RIP Gerald Ford

I am not going to speak ill of the dead and offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Gerald R. Ford. But he was one of history's also-rans - he came after two Presidential giants and lost the one Presidential election he stood for (against the man The Simpsons once called "history's greatest villian"). His claim to fame is that he is the only President not to have been elected to national office. Arguably, through the Betty Ford clinic, his wife has made a more lasting impact on America than he has.

But let's take a moment to celebrate history's great also-rans. We need people to keep government ticking over, we need people who don't make a spectacular impact on history. For every Ronald Reagan, we need a Gerry Ford. For every Margaret Thatcher, we need a John Major or a Jim Callaghan. It may not be the most striking of tributes, but it should not be under-estimated - Gerry Ford did his best, and managed not to do anything too damaging to the country. Just compare him to the incumbent President if you want an example of how much damage one president can do.