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 In
the first presidential election after the Watergate crisis and Richard
Nixon's resignation, trust in government was the great issue. Early
on, Jimmy Carter established himself as an outsider, appearing in
ads wearing a work shirt on his Georgia peanut farm. "You know,
everybody from Congress that's running for president is a lawyer..."
he drawled.
Gerald
Ford had been in Congress for years before serving as Nixon's vice-president
after Spiro Agnew's resignation. While Ford was not involved in
the Watergate scandal, his decision to pardon Nixon after succeeding
him in office left a bitter association with many voters. Ford's
ad campaign portrayed him as a decent man who had restored honor
to the nation's highest office. His "Feeling Good About America"
theme sought to reestablish good feelings between the presidency
and the people. While he made up a lot of ground as the voting day
neared, Ford lost the election.
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