William Clay Ford Sr., March 14, 1925 (Detroit, Mich.) – March 9, 2014 (Grosse Point Shores, Mich.)
VP candidate for Independent (1976)
Running mate with nominee: Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005)
Popular vote: 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
After US Sen. Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) failed to secure the Democratic Party's nomination for President in 1968, a number of his followers campaigned for him as a third party candidate. McCarthy himself did not approve and in many but not all cases was able to have his name removed from the ballot. Different states ran his name under various party names with a variety of running mates, some of whom who were also not too thrilled to be listed: Coretta Scott King, Paul Newman, Dick Gregory, Paul O'Dwyer, and John Lindsay.
McCarthy made a brief foray into the Democratic Party primaries of 1972 but did not generate a lot of excitement. At some point after he dropped out of the race he left the Party, declared himself an Independent, and began a political journey to what could be described as libertarian centrism. As an Independent Presidential candidate in 1976 he is frequently better remembered for his high-profile legal battles to gain ballot access for third parties than for his political platform.
His 1976 VP situation made 1968 look tame. He was on the ballot in 29 states and a registered write-in in a few others. He had over 20 running mates. McCarthy himself said, "Vice-presidential candidates just clutter up the campaign. We should not ask the country to make two judgments. Everyone knows vice presidents have no influence on presidents once elected. Presidents' wives have much more influence. Perhaps we should have candidates' wives debate."
Normally I do not cover VP candidates who withdraw from the race, but in this case I'll make an exception because it explains why McCarthy had so many "stand-in" candidates later.
McCarthy initially asked US Sen. Charles Mathias (R-Md.) to be his running mate. Like McCarthy, Mathias was a maverick within his own party and had actually tested the waters for his own Presidential run in 1976-- first as a Republican then as an independent. Still functioning as a sitting Senator, Mathias turned McCarthy down.
William Clay Ford was McCarthy's next choice and his acceptance of the position was announced Feb. 5, 1976. Ford was the son of Edsel Ford and grandson of the legendary Henry Ford. Bill Ford had supported Goldwater in 1964 but had a dramatic political about-face and backed McCarthy in 1968. During that election cycle McCarthy said Ford would make an excellent Sec. of Commerce. In his 1972 run in the Democratic primaries, he named Ford his choice for Sec. of Transportation.
Ford was an early major financial donor for McCarthy's 1976 effort. He apparently did not view his running-mate status as set in concrete and was somewhat modest about his own political skills even though the idea was for him to be national candidate rather a local stand-in. "When my good friend Gene McCarthy approached me about running on his ticket," he told the press, "I was both deeply honored and very happy to oblige. It is my hope that his presence as a third-party candidate will evoke more enlightened discussion of the pressing issues now facing us and that in November the electorate will have a wider choice of candidates from which to make their selection for the presidency. For my part, Eugene McCarthy is the man for the job."
"Personally I have no political ambitions whatsoever and I'm sure that in good time Senator McCarthy will find someone better qualified politically to be his running mate. But in the meantime I will support him to the fullest."
McCarthy added, "If you look at the record of vice presidents of the last 12 years, he looks very good." The more cynical pundits felt that Ford's large bankroll and business connections might have been more of a deciding factor. Some of the more liberal columnists were disappointed in the choice.
Before any sort of backlash from stage Left gained steam, Ford withdrew from the ticket Feb. 11, 1976, six days after being named, explaining, "Legal counsel advised us that in several key states, a stand-in (vice-presidential) candidate must be a resident of those states." McCarthy commented, "I am hopeful that, when final decisions are made about the vice president and cabinet before the November elections, Mr. Ford might be free."
The McCarthy campaign committee issued their own statement, which actually hints at a more dramatic backstory to Ford's withdrawal: "We feel it best that Mr. Ford withdraw in order to avoid the risk of invalidating our (candidacy) petitions ... Mr. Ford concurs in that decision. He assures us that the McCarthy '76 campaign will continue to receive his wholehearted support."
Ford's role in the campaign was very low key after February. In Michigan, where he could have easily been the VP choice, Patricia Weymouth was selected. McCarthy never subsequently named a national level running-mate.
Election history: none
Other occupations: Ford Motor Co. executive, Edison Institute executive, owner of the Detroit Lions
Buried: Woodlawn Cemetery (Detroit, Mich.)
Notes:
Buried in the same cemetery as Edsel Ford, Aretha Franklin, Rosa Parks, and Lawrence Payton
Forbes listed him as the 371st richest person in the United States in 2013
