Kerry sizes up Clark

[Printer70]

Kerry flew from Iowa to Manchester on Tuesday night and was up early Wednesday with an anti-Clark message. "Unlike some other candidates, I have 35 years' experience fighting for the Democratic values of the party," he said, "never having voted for Richard Nixon or Ronald Reagan or others. I've been a Democrat all my life."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63270-2004Jan7.html

--
Is this a legitimate criticism? I have my own opinion but what do you think?

[Printer70]

1. To see a lifelong Republican outpace you in the polls...

...must be aggravating for Kerry. That's what he's responding to.

[JI7]

3. who is the lifelong republican ?

?

[JI7]

4. kerry said nothing about lifelong republican

he was talking about his own lifelong record. never said anyone else was a lifelong republican.

[Tweed]

7. The faith of a convert

Wesley Clark is pissed off at where the country is going and wants to change that direction. His policies coulnd't be more Democratic and he has the support of Madonna and Charles Rangel to name a few. Certainly no one would dare call those people 'proud Republicans'

[JI7]

2. pro kerry message

it's a pro kerry message.

[Sean Reynolds]

5. It's also a slam on Clark.

But I agree with the good senator! :)

Go get 'em Kerry!

[La_Serpiente]

6. Personally,

I think Kerry is now going to have to campaign against both Dean and Clark at the same time in New Hampshire.

As for Iowa, he is going to have to beat out Gephardt for second place.

Whether or not he can do it, I don't know. All I know is that it will be one of the greatest campaign upsets in history if he comes back from this.

Since people can change, so can Clark. He's only, what "human". The question I ask myself is that has Clark been Democrat during these recent years? During the Clinton years? It seems like most of his ideas have gone to the left within these last couple of years, not just within this primary period. However, how far to the left has he gone?

It is wonderful when you don't have a voting record and you run for the president of the US. Sometimes, you can start off on a blank slate.

[Kahuna]

25. Everybody is going to have a campaign against Dean and Clark..

It's to be expected. :shrug:

Clark's Democratic bona fides is fair game. Let the voters decide how important it is.

[imhotep]

8. I am sending Kerry some money

to stop that candidate that has no experience and voted for Nixon and Reagan.

[eileen from OH]

9. NO. I'm a Dean supporter

and I have my own reasons for not particularly liking Clark. I don't hate him, would vote for him, etc., etc., But his party affiliation and past voting record has nothing to do with it. In fact, I think it's stoopid and irrelevant.

I'm one of those people who welcomes former Nader voters with open arms. Hell, I welcome people who voted for Bush the first time around.

What I care about is the NOW. And if that "now" includes beating Bush I don't give a fried fart if their last vote was for Thor, The Immortal Tree.

Seeing as right now, I have a lot of trouble with the DLC AND the DNC, a past loyalty to one or the other means nada to me. I'm a helluva lot more concerned with what a candidate (OR representative of a Dem organization) is doing NOW.


eileen from OH

[tishaLA]

10. Eileen, I think that's a great attitude

and something we could all learn from.

[Printer70]

11. What are your isses with the DLC?

I trust you realize that Wesley Clark is the DLC's candidate and their way to reassert themselves in the party. I can't say I'm bothered by Wesley's Republican past per-se, but his Republican exposure has rubbd off on him and it shows when he talks about issues like foreign policy and national security. The language, the assumptions, etc - it's all reminiscent of neocon talk. His world view hasn't changed overnight and that was evident whe he said he would have voted for the Iraq war resolution.

[eileen from OH]

14. I don't trust that Clark is the DLC candidate

since I've heard nothing but rumor and innuendo that he is. And of course I've also heard that Lieberman and/or Kerry is their choice. My beef with the DLC has nada to do with Clark, but with Dean - they have trashed Dean unmercifully since the get-go, even though he was the poster-child of a DLC Governor up until he actually started to make a splash. They aren't interested in winning (except if winning translates into THEM winning). And I'm more concerned about getting a DEM in the White House rather than getting a DLC DEM in the White House.

They do not share this view and for that reason I scorn and disavow them. If I have something more than conjecture to connect Clark with them then I would be even less inclined to support Clark. But, in the absence of that, I won't tar him with their brush. Yet.

eileen from OH

[Printer70]

20. Stay tuned...

eom

[Adjoran]

12. It is a fair statement

Clark was a registered independent, but admitted voting for Nixon and Reagan. Of course, their vote totals in 1972 and 1984 are the highest on record, so he wasn't alone. Both won with a lot of Democratic and independent votes to make their landslides.

Still, it is certainly fair to challenge Clark as a newcomer to the Democratic Party. There are legitimate questions about a newbie's loyalties. Would he appoint repubs to cabinet posts? He certainly spoke highly of several of them not too long ago.

OTOH, this could be an advantage in the general election, enabling Clark to appear to rise above the partisanship and seek what's best for the country, like a good soldier should.

Kerry is obviously banking on a chink appearing in Dean's armor as the actual vote approaches. His unfortunate campaign thus far has hurt his ability to take advantage, because there are other strong candidates in the race, particularly Clark. So, Kerry must not only convince voters that Dean was helpful in a cathartic way but might not win the big one, but also that HE, not Clark, is the best alternative. That's a tough sell, given his long head start and resume, having the lackluster poll numbers he is now seeing.

If Kerry pulls it off, with a strong third in Iowa and a better second than expected in NH, he could jump-start his campaign. Should he succeed, it would be one of the biggest comeback stories in political history.

[Leilani]

13. Don't worry about Clark

Lieberman has already said he would have Repugs in his government; said he would have a bipartisan administration.

And he's been a Dem for how long? 30+ years, I believe.

[incapsulated]

15. Great Point, Leilani

Between him and Zell Miller, they have enough "pure Democratic" years to last a lifetime.

Certainly, we must trust these lifelong Democrats over any Wes-come-lately.

[Printer70]

21. Great Argument; Lieberman did it, OK for Clark

We ARE concerned that Lieberman said he would appoint Republicans to his cabinet. If Clark would do the same, I would assume he would similarly concerned. Ultimately, the question is whether or not he's able to shake of decades of Republican programming but when I hear him answer a foreign policy question, I cannot tell him apart from a Neocon.

[Soul On Ice]

22. How short are your memories?

Bill Clinton had republicans in his government; at least one cabinet level!

[SahaleArm]

16. I like JK but this line was killer...

Kerry's day included a New Hampshire standard: the purchase of a jacket at Timberland headquarters in Stratham. Substantively, his emphasis was a critique of tax plans offered by Clark, Dean and Gephardt. He questioned whether Clark's plan, unveiled this week, to eliminate taxes on people earning less than $50,000 a year "kind of excuses them from a sense of responsibility for the country."

Paying income tax gives them a sense of responsibility for the country? Uh they still pay payroll tax, sales tax, gas tax, and possibly property tax. I wonder how well that line will sell.

[JI7]

17. yeah, it's kind of funny

but shows how it's kind of hard to oppose the plan.

[Boo Boo]

18. I don't think it's legitimate.

Kerry's a Senator, for crying out loud. Tell me that if we looked at his voting record over the years we could'nt find many instances that could be construed as betraying the values of the Democratic Party. The Senate is the land of back-scratching and backroom deals. So, six of one, half dozen of the other. Whoop-dee-doo. Clark just joined the Dems; OTOH, he hasn't had enough time to disappoint us yet either.

Think about Gep and Lieberman standing in the Rose Garden with Bush, grinning like fools, and then think of Walter Reed. Is that what it means to defend "Democratic Party values?" Seems to me that many (most?) of the Washington insiders to stand up against the War were Republicans, and retired Generals---where were our valiant value-defending Democrats?

I saw a number of guys with stars testify before Congress that Iraq was a mistake, and that Bush should not be given a blank check for War. Wes Clark was one of those men.

That's good enough for me.

[Soul On Ice]

23. Yes, I agree Boo Boo.

Parties are enmeshed at this point.

After we throw BushCo out, something has to be done about this overlapping party philosophy business.

Democrat and Republican...and, dare I say, 3rd parties all need to stand for something.

Deals in backrooms are SO 20th century!

[RafterMan]

19. Funny

How many Dean supporters want to sow dissention between Kerry and Clark.

Why not focus on your own campaign?

[Bucky]

24. It's legitimate. I'm pro-Clark, but this is fair game.

I think most voters can see beyond this silliness. It might sway a few purists in the primary, but it won't help Kerry a bit.

[Kahuna]

26. I agree. It is fair game. As long as they don't tell lies ..

about General Clark, it's fair.

[JI7]

27. that's why he doesn't use it that much

he usually says it when he wants to differentiate himself from clark. and i agree, as long as he doesn't lie it isn't wrong. though it's not very effective either since he can only mention presidents from long ago. it would probably work more if clark had also voted against clinton and for bush. another thing is that kerry does know and like clark just as he does gephardt and some others so he sticks to facts and on politics.

[in_cog_ni_to]

28. This is HOLLOW!

Who cares how Clark voted 20-30 years ago???? How many citizens have changed political parties? MILLIONS! This is a shallow, hollow bash on Clark. It will go no where. These guys are just getting this out of the way for Clark before the GE. :7

Shallow, Shallow argument. "I guess that's what you would expect from professional politicians." Wes Clark

Go Wes!

[Forkboy]

29. Well that didn't take long

Kerry brushed off reporters’ questions about possible attacks on his closest rival.

"I think the world of Wesley. He’s a very good guy, and I know him and like him. I’m not going to be critical of Wes Clark," Kerry said.

http://www.politicsnh.com/archives/pindell/2003/december/1_7Kerry.shtml

[Killarney]

30. It's a fair statement and

if I was running against Clark, that's the angle I would use. But a couple points:
1) if that's the best the competition can do (say, "hey he voted Republican over 12 years ago!") then Clark is in good shape.
2) I think the fact that Clark was a registered Independent for most of his life and has voted for both parties in the past will work greatly for him with the 40+% of the country that is independent/swing. People will respect him for being his own man and not a partisan politician. Lots of people will like that about him.

Do I wish he was a lifetime Dem? Yes.
Will the fact that he isn't a lifetime Dem will help him in the GE? Yes.

[wndycty]

31. Kerry is not complaining about other candidates coming after him. . .

So while I don't like it, its fair. He is not running to the DNC asking to be protected. He is a big boy, if he tosses it out I am assuming he can take whatever may come his way.

[blm]

32. Fair play. I expect nothing but fair play between those two.

There will be some differentiating, and this one is valid. Kerry was opposing those Republicans for 35 years and THAT is the emphasis he's making.

[LTR]

33. The GOP never criticized Reagan for once being a Democrat (nm)