The Highest Praise Was Reserved For His Connection With Congress And His Moral Authority
Nixon stepped down as President in 1974, and Gerald Ford was elected to succeed him. A C-SPAN survey found that his connection with Congress and issues of moral authority were among his greatest strengths. He was seen as aloof in his dealings with the affairs of the state. Nixon’s pardon of Nixon after the Watergate affair was a major flaw that kept him from rising to the top of the rankings.
After serving as president, Ford’s public popularity rating fell to a low of 36 percent. In 1977, he departed the White House with the worst rating for a president since World War II.