Reply #47: Look at the whole exchange

[Jai4WKC08]

Setting aside that everyone who runs for president adamantly denies any interest in the vice presidency--any other response would doom a campaign (or at least, such is the conventional wisdom, and I have no reason to doubt it)--you have to remember the context of these specific remarks.

When the MTP interview took place, Jan 4th, everything looked like Howard Dean would be the man to beat--Dean was the man most likely to get the nomination and it appeared he would be the ONLY one in a position to ask Clark to be his VP. Kerry and Edwards were just not a consideration.

Even the question when asked was specifically about Dean, and Clark's remarks were about being "Dean's Chaney."

MR. RUSSERT: Let me go through this whole exchange with Governor Dean that you had about the vice presidency. In December you said this. "...as a matter of fact, did offer me the vice presidency...it was sort of discussed and dangled before I made the decision to run." "It was a meeting that we had...This was in early September." Governor Dean responded "...I can tell you flat out" that "I did not ask to be by running mate." Who's telling the truth?

GEN. CLARK: Well, I don't think we need to play semantic games with this. I stand by what I said. And I also will tell you this, Tim. I'm not going to be Howard Dean's vice president.

MR. RUSSERT: You said something else: "I'm not going to be Howard Dean's Dick Cheney. We've already tried that model of government and it doesn't work. That's what misled America thus far."

GEN. CLARK: That's exactly right. We need people who are experienced not only in the domestic issues but in the foreign policy issues.

MR. RUSSERT: Another general who entered politics, William Sherman, was asked whether or not he would seek elective office. He said: "If nominated, I will not accept. If elected, I will not serve." If General Clark is nominated as vice president, will you accept?

GEN. CLARK: Well, I've said I'm not going to be the vice president, and that's what I stand by. I'm running to be president of the United States. This country needs a higher standard of leadership, Tim, and to get that higher standard, I'm going to have to be the commander in chief and the president of the United States. That's why I'm running.

MR. RUSSERT: But General Sherman had a very understandable formula: "If nominated, I will not accept." Is that your view?

GEN. CLARK: I'm saying that I'm not going to be the vice president. I'm not going accept that nomination. I can't make it any more clearer than that.

MR. RUSSERT: So if nominated, you will not accept the vice presidency?

GEN. CLARK: I'm running to be president of the United States. I am not running to be vice president, and I do not intend to accept that nomination, and I will not.

MR. RUSSERT: Absolutely.

GEN. CLARK: That's absolutely the facts.

Personally, just my opinion, I could see Clark feeling about the same way for being "Edwards' Chaney" as he did about being Dean's. Kerry, otoh, would be an entirely different matter. But in either case, Clark, like Dean, has recently said, several times, that he will do EVERYTHING he can to help get Bush out of the White House. You have no idea how ABB this man is, how personally he takes it all. Would put some people here to shame.

I always thought that Will Safire painted an interesting scenario toward the end of the same MTP. He said:
"...I think when the moment comes in the convention, there you are sitting in NBC's booth, right, looking down at all these people waving their banners, and Dean realizes that he has to bring the party together, and he sends an emissary to Clark's emissary, who will be one of the Clinton people, and say, "Hey, how about it now? Now, I'm really offering it to you. I just sort of dangled it last time. This is a firm offer." And let's say Clark says no. What do you do if you're Dean? You pick up the phone, you call Bill Clinton and say, "Hey, get this guy on the ticket because that's the only way we're going to bring the party together, and that's the only way I'm going to support Hillary in 2008 if I don't win." And if you're Bill Clinton, will you then turn to General Clark and say, "Do your duty to the party"?

Now, obviously, the dynamics have changed. Dean's not going to do the asking, and Clark's showing was not good enough to put him in a position to symbolize bringing the party back together.

But the fundamental question remains. If you're Clark, and if you see being on the ticket as fundamentally being important to the party and the nation. of contributing signficantly to the odds of sending Bush back to Texas, do you you eat your words? Do you accept a position you don't necessarily want, especially if it means being "Edwards' Chaney"? Or risk sinking into political oblivion with what you believe will be a losing campaign?

Do you do your duty?

I would submit that Wes Clark has always done what he saw as his duty, no matter how difficult, unpleasant, or contrary to his own aspirations or best interests.