It's Official: CLARK Is Now a Registered Democrat

[DoveTurnedHawk]

Wesley Clark’s campaign has said its candidate’s words and deeds, not a piece of paper, established his Democratic bona fides.

But on Friday, a paper form made him a registered Democrat in his home state of Arkansas for the first time.

<...>

But the change is wholly symbolic. Under Arkansas law, party affiliation is optional and doesn’t affect a voter’s ability to participate in party-specific elections.

<...>

Clark voted in a Democratic primary when he registered to vote in Pulaski County in 2002, but like more than 95 percent of Arkansas voters, he didn’t declare a political affiliation. The state doesn’t require such a declaration, and even for those who state their allegiance, party primaries are always open to all voters.

Since becoming the 10th Democrat to join the race for the party’s 2004 presidential nomination on Sept. 17, rivals have criticized Clark for Republican leanings.

<...>

The Democratic Party chairmen of Arkansas and Texas endorsed Clark on Friday.

http://www.couriernews.com/story.asp?ID=3548

DTH

[DoveTurnedHawk]

1. Whatever Will the Anti-Clarkers Do Now?

What's the next avenue of attack?

I hear Clark eats kittens.

DTH

[DeathvadeR]

8. O like he's an angel now??????

At the last minute he decides to label himself democratic??? And probably only due to being told to do so, by his campaign managers, so it looks good? I'm not one to lable based on party either but it just seems a little strange to me.

[w4rma]

12. That's not all he fixed. He just re-filed this, also.

Presented by the Federal Election Commission
CLARK, WESLEY K ID: P40002792

Office Sought: President
Election Year: 2004
State: Presidential Candidate
District: 02
Party: DEM (Democratic Party)
…
Year 2003
Document Filed Amended Filed On Pages Display Image or PDF
STATEMENT OF CANDIDACY 10/02/2003 2 23038211996 PDF
http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?P40002792

It used to read:
Presented by the Federal Election Commission
CLARK, WESLEY GENERAL ID: P40002792

Office Sought: President
Election Year: 2004
State: Presidential Candidate
District: 02
Party: UNK (Unknown)
…
http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?P40002792
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=108&topic_id=53433

[MoonRiver]

17. I'm happy to hear it's official. But what has always been important

is what's in his heart and mind. Clark is a Dem through and through, regardless of what paperwork he fills out. GO PRESIDENT CLARK! :kick:

[JohnOneillsMemory]

27. Thanks for framing all criticism of Clark as petty. Not!

I appreciate your unshakeable support for your candidate but every posting of news about Clark has you dissing his critics as petty whiners. You obviously have a lot of perspective to offer as someone who has seen the inside of military culture, your other 'hot button,' and I'd like to hear more of your thinking, DTH, and fewer schoolyard taunts.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

28. I Have Zero Respect for the Rabid Anti-Clarkers

If that doesn't describe you, then I wasn't referring to you.

I have no problems with legitimate questions, especially those framed in a manner conducive to discussion. But I have no patience for the "Clark is a war criminal," "Clark is a secret Republican mole," "Clark eats kittens" type of nonsense that passes for debate among certain pacifists, anti-military bigots and fanatical supporters of other, more threatened candidates.

DTH

[truthisfreedom]

2. i voted straight Democrat all my life and only last election registered as

one. i never felt the need... i let my vote do the talking. and it talked... along with half a million more than bush* received... i voted Gore.

[JI7]

3. i'm registered republican

i register as republican so i can vote in republican primaries. i voted mccain as i hated bush then just as i do now. i always knew from that time how much of an asshole he was. although i had always intended to vote for al gore in november 2000 as i did. i also voted for bill simon in the primary for governor, and voted for gray davis in the general elections. but if someone asks me if i am a democrat or republican, i say i am a democrat. but i will be changing my registration to democratic soon so i can vote for john kerry in the primary.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

5. Good for You!

You won't hear me criticizing you, unlike certain members of the Purity Police here.

DTH

[madmax]

4. Welcome to the party Wes!

He was great today at the DNC meeting.

[Eurobabe]

6. Go General!!

Clark is the man.

[madmax]

7. And a Welcome to DU crozet4clark

:toast:

[DeathvadeR]

9. Yes all hail Clark our Messiah............

[newyawker99]

19. Hi crozet4clark!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[IndianaGreen]

10. I am glad to hear this. Now, when is Clark going to denounce Reagan?

And when is he going to answer questions about his command of NATO and Southern Command at the height of the illegal war against Nicaragua?

[DoveTurnedHawk]

11. Because Obviously, US Foreign Policy in Nicaragua Was All Clark's Fault

:eyes:

DTH

[Julien Sorel]

13. When some credible person asks him.

Don't hold your breath. Credible people generally have good judgment.

[onehandle]

14. Finally!

Now let's see some proof from the other nine. I'm pretty sure Sharpton is a GOP plant.

[Donna Zen]

15. He also joined

the 1.4%....repeat: the 1.4% of all Arkansas voters who register for ANY party. What is it the purity police don't get about Arkansas voter registration being non-affiliated?

Wow_talk about raking someone over the coals for no reason! Maybe because the critics would rather the voters swallow red herrings rather than dine on what Clark is actually serving up:

The essential step Clark argues is to establish a foreign policy on three principles: inclusiveness in decision making - which leads to the second principle: reaffirmation of the role of international institutions - and requires that we affirm a third principle: placing the military instrument in its proper place as the protector, rather than the driver, of the first two principles.

It requires, as he explains in the closing pages, that Americans admit that the imperial road is a dead end, that we turn away from it, and actively repair the damage that the American experiment in unilateralism has caused - it will take a great deal of work to merely get back to a world as chaotic as the one of 1999. This is forging of detailed pragmatism, with broad idealism: Clark grasps in detail the structural weakness of the neoconservative view of government - where civil society is starved to pay for the concentration of wealth and military might required for empire - and argues it cannot work because the society needed to support the economic requirements of such a neoconservative empire cannot be sustained with the constriction of economic opportunity that militarization of Americans will create. He points out that America will be competing with markets larger than its own, which, when they are fully organized, will have enormous manpower and cost advantages which we cannot offset if our entire political and intellectual focus is on the sustaining of occupation.

.......quoting Clark..........

"We don't need the New American Empire. Indeed, the very idea of classic empire is obsolete. An interdependent world will no longer accept discriminatory dominance by one nation over others. Instead, a more collaborative, collegiate Amercian strategy will prevail, a strategy based on the great American virtues of tolerance, freedom and fairness that made this country a beacon of hope in the world."

It is not just that he "get it," it is that his experiences and knowledge coupled with his intellect afford him (and us) the means to fix it.

The following link is written by a Clark supporter, so if you automatically dismiss anyone associated with the "grassroots" Clark movement as suspect...why bother to click the link? Or, if you are interested in a review of Clark's latest book written by a liberal economist who choses to support Clark because he agrees with him, it is a good read:

http://www.draftclark.com/archives/004410.shtml#004410

[Orangepeel]

16. Good.

This is something he needed to do (if one is campaigning to represent a particular party, one damn well ought to be a member of it, optional or not).

Welcome to the party, General!

[Wickerman]

18. ya know, i've lived in Texas and Minnesota in the alst several years

In Texas you only decalred party affiliation if you voted in primaries. I ALWAYS voted in the Repug primaries as a protest against those carpet-bagging Bus*es.

In Minnesota I now realize I have NO friggin' idea of whether I registered DFL (Dem) or not, or if I even have the option. Guess that makes me a lousy Dem and I should stop going to all DFL meetings and stop campaigning for my area candidates.

I realize the difference is that I am not running for president. However, I also think its notworthing that over 98% of Arkansians (?) don't register for eithre party. THAT would define optional. I think its time to find a different issue on which to tear Clark down.

[gate of the sun]

20. gee what a relief........

n/t

[ElsewheresDaughter]

21. Clark slipped up and feel back into his repuke mode a few times....

during his "Hear It From The Heartland" Harkin campaign gig...i just don't feel good about his camealeon abilities...watch the video and you decide...you need to really pay attention...he is masterful and easily corrected himself without hardly a missed beat.......one such slip was . when discussing the # of years that bush had to ruin economy he slipped and said "8 years"...seems like he was still in his "blame clinton" state of mind ...there are other slips and they are very subtle...watch and listen with your hearts ears instead of your minds eye

http://www.websoapbox.com/media/clarkharkin.ram

[goforit]

22. WELCOME Clark !! May all the voices be heard!!!!

:bounce:

[MGKrebs]

23. Is it normal for party leaders to endorse before

the primary?

(This is not a slam on Clark, just brings up a party issue.)

"The Democratic Party chairmen of Arkansas and Texas endorsed Clark on Friday"

My local county Dem party is in a bit of a quandry over this right now. The Chairman and some other post seat holders want to endorse a candidate for a local race, but there are 2 Dems running, and some object to the party endorsing one of them before the primary.

I happen to think that it is inappropriate. The party should support all Dem candidates until the voters have spoken.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

24. MGKrebs..... you are correct

[robbedvoter]

25. Shouldn't. Minnesota went for Dean though. I agree, the party

should wait until the...um...General election?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

26. whoopdyfriggendoo

[bicentennial_baby]

29. Problem?

3 snarky posts on this thread from you in 3 hours? What's the problem?

[NNN0LHI]

31. And a thread that the poster dragged from the back of the LBN pages...

...that had not been commented on and had been dropping for three straight days. I guess this is the way to get around the new GD forum rules? Find a post about a candidate you don't like from 3 days ago and drag it back up to the main page and start stirring the pot. Real slick. Yep.

Don

[Evanstondem]

30. Welcome to the Democratic party, Wesley!

The more the merrier!