Wesley Clark did nothing wrong. Once again the media fucked us over, we fell for it & succombed

[mtnsnake]

I can't freaking believe how we still don't know how to play the game.

The only reason there is a firestorm over General Clark's benign comments is because the media made a mountain out of a molehill AGAIN by taking something completely out of context, and our people got scared and rolled over instead of sticking to our guns and staying on the offensive.

General Clark said nothing wrong. NOTHING. He was set up by a remark which that asshole, Bob Schieffer, made when he was referencing Barack Obama. Only problem is, the media is not telling everyone that Schieffer referenced Obama just before Clark made his remark in response to it. All anyone is hearing is Clark's answer, period.

Instead of our people getting on the air and backing up one of our best Democrats for doing nothing wrong, they question his judgment and abandon him, leaving him to the sharks all on his own. How pathetic is that. The sad thing is that General Clark's judgment was dead-on accurate and there was nothing insulting with what he said if you listen to the conversation that led up to his remarks.

Just before Clark's remark, he and Schieffer were arguing whether McCain's war experiences were valid experience for being President. Then came Schieffer's remark about Obama....

Schieffer: "I'd have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down."

Clark: "Well I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be President. But Barack is not..he is not running on the fact that he has made these national security pronouncements. He's running on his other strengths. He's running on the strength of his character, he's running on the strength of his communication skills, on the strength of his judgment"...and so on.

In the context of the conversation between Schieffer and General Clark, General Clark has nothing to be ashamed of. The media is only playing that one sentence by Clark and not Schieffer's remarks leading up to it, nor what Clark said afterward. Despite what anyone from the Obama camp is saying about Clark's remarks, I just hope to hell that some of our other Democrats give some much deserved support to Wesley Clark tomorrow. This shit could have been nipped in the bud if only our people stood up to it right from the start.

General Clark was in the process of giving our campaign a gift with which to tear McCain apart, and all we did was waste that gift away.

Here is a link to the video if anyone wants to hear General Clark's remarks in the context of the situation:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iXOE0oGRNXA

[Skittles]

1. are you speaking of some DUers or of Obama? n/t

[mtnsnake]

2. By "we" I mean any Dem spokespeople, Obama included, who are not fully backing what Clark said.

By "Democrats" I'm talking about Democratic spokespeople, not DU'ers. I mean high profile Democrats who get chances to speak on the news.

[Skittles]

8. get 'em all, DUers included

I agree with you: I can't believe how many people fall for the same crap over and over and over

[ElsewheresDaughter]

13. A-FRIGGIN-MEN!

[patrice]

3. Will WC with Dan Abrams tonight be YouTubed? I read he did very well responding to the criticism.nt

[anonymous171]

4. I can't wait for the day when President Obama smashes the Media monopolies apart.

[mtnsnake]

7. I hope he gets tougher with the media from here on out

and not fall for their shennanigans, like what they did to Clark, taking his comments out of context.

[goodgd_yall]

5. Yep

giving over power to the media. I'm hoping more Obama supporters (surrogates) speak up on the MSM in support of Wesley Clark's statements.

[redstate_democrat]

6. I totally agree.

The Obama Campaign folded like a cheap ass tent. That was very Kerry 2004 of them. General Clark said NOTHING wrong. NOTHING. It is TIME for Democrats to get a fucking backbone already. The Repukes are VERY PLEASED with the Obama campaign tonight. They did exactly what the Repukes WANTED THEM to do. The Obama campaign is going to have to be a lot smarter than this. They can't ALWAYS to the politically expedient thing. Sometimes you have to stand on principle. Did the Repukes pay for how they swiftboated a genuine war hero like Kerry in 2004? Hell no. It is time to fight back.

Here is a comment I made in another thread:

McCain has already made himself a victim. Have you seen his biography ads...like all one million of them. Each one has teh footage of him laying on a cot, camera in his face, look of distress, arm jacked up, with him describing the pain and torture of being a POW...like he is Jesus on the cross fer christsakes. He has turned this into an issue. Obama has already lifted him up on a pedestal with the rest of the media as a "war hero", but now McCain is trying to take it one. step. further. He now wants to run on his POW status as making him MORE qualified to be POTUS. Once he did that, whether or not that assumption is true became fair game. I'm damn proud of Wes Clark.

Obama cannot cede that point to McCain. If he does, McCain WINS. What about that is unclear? People NEED to be told that being a POW does not qualify one to be president alone. People need to be told to look beneath the surface of symbols and look at the ideas behind those symbols and whether the person actually lives up to them. People need to be told that it is OKAY to NOT vote for McCain despite him being a POW because being a POW does not make one qualified. People need to be told to look at the candidate's ideas.

If this becomes a contest between the POW war hero who is automatically presumed to be qualified for POTUS based on that alone and the new kid on the block with less than one term as senator who ALSO agrees that being a POW makes one automatically qualified to become president, um, Obama WILL lose this baby. You guys are giving the American public too much credit.

[AndyTiedye]

9. I Have No Idea How to Fight Something Like That, and Evidently Neither Does Obama

Both with this and the FISA bill, Obama is desperately trying to "play it safe" and not give the Mighty Slime Machine anything to latch onto.
This doesn't look like a winning strategy.

Actually, I do have an idea how to fight it.
Portray McCain as so old and bitter and angry that he is likely to start World War III.

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

Bring back the "Daisy" ads!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKs-bTL-pRg

[Tom Rinaldo]

12. Clark is getting attqcked precisely for watching Obama's back

Clark put his 4 stars on the line for Obama. You can never win by letting your enemies beat up on your best allies.

[redstate_democrat]

14. Exactly.

People will think twice about stepping out there on a limb for Obama. That's not the message we need to be sending. In no way shape or form should we be siding with Repukes instead of one of our own, especially a decorated war hero General like Clark.

[windbreeze]

11. and I agree with you...n/t

[JI7]

10. YOU fell for it

[enraged dem]

15. AMEN TO THE ORIGINAL POST

NT

[LuckyLib]

16. The comment makes perfect sense. And the Repugs continue to gin up these "spats"

as that's what drives the NOOZ. The Democrats need to establish a mantra that they repeat each and every time this stuff is dragged out and repeat it while shaking heads: "Once again, the full statement and conversation is missing. Once again, a small piece of language has been paraded out with new meaning attached. It won't work. Stick to the issues."

[elleng]

17. Right-O!

Dems should use mantra as do Reps! ALL THE TIME!!!!

"Once again, the full statement and conversation is missing. Once again, a small piece of language has been paraded out with new meaning attached. It won't work. Stick to the issues."