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    "localId": "6713607",
    "label": "My Definition of a Statesman as Opposed to a Politician",
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{
    "id": "6713607",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6713607",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "My Definition of a Statesman as Opposed to a Politician",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6713607",
    "collections": [
        "Gerald R. Ford's Material from the Writing of \"A Time to Heal\"",
        "Interviews and Subject Files"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Presidential personal matters",
        "Public officers",
        "Statesmen"
    ],
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    "naId": 6713607,
    "coverageEndDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1978-12-31",
        "year": 1978
    },
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        "dateQualifier": "ca.",
        "logicalDate": "1977-01-01",
        "year": 1977
    },
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    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/7/7136/6713607/content/library/document/0065/atth-statesman.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "President Gerald R. Ford's handwritten reflections, 1977 or 1978\nScanned from the collection Gerald R. Ford: Materials from the writing of A Time\nTo Heal at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nWhile writing his autobiography, A Time to Heal (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), President\nGerald R. Ford composed a series of personal reflections on twenty-seven topics. What makes\nthese documents so unusual is not only their introspection but also their form. President Ford\nrecorded these observations by hand, writing in blue ball point on his favored yellow writing\ntablets. He did not expend time and energy to polish and edit his writing, apparently planning to\ndo so when incorporating them into the book. Therefore occasional spelling or grammatical\nerrors or incomplete thoughts appear.\nFor each reflection the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library has scanned President Ford's\nhandwritten document and added a Library-produced transcription below to aid in reading the\nreflection.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald R. Ford donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nmy depution of a statemen as opposed to a polition\na politician is interested in The nept lection.\na statement is concerned about the next generation.\nno statement approved short them benefits if they unlermine\nlong mange propress. a politician talks of water to\npatch over goundnamental problems with wheral\na statesmen is ml who stands before an\nantagonistic and and desgree with conoration,\nstrength and persuasion. a politician Tells a whit Pring\nwhat it wants to hear, knowing fully that want\nis not in Their or the nations best interest\na statesman is one who belowes in the uttimate\ngood judgment 7. The american people and therefore\ntakes the position that if all The facts are Anan\nhe will survive The next election of The nation\nwill be letter offe The politician in contrast is not\nwilling to use his hadership to guide the people 4 The\nnation down a path of scenfied & long many success\nMy Definition of a Statesman as Opposed to a Politician\nA politician is interested in the next election. A statesman in concerned about the next\ngeneration. No statesman approves short term benefits if they undermine long range progress. A\npolitician talks & votes to patch over fundamental problems with superficial solutions.\nA statesman is one who stands before an antagonistic audience and disagree with conviction,\nstrength and persuasion. A politician tells a group what it wants to hear, knowing fully that what\nthey want is not in their or the nation's best interest.\nA statesman is one who believes in the ultimate good judgment of the American people and\ntherefore takes the position that if all the facts are known he will survive the next election & the\nnation will be better off. The politician in contrast is not willing to use his leadership to guide\nthe people & the nation down a path of sacrifice and long range success."
}