Why Wes Clark will make a better President than John Kerry...

[kentuck]

Both are exceptionally good men. I do not buy all the stuff that is put out against John Kerry. I think he still maintains much of the idealism and humanity that he brought back from Viet Nam with him when he started the VVAW.(Vietnam Veterans Against the War) I think he would do a much better job than the present occupant, George W Bush.

That said, I think Wes Clark is the man for the times. Our country is very divided - Democrat vs Repub, rich vs poor, black vs white, etc. We need a President that can unite this country - not just our Party. In my opinion, Wes Clark is the best hope to do that.

In normal times, I could never support a career military man for such a high office. But these are not "normal" times. We do not need a partisan or someone that has been in politics for a long time, in my opinion. We need someone that is somewhat of an outsider but still espouses Democratic values. Wes Clark fits that bill. He will appeal to liberals, independents, and many Republicans. That is necessary if this country is going to be united.

Wes Clark comes across as a very sincere and honest person. I do not doubt that he is a Democrat. He will be a "doer". He will get things done. He will be more effective as President than any other person running, in my opinion. He is a leader.

Another point that is very important in the Clark campaign is that black people admire and respect General Wesley Clark. Why? Because of his military experience. Black folks understand that the military has been the one institution in America where they could get equal opportunity and be judged on their merits. They admire General Clark's background and his history in supporting Affirmative Action.

Although the General did take a job as a lobbyist, when he retired, that is not a disqualifying point from my perspective. Many generals and high-ranking officers become lobbyists when they get out of the military. It is informative that he has not built a career out of lobbying.

In the final analysis, my choice comes down to who can unite this country and who has the best chance at challenging the status quo in Washington? With John Kerry, a good man, I think the status quo would more or less stay the same if he is elected. Also, I think General Wesley Clark is the only person that can win in the South and will win nationwide with his message.

I have been a John Kerry supporter for a good while and respect all the candidates running, but in the final analysis, I must support who I think is best for our country at this crossroads of history. He is the best choice to change the direction of our Party, which is downward, and to change the direction of our nation and regain respect around the world. George McGovern was correct. He is the best Democrat in the race.

[jmaier]

1. Nice post, kentuck

I paid close attention to Kerry all summer and then made a thoughtful choice to support Clark in early November -- after I had some time to look at what he was saying about core Dem issues like taxes, abortion rights, healthcare, etc.

I agree that Clark is well positioned to compete against * but perhaps not too well positioned to compete in a Democratic primary contest since he really hasn't had adequate time to campaign and introduce himself to the voters, especially women voters where Dean, Kerry and Edwards have pretty much dominated him so far.

All the same, I concur fully with what you said. :-)

[dansolo]

4. Clark made two mistakes

There was a long stretch of will-he/won't-he in deciding to run, which made a lot of Democratic voters suspicious. I also believe that he made a huge mistake in not attending the pre-Iowa caucus debates. I said this even before Kerry won the caucus.

[kentuck]

9. I disagree with half your statement....

I think his delaying his decision whether or not to run was brilliant PR. He got his moments on TV and his opportunity to introduce himself to the people. People were anticipating his decision. Whether or not attending the pre-Iowa caucus debates was a mistake, I don't know. However, he didn't do too bad in NH, considering that he came in 3rd place, ahead of two Senators, one of which was the VP candidate in 2000... :)

[girl gone mad]

2. Well written.

I think Clark, like Dean, would bring new faces and new ideas into the party. I also believe he is a true liberal, and there is plenty of evidence to that effect dating back to the 90s when he tried in vain to get the Clinton administration to take action to stop the genocide in Africa.

[leftchick]

3. well said kentuck and I might add....

General Clark handles the media so much better than Kerry. That will be crucial in a race against bush* and I feel that is one of the reasons they fear him. If you can't take on the corporate media you don't have a chance to be president unfortunately.

[Bread and Circus]

5. Kentuck, I always thought you were an Kerry or Edwards guy?

Cool though, I am super glad folks support Clark.

Win or lose, I hope Clark helps liberal goals and ideals.

[sandnsea]

6. I just need to know about Reagan

And no it doesn't matter to me who Teresa voted for. Teresa isn't setting policy.

What does Clark think about the Reagan years. It's important. That determines where he'd take the country and I think I have a right to know that before I vote for him.

[kentuck]

11. Generally speaking, military people are not that political...

So if Clark voted for Reagan in the 80's, I can understand why he did it, even though I would not agree with it. However, the issue before us is who do we want to lead us now and who would do the best job, not whether one candidate had botox treatment or whether one voted for Reagan in 1980...Military people tend to vote for those they think is best for the military....Just my opinion.

[sandnsea]

18. His opinion, NOT his votes

I could care less who he voted for. I just want to know what he was thinking; in light of Iran/Contra, Noriega, nuclear weapons, and the proxy wars; and what he thinks about the Reagan years now. I don't think it's too much to ask for.

[kentuck]

22. I agree...

But I'm more interested in where we're going than where we've been. And when I hear the candidates talk about the here and now, General Clark seems to have the best grasp of our situation. I do recall that General Clark was the CO in Panama for a while. No doubt, much of his thinking has been influenced by his military background.

[glarius]

7. May I add another point...as a non-American?

May I add another point..he will work to regain the friendship of your former allies....I have heard him say, more than once, even before he was running, that he is appalled at what the Bush government has done to alienate countries that have always been your friends....My country, Canada, for instance....I also find him to be not only sincere and kind, but he has a brilliant mind as opposed to the current moron in the White House...
P.S.....Clark, Kerry, any of the candidates would be a HUGE improvement as president! :)

[dd123]

8. Anybody is better than Kerry.

Kerry has no convictions. He'll say one thing one day and the next he'll switch for political convenience and it's not even based on rational thinking.

Now he's attacking NCLB, the Patriot Act and the Iraq war when he voted for all three.

Pathetic.

[cajun4clark]

15. Absolutely

and that's all that the RNC will have to say. Kerry gets on every side of every issue. Why should you believe him now?

[corporatewhore]

10. As much as i dont like kerry clark scares me more

SOA vieques praising bush and blair in april (sweet balm of liberation come to mind)

[kentuck]

14. That is a troublesome issue....

A lot of our support, no matter who we support, is based on some degree of faith that that person will do the right thing when confronted with the facts, which they may not be totally educated on... I think the SOA and Nafta are two of those issues with the General...

[LandOLincoln]

12. Kentuck, you know that, I know that, and George&Karl know that...

which is why they're destroying the General by the most effective means possible: they're ignoring him.

And some of our own people are complicit in this tactic, whether deliberately or not.

This morning on the local (Albuquerque) NBC affiliate KOB-TV, immediately following Meet the Press, Joni Guttierez--the Chairperson of the NM Democratic party--neglected to mention Wesley Clark when she was asked who was on the primary ballot in New Mexico.

Let me repeat that: Joni Guttierez. Chairman of the NM Democratic Party. KOB-TV response line: 505-764-2444.

The KOB-TV website (www.kobtv.com) picks up an AP feed which (surprise!) mentions General Clark only in passing, and fails completely to mention that he too will be in Albuquerque tomorrow (2/2) for a Rally in the Valley at the Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th Street SW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102, 505.766.9858.

And believe it or not, the General's own website lists only today's events in Oklahoma and Arizona.

Oh yeah--yesterday on the plaza at Old Mesilla (NM) Governor Bill Richardson introduced General Clark as "El proximo presidente de los Estados Unidos!" Do I need to translate that?

Didn't think so. Y'all know what to do. ;-)

(edited for the usual typos)

[Strelnikov_]

13. Who Did She (Guttierez) Mention Was On The Ballot?

<eom>

[LandOLincoln]

17. Everybody else, including Gephardt. [eom]

[Strelnikov_]

19. Unbelievable <eom>

[MariaS]

16. Good Post

I agree that Gen. Clark is our best chance of uniting this country. When I began looking at the candidates I based everything on who could beat Bush. Until Gen. Clark got into the race I was quite sure that none of them could. Once Wes Clark declared his candidacy I began to feel some hope that we might actually be able to get that monstrosity out of our White house. But as time when on it stopped, at least for me, being about anyone but Bush and started being about wanting more for this country. I truly believe that we have been given the chance to chose a man who could very well be our greatest president ever. He comes with no baggage like the others. He isn't tainted by the Washington Political Machine and he has proven his dedication to this country.

He is an honest, brilliant, and heroic man that I believe would always do right by us. In the video American Son there is a statement by a General from West Point that I believe sums up the General at least for me. And what he says is this "Wes Clark will have the welfare of the American People always in his heart and in his mind." We are being given a gift here people, and I am quite sure it is a gift that will not be offered again in my lifetime. It breaks my heart that this country doesn't realize that we have everything we have been asking for in a leader rolled up in one man. If Wes Clark doesn't win this nomination I will have no hope for my future, the future of my children or for their children. But whatever happens it will undoubtedly be what this country deserves.

[LandOLincoln]

20. I agree. This is my first venture into politics except as an observer,

and it may be my last.

If this country, and especially my party, allows the best Dem candidate since the Kennedy brothers (and possibly the best Democrat candidate ever) to be marginalized and destroyed by Rove and the SCLM, then I'm going to have to think seriously about finding another country to call home. Either that or buy a few acres way out in the desert and become a mostly self-sufficient, self-supporting Hacendada.

[Strelnikov_]

23. Well Said, Way I Am Feeling Too

Regarding the marginalization of the Clark campaign.

Off topic: Sounds like you live in New Mexico. Lived there myself years ago. Beautiful (and interesting) place to live.

[kentuck]

21. Is General Clark the only one to come flat out and say.....?

that George W Bush did not do everything he could to prevent 9/11? "It didn't have to happen". I know that Kucinich and Sharpton did not support the war, I think?? At least Dennis now says we need to send the UN into Iraq and get our troops out and Al says if it was wrong to go in, it is wrong to stay in. However, the General makes the most forceful and direct challenge to Bush sending our troops into Iraq, in my opinion.