree without being disagreeable. The key in democracy is not necessarily that we agree, but that we participate ... Despite all the heavy problems- domestic and international- there is humor. Humor transcends partisanship. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1691734

When a man is asked to make a speech, the first thing he has to decide is what to say. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1479047

The length of one's days matters less than the love of one's family and friends. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1475296

The Communist leaders in Moscow, Peking and Hanoi must fully understand that the United States considers the freedom of South Viet Nam vital to our interests. And they must know that we are not bluffing in our determination to defend those interests. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1442897

I can assure you the National Federation is an organization of Republican women whose power, prestige, perception, and purpose will never be underestimated by anyone. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1432897

The veto is a President's Constitutional right, given to him by the drafters of the Constitution because they wanted it as a checkagainst irresponsible Congressional action. The veto forces Congress to take another look at legislation that has been passed. I think this is a responsible tool for a president of the United States, and I have sought to use it responsibly. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1416382

I strongly support the feeding of children. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1404389

There are no adequate substitutes for father, mother, and children bound together in a loving commitment to nurture and protect. No government, no matter how well-intentioned, can take the place of the family in the scheme of things. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1392776

My golf must be improving, I'm not hitting as many spectators. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes 1390491

The old question still remains: Can a free people restrain crime without sacrificing fundamental liberties and a heritage of compassion? — Gerald R. Ford