For the first few seasons of the series' run, Red is established as a blue collar conservative. He made a joke at Nixon's expense in the first season after Eric streaked through the crowd while wearing a Nixon mask and, in a pivotal moment, expressed disdain for Gerald Ford (when allowed to ask President Ford a question he said "Hey 'Gerry', here's my question: 'How the hell could you pardon Nixon?'") in front of the entire town. Later seasons portrayed him to be a staunch Republican, who became angry when Eric made an anti-Nixon joke in the fifth season, which Eric tries to cover by replying, "Nixon was framed and Kennedy was a commie."