Wesley Clark Announcement: CNN 9/3/03 - Inside Politics

[VolcanoJen]

CNN originally billed this as a Judy Woodruff interview, but they have a new promo up, which reads:

WESLEY CLARK ANNOUNCEMENT

Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics

Live from New Hampshire

TODAY 4 et 1 pt

Wow...

[Julien Sorel]

1. You are on the ball!!!

No wonder all these guys have an internet crush on you! ;-)

[DoveTurnedHawk]

18. You Should See Her Picture

;-)

DTH, VolcanoJen Booster

[ewagner]

2. Not on CNN, not midday!

I would think Clark would want a prime time audience.

At first, I thought this was THE BIGGIE, but the timing is too suspect. Judy Woodruff doesn't have that big an audience.

I suspect more like an announcement that there will be an announcement.

[VolcanoJen]

3. I agree, but it would indeed be in time for the nightly news cycle..

.. and CNN heavily promoted this earlier today as an exclusive Judy Woodruff interview, so who knows??

Hopefully it's not all hype. I'm certain that Clark and anti-Clark folks alike would enjoy seeing his final decision....

- Jennifer

[Julien Sorel]

5. That might mean he's going to announce

that he isn't running...

[ewagner]

9. that's another possibility n/t

[Brian Sweat]

49. He went to NH to announce that he isn't running?

[Clark Can WIN]

4. Aaaaaaaa! What am I supposed to do for three hours?

I can't work now. Crap. Somebody have a link to this info?

[DemExpat]

6. Drat, that means I'll have to stay up late again tonight

to catch the 4pm announcement over there here on DU!

:kick:

DemEx

[newsguyatl]

7. let me see

what i kind find out, guys... i'll check back in a sec

[ewagner]

8. Thank you sir! n/t

[VolcanoJen]

10. Is Wes in New Hampshire?

Anxiously awaiting your research, newsguyatl,

Jennifer :-)

[DoveTurnedHawk]

36. Yes He Is, I Believe

I recall hearing that he would be in NH for this interview, so it's probably Live by telefeed.

DTH

[wndycty]

11. I expect him. . .to tip his hand. . .but no official announcement. . .

However CNN makes perfect sense, given his relationship with them. I think he will make it clear he is running without announcing.

Something like "I am holding several meetings with key advisors on will announce my decision whether or not to run on Monday (we happens to be Clark meetup day!)

[VolcanoJen]

17. I've always had the inkling that he feels an obligation to CNN...

... and felt he might choose CNN as the carrier of his official announcement... who knows?

Political news is fun...

Jennifer :-)

[robsul82]

12. Maybe he's announcing...

...that he's going to run as a VP candidate rather than a presidential one? I think it's happened once before, I forget the name, and he did become the nominee.

Later.

RJS

[wndycty]

14. That would be stupid. . .

. . .there is no primary process for VP, so I fail to see how you announce you are running for VP.

[JPace]

60. "VP candidate"

I think he has a better shot at the
VP candidacy than the presidential one.
I bet even the South would vote for
him over Edwards if he had the VP spot.
Any presidential nominee would have
to seriously consider him as their
running mate to add "national security"
to the platform.

[newsguyatl]

13. OK HERE'S THE DEAL FOLKS

just talked to inside politics folks, word is clark will NOT announce today BUT will for the first time DECLARE that he IS a democrat today... it will be a LIVE interview with woodruff...

that's all i have for now...

ON EDIT: he will announce that he is REGISTERING as a democrat... that will be the news today

[VolcanoJen]

15. Clark will declare he's a Democrat??

Well boy howdy... that at the least is good news!!!!

Thanks for the research, newsguyatl!!!!

[Clark Can WIN]

20. Maybe he'll be siezed with spontaneity

And declare any who. Either way, I would take that decleration in of itself as a sure indicator that he will run. I wish he would declare today so he can be in the debate. We'll see what we see I guess.

[VolcanoJen]

23. If a former military guy declares a party affiliation, that's NEWS

I'm hoping for more, but just coming out of the closet as a freaking Dem will please me...

[wndycty]

16. That is huge. . .

. . .that should make a few people eat their words. Also there is no need to announce your party affiliation if you are not running.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

27. Well, I Guess That's Something

But I thought you COULDN'T register as a Democrat or Republican in Arkansas?

:shrug:

I guess I'm just hoping you're wrong, and that he'll announce he's running today. Anything less will feel a little...I dunno, like breadcrumbs?

DTH

[newsguyatl]

29. trust me guy

:-)

[DoveTurnedHawk]

31. OK

:-)

DTH, Who Still Thinks AR Has No Party Reg

[newsguyatl]

35. check

your inbox DTH

[TacticalPeek]

44. Thought the same thing about reg . . .

but apparently there is the option, at least on this form:

http://www.fvap.gov/nvra/ar.pdf

Since you can update your registration for address change, etc., maybe he'll change this option?

[Julien Sorel]

46. He can still announce his affiliation, whether he's

registered or not.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

52. Oops

Never mind, I read the response wrong.

DTH

[VolcanoJen]

30. Breadcrumbs indeed, and the hype, artificial or not, is killing me

I feel we'll all just have to wait until 4:00 to know for certain.

C'mon Wesley... get off the fucking fence, already!!

:-)
Jennifer

[Brian Sweat]

51. Just because he is not a registered Democrat

that doesn't mean he can't be a Democrat in his heart.

[TacticalPeek]

32. Thanks for info.

My impression is that Clark is getting pretty good advice on how to play the mighty media wurlitzer.

My guess is he'll do the running announcement with Aaron Brown in a week or two. And yes, he would not declare dem without intending to run.

So, if aWol can withdraw from a peaceful Iraq in two weeks, he might get reelected.

[Cheswick2.0]

40. it is all very nice to become a democrat just in time to run for Pres

however he is going to have to prove he is no DINO.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

41. You're Absolutely Right

He will have to establish his Democratic credentials, although based on his positions, I'm confident he'll be able to.

DTH

[Renew Deal]

65. That's still great news.

We can all be proud to call him our own.

:dem:
:toast:

[dusty64]

81. i don't understand,

what is he waiting for?

[_NorCal_D_]

19. Oh boy,

this could be it! Cross your fingers Clark supporters, our best hope to win the presidency has arrived!

:bounce:

:bounce:

[realFedUp]

21. Clark as savior?

So, Clark announces, like a gal late to her own party,
that he's running and what happens to the rest of the
candidates? They are supposed to get out because
he's decided to run afterall?
He's had no political experience.


I don't dislike him, but what happens to the rest
of the Dem slate?

[DoveTurnedHawk]

25. It's a Free Country

So the people currently running can do whatever they want.

:shrug:

DTH

[VolcanoJen]

26. Well, why would anyone pull out of the race just because...

... Wesley the Giant Killer announces for president??? I hope all of the candidates stay in and show us how Mighty the Dems can be!!

10 is a nice, pretty, even number. When is the New Mexico debate? Might be good timing...

[DoveTurnedHawk]

28. Debate Is Tomorrow (eom)

DTH

[_NorCal_D_]

37. No, not a savior,

Just an excellent addition to an already excellent group of candidates.

[Julien Sorel]

38. Nobody on the Clark team expects anything but a tough

fight. In fact, I wouldn't want it any other way.

[Brian Sweat]

53. I wasn't aware that if someone declares that they are going

to run for president that all of the other candidates have to bow out. BTW, didn't John Kerry just announce his candidacy?

[Cush]

22. tick tick tick

...damn, only 1:40pm :(

[Nashyra]

33. To real fed up

The rest of the Dem candidates continue to do what they are doing, campaigning. These are the primaries we are supposed to work for the candidate of our choice and ultimately we end up with the nominee. Although my candidate if he declares is Clark he by no means has the nomination locked up and the zealousness of many Clark supporters is just excitement as it would be with any other supporters of any other candidate. We should all continue to pay attention to all the candidates to make an informed choice and please don't let the over the top excitement turn you off to researching Clark as a candidate. I personally hope that his announcement does not prompt any candidate to just opt out, except maybe one and it's not Dean.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

24. Ten Reasons Why I Think This Appearance Would Make for a Good Announcement

1) The Dem debate is tomorrow, and Clark would be able to participate;

2) There is IMO no way he can wait until the end of the quarter to declare, so the election reporting issue is going to come up one way or another, and he may as well get started on his fundraising;

3) He could still appear on Bill Maher Friday, since cable TV is not subject to any equal time requirements;

4) CNN is a favorable, friendly forum for him, since he knows most/all of the other talking heads there, having been one himself;

5) The timing of the show in the afternoon is great, since all of the evening news programs will be about Clark tonight;

6) Today is close enough to the "Labor Day" prediction to satisfy
the diehard fans and reenergize any whose enthusiasm might be flagging;

7) Assuming he's already set up support from the Clintons (and yes, I know that's a big assumption), the 9/6 Clinton summit will KEEP Clark in the news for the rest of the week;

8) Today is well before the September 10 endorsement deadline that certain NH officials who are inclined to support Clark apparently may have given, before jumping to another candidate (this one is thin, as it's based only on rumor);

9) An announcement timed today would steal any lingering thunder
from Kerry's announcement yesterday, and also might pre-empt some of
Dean's supporters from his big Meetup scheduled tonight; and

10) With 9/11 coming up, Clark needs to get as much air time and play as possible from his announcement without being seen as opportunistic or insensitive with respect to 9/11.

Yeah, I know some of these are thin, and yeah, I know some of these might be controversial or inflammatory, but that's how I see it.

DTH

[DemNoir]

34. Toe in the water

"I am forming a commitee to explore the possibility", or some such thing.

I would welcome him into the race but the tease stuff drives me nuts!

[tjdee]

39. Awesome--but is he gonna wait until the 16th to officially declare?

Great great great.

2 horses in the race. Feeling good.

on edit:
Ruh roh! Unless he isn't running?
Oh no!

Oh waiting!

[RedEarth]

42. Great News.....

There is no reason for Clark to announce his party affiliation unless he plans to run for President. Outstanding.....I have always felt Clark was the only candidate that could beat b..., however, that being said, I would vote for Mickey Mouse if he could beat Bush.

[IndianaGreen]

43. Clark is not running!

He has no funding, and he has not campaigned. Clark is mistaken if he thinks he can sit at home like Charles DeGaulle waiting for the country to beckon him.

[Julien Sorel]

45. WOW

43 posts before a naysayer pops up -- and none of the Seven Dwarfs from my ignore list has posted yet. It's a record for a Clark thread! That's even bigger news than a party affiliation announcement would be.

Maybe he's going to admit that he's been acting as Karl Rove's agent today -- that's probably what the announcment is ;-)

[IndianaGreen]

50. Clark would hurt Kerry the most

and after Kerry's announcement speech yesterday I find it hard to see from where else is Clark going to get his votes from. Clark does not subscribe to the social conservatism of Lieberman, so he won't get Holy Joe's supporters. Clark also favors doing away with the idiotic "don't ask, don't tell", a very commendable position, but one that is already taken by Kucinich.

Clark will not get the support of the unions, Gephardt has those.

So it begs the question, where in the pond of voters is Clark going to cast his line?

[DoveTurnedHawk]

Disagree

I think Clark will draw from all of the existing candidates. I also don't think the unions will stick with Gephardt once he starts to tank. Then it's anyone's ball game, with them.

DTH

[VolcanoJen]

54. It sort of reminds me of that "Pick-A-Duck" game from carnivals...

... you know, everyone's a winner!

What harm does it do, really, if Wes enters the race? I'm one person who would happily pluck his duckie from the pond of the unknowns.

I know that sounded a bit sexual, but was not intended to be...

Anyone who puts the heat on Bush is a GOOD THING for the eventual Dem Nominee. If Clark says so little as "I'm a Dem" tonight, it will make the news. And that news must, at the very least, send a chill down the Rovian Spine. Yippppeeeee!

Enough, and AWAY, with the Clark-bashing! We should celebrate his candidacy, if he indeed announces.

[IndianaGreen]

61. I was impressed with Kerry's speech yesterday

it was the first time he attacked Bush for the mess he has made in foreign policy. While Kerry did not dispel my intense disagreement with his Iraq war vote, I had to admit that his speech was all Democratic meat and potatoes and I like it.

I welcome Clark if he enters the race, but my gut instinct is that our Hamlet is going to pass this off.

Do any of you know if Clark has scheduled any appearances in Iowa or New Hampshire in the coming week? That should tell you whether he is running!

[VolcanoJen]

62. I was also thoroughly impressed with Kerry's speech...

... and out here in the real world, several co-workers mentioned that they dug Kerry to me, just yesterday.

I found that incredibly encouraging for our Dem Chances in '04!!!!

As far as your other point, the fact that Clark is giving an interview (at the very least) in New Hampshire is a bit telling, isn't it???

[Walt Starr]

74. Kerry's speech took me out of the

"I won't vote for this guy nohow, noway" column and put me into the "I'd probably still vote for the guy in the general election if he wins the nomination." column.

[Brian Sweat]

59. Most Democrats don't even know who is running yet.

Unlike the denizens of DemocraticUnderground, the vast majority of voters do not live and breath politics. They also do not vote on a single issue. There are plenty of votes out there for Clark to get. The vast majority of primary voters are not tied to a candidate yet. The only question is, can he get them.

If Clark runs, he is likely to have some very powerful backers.

[bearfartinthewoods]

91. that was the most depressing poll i have read in a long time

when i saw that more republicans could name the dems candidates than dems could. in fact, more independents could as well.

[bearfartinthewoods]

79. disagree

Dean is the only one with a real shot holding the "outsider" card (until Clark enters). Plus he doesn't suffer from the soft on defense issue if for no other reason than his "first" name. General ...

[bearfartinthewoods]

78. i have to ask...

if someone is one your ignore list, how would you know if they posted?

[RichM]

80. If the "7 Dwarfs" on your ignore list are really on your ignore list....

how would you know if they've posted or not?

[tjdee]

47. What are you talking about?

He hasn't campaigned so he isn't running? Wouldn't you run, and then campaign??

Are you serious? It's not like the primaries are tomorrow??

2/3rds of Dems don't even know who's running, for pete's sake.

He has no money? You really think a four star general with ties to Bill Clinton is going to be passing around the tin cup? His supporters have already made an ad for him--that's more than a bit of change right there.

[Clark Can WIN]

55. How uninformed you must be

But allow me to help you.

He has no funding you say?
His current pledged total is $1,133,534.oo so far and that is before he's declared and before 2/3 of voting democrats can name more than one candidate.

He has not campaigned you say?
Do you read the news or own a TV? He has been popping up all over the dang place and there are also hundreds of thousands of people like me who have started the campaign en vigor without him.

Clark is not running sounds like wishful thinking to me.

[Porkrind_Power]

48. the telltale tie

if he wears a yellow striped tie: he'll run
if he wears a red one w/little dotted pattern : fuhgetabow

[UTUSN]

56. What If the Announcement Is...

that he's throwing his support to somebody?

[phillybri]

67. He might endorse Kerry....

Just a theory, but wouldn't the timing be just about perfect?

For the record, I don't really believe this is going to happen!

[Walt Starr]

57. Man, if Clark jumps in I go back to the undecided column!

This is getting very interesting now!

[Walt Starr]

58. OOOOH, and another thing, announcing today would completely

upstage the Kerry announcement from yesterday!

[Renew Deal]

63. Like anyone noticed?

No one has been talking about it outside of forums like this.

[VolcanoJen]

66. You're right. A teensy-weensy little magazine like Newsweek...

... is not in the slightest bit interested in a potential Clark campaign.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/959441.asp?0cv=KB10

When I'm finished reading the latest Newsweek, I always leave it in our Employee Lounge at work, and must report that when I picked up the latest issue again, the Clark article page was worn and dog-eared. After one day, mind you.

You'd be surprised how many people in the "real world" are interested in the fate of their nation. Pleasantly surprised, in fact.

[Clark Can WIN]

68. hey Jen

I think Bleachers was talking about Kerrys shindig on the carrier in all fairness.

Side to bleachers, I thought NBC nightly news covered Kerry rather well. Anytime "mission accomplished", "bring 'em on" and AWOL gets brought up before the sleeping mass of goo that is much of the American public, it warms my heart.

[VolcanoJen]

77. You're likely correct, Clark can WIN, and no nastiness was intended...

.. in my response.

:-)
Jennifer

[Renew Deal]

90. I meant anyone noticed Kerry's announcement.

[Clark Can WIN]

64. I don't think Clark will campaign against other Democrats

but rather will continue to campaign against the failures of the current administration. Now that he is going to declare we will begin to hear more detailed explinations of how he plans to right the wrongs done. This is not a man that heads into a battle with no plan and no clue.

[Walt Starr]

69. That would be refreshing!

A Democrat who sidesteps giving any criticism against other Democrats in favor of criticizing the Hypocrite in Chief? That, of course, is unheard of in politics.

He'd get my support!

[Julien Sorel]

70. He's going to have to go against them eventually.

As soon as he becomes a threat, Dean is likely to go on the attack, and Clark will have to respond. He doesn't have to come out as a jackass, but he will have to show he can handle that kind of thing. That's what I'm looking forward to: seeing how he handles the pressure of campaigning; watching him learn and adapt.

[Walt Starr]

72. If Dean attacks him, he should take a play from Dean's playbook

by having a staff member counter the attack and announce an online petition.

:evilgrin:

[MGKrebs]

71. Curiouser and curiouser

I would welcome Clark to the race (not wholeheartedly because I think it will make fundraising, and therefore beating shrub, just a little bit harder for all of them), but I just do not get this strategy. What could he possibly be waiting for?

1. Is he still not sure? What signal or event is he looking for to help him make up his mind?

2. He knows he's going to run but is not willing to officially enter yet? For what possible reason? Is he not ready for prime time yet? Still getting policy thoughts together? It can't be publicity- he would get much more being a candidate. Does he think this mystique is helpful? Is this an actual strategy? i.e. "I'm going to run, but I am going to delay announcing for as long as I possibly can so that _________ ? Isn't the delay hurting him? Money is being raised, endorsements given, publicity generated. He may (or may not) have Clinton backing him, but surely he's annoying a lot of the other Dem brass by this time?

3. He knows he is not going to run, but doesn't want to announce that yet. Although I agree that him declaring as a Dem is a big signal that he will run, #3 here still seems most likely to me, for the simple reason that he gets to keep his name in the news as long as possible. Once he were to bow out, he might still appear on news shows and maybe write some stuff, but he would enter the pantheon of other outsider pundits. Walter Cronkite may write some great stuff from time to time, but it's not the same as if he were about to grab the reins of power.

I know there has been a million threads on Clark, but I still don't get this strategy.

[populistmom]

73. I don't think he will run

I do think that he will announce that he is a Democrat, but he will not run. My theory is that the DLC crowd is seeing that Dean as the current frontrunner, if he wins the primaries and subsequent nomination, will need as his running mate who is 1) a southerner and 2) someone very strong militarily who can back up Dean's positions. If Clark can stay in the public eye as a Democrat, he will help tremendously the nominee be it Dean or Kerry (who would also be helped by Clark as a running mate).

[VolcanoJen]

76. If Clark announces as a Dem today, it will be because of...

... good advice, and will serve as evidence that the non-declaration of party affiliation is a deficit to his campaign, currently, in my opinion only, of course.

:-)

[VolcanoJen]

75. No Clark Hype Whatsoever on current CNN Broadcast!

If Wes had a "big" announcement to make, I feel as though they'd be hyping it like there's no tomorrow on CNN, currently. They are not currently hyping, for the record.

As of 3:08 pm, Judy says

"Also coming up, my conversation with retired General Wesley Clark. He's inching closer to his self-imposed deadline to run (sic) to decide on whether to run for the White House. I'll ask him where he stands at the top of the hour on Inside Politics."

The accompanying video of Clark shows a caption title of "Decision Time for Gen. Wesley Clark."

I heart my Tivo,
Jennifer :-)

[Cush]

82. kick

[Donna Zen]

83. Can any of us get inside Clark's head?

Ah_no. That said, we can connect some dots from what we do know from his writing and appearances:

• He believes in having a plan with many options.

• He chose to do a media blitz (free) and stayed free of any and all labels over the summer. In his quip..."never roll out a new product before September" he signaled both an intent and a personal displeasure of the * administrations cavaleer treatment of war.

• He would absolutely have consulted with one or more top political consultants in planning a strategy. I think they are looking South. Iowa and NH need only provide a decent showing for him, not a win.

• IIRC he has scheduled appearances in NH 9/8 and also several southern spots in the near future.

• He would know by now how much $$$ it's gonna take and where it is gonna come from.

• We often cite his Oxford degree...it would be good to remember that the degree includes: economics, philosophy and poitical science.

[VolcanoJen]

84. Here We Go!!!! 4:03 pm ET

He's on...

[Cush]

85. Clark: I'm inline with the Democratic Party

Its the party I belong to

[CatWoman]

86. on now

:kick:

and he just said he aligns himself with the Democratic Party.

[Nashyra]

87. Yes

He's on board. I like his explanation!

[tjdee]

88. "THAT'S THE PARTY I BELONG TO".

Allllrrrriiigggghhhtt!!!

[Cush]

89. Judy: Does Closure mean yes?

"Closure means closure"

Judy seems to think he's in

[IndianaGreen]

93. Judy could not get the answer she wanted

Closure has some distinct connotations, none of which are "Hey guys, I am going to run for Prez!"

[VolcanoJen]

94. I got the answer *I* wanted, though.

Clark: I think that it helps clarify the situation, because I think that it's easier for people to relate to you if they can put a label on there. And, the label is, you know, I'd be proud, and I am proud, to be a Democrat.

:-)
Jennifer

[Clark Can WIN]

96. Closure has no more connotation to it today

than it has in the previous 100+ appearances he has made within the last few months. It's the same phrase he has used every time someone has hounded him about making a declaration, so you can stop reading whatever you want into that phrase. Your wishfull assertions hold no water.

[VolcanoJen]

92. TRANSCRIPT!!!!!! (by VolcanoJen)

Thanks to Tivo... and by no means 100% accurate, although I can assure it's to the best of my abilities. I hope all that didn't see the broadcast can appreciate this important announcement, in General Clark's own words.

:-)


Judy Woodruff: Right now, we want to talk to someone who's been thinking about getting into this race, he's retired Army General, and retired NATO Commander, Wesley Clark, speaking to us from New York City. I want to ask you, first of all, you've been saying for months you are neither a Republican nor a Democrat. Are you now ready to declare that you belong to, and will swear your allegiance, to one party or another?

Wesley Clark: Well, Judy, this has been a really tough transition to make out of uniform and looking at American society... you know, I was in the Ford Administration, I know a lot of people who have really believed in the Republican Party. I was working around the White House, through the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Clinton Adminstration. But as I've travel around America, and looked at where the country is now, domestically, and looked at our policies abroad, I have to say, that, I'm aligned with the Democratic Party. I like the message the party has, I like what it stands for. To start, it's a party that stands for internationalism, it's a party that stands for ordinary men and women, it's a party that stands for fair play and equity and justice and common sense and reasonable dialogue. It's a party that's had a great position in our country, and I'm very attracted to it, and that's the party I belong to.

Woodruff: General, I think I can hear some Republicans out there saying well, this is really no surprise to us, because you've been critical of Bush Administration policy, and you've in effect, they think, aligned yourself already with the Democrats. They might be asking, what took you so long?

Clark: I think it's a very difficult transition for people who are in uniform and very serious about government and public service. You know, we've worn U.S. on our collars, we've served the commander-in-chief loyally, we don't speak out about public policy in uniform, we would never criticize the commander-in-chief, whoever he was. And yet as I've looked at where the country is, and where it's going, and I've looked at the policy that took us into Iraq, I always had my doubts about it, and I was always concerned about what would happen afterwards. Of course, so much of that has proved true. We tried to convey these concerns to people on the inside, but they didn't listen, they didn't want to take me aboard. I've looked at the tax cuts and what their impact is. I've looked at the job loss in America... there's just... to me, it's a very clear distinction between the two parties.

Woodruff: General, does this mean you are now closer to deciding yes, you will run for President?

Clark: Well, I'm closer to working my way through it. I'm understanding more and more about what partisan politics is, and how political parties work. I know that's easy looking at it from the outside, but when you're on the inside and people are coming to you and asking you to run, and asking you for leadership, and challenging your ideas and so forth, it's an entirely different matter. But, yes. My family and I are moving toward closure on that issue. For us, it's a question of what's the best way to contribute to the country?

Woodruff: Well, we hear, General, that you're also interviewing people about staffing a campaign.

Clark: Well, one of the issues that's come up, Judy, is, some people have said it's too late. So I have tried to do my homework on that issue, I'm asking, is it too late. I've talked to people about money as well, because I think that when you do something like this, it's a profound step, and you want to be sure that you're moving in a direction that makes sense. You know, it's a very easy thing, when you're in public life, for people who like you to come up and praise you and ask you to do things. But the real question is, what's the actual situation? And you have to listen to the people who don't always tell you what you want to hear.

Woodruff: But you've said that you will decide by September 19th whether you're going to go, and it sounds to me as if you're on the verge of saying yes.

Clark: Well, we are moving for closure, and I do have that speaking engagement in Iowa on September 19th, so that is one of those benchmarks. But this has been a long...

Woodruff: Closure meaning a yes?

Clark: Closure meaning closure. I have not made a decision on this. My wife and I are looking at all the facts and so forth. I'm very... I like the other people in the race, they're great people.. and by the way, there's a lot of great people in the Republican party that I feel very close to, and whom I admire tremendously. So, this is a very tough decision.

Woodruff: Do you feel like you've gotten a great burden off your chest by doing this?

Clark: I think that it helps clarify the situation, because I think that it's easier for people to relate to you if they can put a label on there. And, the label is, you know, I'd be proud, and I am proud, to be a Democrat.

Woodruff: All right. Spoken by retired General Wesley Clark, announcing once and for all, that he's a Democrat. General, thank you very much for talking with us, we appreciate it.

Clark: Thank you, Judy.

Transcribed by VolcanoJen, with emphasis by VolcanoJen, from on-air broadcast, CNN, 9/3/03

[snyttri]

95. transcript

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0309/03/ip.00.html