Generally Speaking: 10 Questions for Wesley Clark ("I think about it every day.")

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT Magazine: Questions for Wesley K. Clark
Generally Speaking
Interview By DEBORAH SOLOMON
Published: July 1, 2007



(Q) As a retired four-star general and former presidential candidate, you’re about to publish a memoir whose title, “A Time to Lead,” might seem to suggest you’re personally eager to lead this country. Is that an accurate reading?

“A Time to Lead” is a time for America to lead. That is the intention of the title. Certainly we are having a leadership crisis. We have an administration that has lost all sense of strategic purpose in the Mideast. I am very concerned that we have lost the foundation of America’s worldwide power and influence. It has been squandered.

(Q) Are you referring to our military strength?

The most important element of power is not the military. After World War II and through the end of the 20th century, we had a legitimacy that magnified our military strength and economic strength. We weren’t like other powers. We weren’t after an empire. We didn’t torture. What we’ve lost is our legitimacy. It’s time for every American to be a leader.

(Q) Is that practical? If every American were a leader, there would be no one left for them to boss around.

Leaders don’t boss. Not if they’re any good. They persuade. And I think America needs a whole lot more persuading and a lot less bossing.

(Q)It sounds as if you’re running for president again as a Democrat.

I haven’t said I won’t. I think about it every day....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/magazine/01wwln-Q4-t.html?ref=magazine

[MethuenProgressive]

1. Kerry/Clark would've won in '04

No way the Swiftboaters would've been left unchallenged by Wes Clark.
Clinton/Clark, Obama/Clark, Clark/heckfire-just-about-anybody! '08!

[Dinger]

3. The swiftLIARS Would Have Been Left Limp In Attacking Wes

stupid fucks that they are.

[iamjoy]

5. Kerry/Clark Wouldn't Have Done Any Better

than Kerry/Edwards. I spoke to so many people in 2004 who said they wished the ticket were reversed. Kerry was directing that campaign, I don't see how having Clark (or any one else) on the ticket would have changed the Swift Boat response (or lack thereof). It's not even completely Kerry's fault. Another factor is the unfortunate circumstance of our convention being a month before the Repub. This meant we had to spread our general election money out over a longer period of time than Dubya. Therefore, we had inadequate resources (money) for a good response.

Clark may make a good running mate this time around.

[MethuenProgressive]

8. You see no difference between Wes Clark and John Edwards?

"I spoke to so many people in 2004 who said they wished the ticket were reversed."
That's interesting. No one, repeat no one, I spoke to thought Edwards was the right choice for the VP slot. And, while the Swiftboaters were attacking the top of the ticket, where was Edwards? Standing up to them? Sounding off? Counter attacking? Saying *anything*? We needed a man to respond to the Swiftboaters, and all we had was John Edwards.

[iamjoy]

31. Big Difference Between Clark and Edwards

but that doesn't mean Clark would have done differently. The Pres candidate picks the team, the communication is at their direction. I know independents and "soft" Republicans who liked Clark and some who liked Edwards. I don't know any swing voters who liked Kerry, just those who dislike Dubya.

No one was looking for statements from Edwards on this, in fact, the media didn't seem all that interested in giving the Kerry campaign much of a chance to respond at all. They would show the Swift Boat ad as "news" and then have their pundits discuss it. Yeah, like that was fair.

[Hippo_Tron]

21. Unfortunate circumstances... try horrendous planning by Terry McCauliffe

[Dinger]

2. I'm Thinkin' Of Going To Little Rock On The Fourth. Who's With Me?

It'd be a perfect place to declare his candidacy, or Gore could declare there & name Wes as his running mate right off the bat! Sound good to you?
:patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

[CarolNYC]

34. Well, you know, Dinger....

Wes came to me in a dream last night and told me he was running...but he didn't tell me when or where he was going to announce. ;)

[Sparkly]

4. Okay -- I gotta go get a NYTimes today!

:D

[mcscajun]

6. I'm still hopeful...

But hot dogs? Why ask him about hot dogs?

Q: Why do Americans eat hot dogs on July 4?
A: Because they’re easier to cook than hamburgers.

[polichick]

7. LOL

Too funny!

[DeepModem Mom]

9. A little levity for the Fourth? He gave a great answer!

:D

[Adelante]

20. Mmmm - hot dogs

http://ptnine.com/Astonishing2!.jpg

[calteacherguy]

41. LOL. Great pic! nt

[calteacherguy]

40. I really appreciate the humor in the interview. Loved it. nt

[loudsue]

10. A Gore/Clark ticket would be my DREAM ticket.

If we would EVER be able to turn this country around, those two could do it. Hands down.

:kick::kick::kick:

[MethuenProgressive]

22. Wes is one of the few people 'running' smarter than Al.

And that's saying a lot!
Gore/Clark '08!

[Dinger]

30. A Pic Of Wes & Al:

My brother Al that is-:

[Boo Boo]

11. I'm kicking this thread, dammit, whether it needs it or not!

:kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick:

[DeepModem Mom]

12. What a kick!!! nt

[Boo Boo]

14. Yeah, decided maybe I better cut it down a little. I got a little carried away! /nt

[DeepModem Mom]

19. Oh -- I liked every one of those kicking Dem donkeys! nt

[Adelante]

13. Good sequence here

As a decorated leader yourself who served as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander during the war in Kosovo, how would you assess the threat that Al Qaeda poses to this country?

Al Qaeda is not an existential threat to the United States the way the Soviet Union was. You have to understand that the Soviet Union was a country of more than 200 million people. Al Qaeda is maybe 50,000 angry and destructive individuals.

You make Al Qaeda sound as unthreatening as a schoolyard gang.

Al Qaeda is unpredictable and dangerous and has an unknown number of sympathizers. But the Soviets had thousands of nuclear warheads, nuclear bombs, biological and chemical warheads and specially trained assassination teams aimed at us, and all of it was on a hair-trigger status that could have been set off by accident or miscalculation.

Neoconservatives generally argue just the opposite, claiming that the fight against terrorism is no less daunting than the cold war and in fact constitutes “World War IV,” to borrow the title of Norman Podhoretz’s forthcoming book.

Thus far, we don’t have an opposing superpower against us, no matter how much the neoconservatives long for this. Perhaps the neoconservatives believe that we can only be defined by having an enemy.

He hits the neocons where they live, doesn't he?

[Boo Boo]

15. "You make Al Qaeda sound as unthreatening as a schoolyard gang."

:eyes:

[FrenchieCat]

16. And that's what a true leader would do............remind us that we

have nothing to fear but fear itself. :patriot:

[Boo Boo]

17. Absolutely. OTOH, Deborah Solomon must have attended a very large school! /nt

[smalll]

18. Brilliantly honest stuff from Clark here -

He does hit the neocons where they live too. Ironically, if those neocons had only been more open to ideas from one of their own -- remember Francis Fukuyama and the End of History? -- even they might have found a way to figure out the truth that Clark is talking about here.

I must admit, I generally find the idea that Clark could run for President to be rather laughable. I do hope and expect however that whatever Democrat wins the Presidency, whoever she may be, will use Clark as a resource for advice and ideas, whether inside the cabinet or out of it.

[FrenchieCat]

27. Also see quote of the day

http://fromtheleft.wordpress.com/2007/06/30/quote-of-the-day-136/

[Cameron27]

28. Did you see this comment? I love it:

"Wow! All of the remaining Bush fans, all 28% of you, must feel so proud of your boy about now. Just think of it: a retired four star General of the US Army who once served as the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO says Bush is worse than Nixon."

[nealmhughes]

38. Unfortunately, Fukuyama made the same mistake as did Marx: discounting nationalism.

Nationalism, while in a mild form can be a joyful expression of common communal identity, unfortunately, can often be an instrument of repression against the "differentiated other."

I don't think the neocons read the same Fukuyama as did I, frankly. It was a brilliant neo-Hegelian analysis of then contemporary events, but as do all forecasts, there is only a 50/50 chance of the prediction coming true.

Fukuyama promised the same things as did Marx, only by the economic inverse, and a liberal parliamentary process universal to be the decider of the path for all to take, vice the end of government as we know it per Marx. It would be either Westminster or Capitol Hill for all from Tuva to Timbuktu.

Now that is what the neocons loved: free enterprise and "liberal representative democracies," even though they actually are supported by New Gilded Age titans worthy of an Ayn Rand "novel" and their allies are among the most centralized monarchists/dictators on the face of the earth!

No wonder Dr. Francis cut his ties openly and loudly!

[calteacherguy]

42. He ran before and won the Oklahoma primary

with no previous experience running for elected office. What part of the idea do you specifically find rather laughable?

[smalll]

43. Honestly, bluntly, he was a Presidential "flavor of the month" back four years ago -

He's just too obscure four years later to be a serious candidate in my estimation. How do you explain who he is to most Americans? He was in command of NATO forces in Kosovo? ("Kosovo", where was that? When was that?)

[calteacherguy]

44. American's understand the rank of four-star general.

And he is far less "obscure" than he was when he ran in 04'.

[IA_Seth]

29. By far the best portion...

In fact I had it copied and ready to be pasted until I saw it here.

Clark's ability to break down Bush's fear-factory in a couple of sentences is great.

[CarolNYC]

35. That is a great sequence....

The whole thing is great...He can mange to say so much with so few words....

[Cameron27]

23. Brilliant and concise. He's able to cover so much ground

in just a few short sentences. Neocons beware ----> incoming, ROFL.

I still think he's gonna run :)

[DeepModem Mom]

24. DMM here, just dropping back in to remark that Wes is looking MIGHTY FINE in that photo!

Adding nothing of substance to the discussion, of course.

:blush:

[FrenchieCat]

25. I find "Mighty Fine" to be a very substantial quality, although never so all on its own....

But there is so much there there, within this one man, that your point is well taken, and reiterated! :)

[Cameron27]

26. MIGHTY FINE indeed!

:thumbsup:

[CarolNYC]

36. No worries....

nothing wrong with noticing a mighty fine photo when you see one...And, I agree, mighty fine. :thumbsup:

[ArkySue]

32. K & R !!

:kick:

[dae]

33. He is THE man! And I think about him running for President

every day, just as he does.
:kick:

[CarolNYC]

37. Reminds me of the recent Stephanie Miller interview...

When Wes gave her the "I think about it every day" answer, she responded "Not as much as we do." :)

[calteacherguy]

39. Thanks for posting, you beat me to it! nt

[NCarolinawoman]

45. "Legitimacy". If we still had it we could be such a force for good.

We could have led the way on global warming, endangered species, clean water, Human rights, even influenced the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The list goes on and on.

Thanks a lot, all you Neo-con bullies and war lovers. It is difficult to keep up with all the ways that you have damaged life on this planet.

There is so much wrong that must be set right. I only pray that we can still do it. 2008 seems like a long way off.