Clark is not a Career politician or a lawyer--Is this a bad thing?

[CoffeePlease1947]

I think it is great. I think people are sick of career politicians and lawyers. You know how many politician and lawyer jokes there are? There is a reason why, nobody likes them.

What is even better is the is it is Republicans that love military men. They would look pretty stupid talking about how great all our troops are and then trying to knock one down. If Clark choose another war veteran for the ticket their slogan could be: "Support our troops!" And would that not piss off the Republicans to no end!?!

Mike

[DoveTurnedHawk]

1. I Think It's Great, Too

As do most Americans, I'd wager.

DTH

[Oracle]

2. Talk about a tied old line...career politicians ...

He should not be let in the door...devide and conquer.
I love Generals...they won't increase military spending...

Get real!

[DoveTurnedHawk]

4. Who "Lets" Anyone in the Door?

:eyes:

As for "devide <sic> and conquer" that sounds more apropos to your strategy.

DTH

[Democat]

3. In California, the right wing mantra is...

"He's great because he's not a career politician."

We need to apply their own words to Clark for them.

Bush is a career politician, Clark is not.

[CoffeePlease1947]

5. Exactly n/t

[roughsatori]

8. Is the whole Draft Clark movement about acting like Republicans to win?

Why not just register as a Republican and be the real thing, instead of imitating them as you are suggesting? I think it a losing strategy.

Edited to add: Notice I said the "Draft Clark" movement--I did not say Wesley Clark.

[CoffeePlease1947]

9. Good Idea, why don't you go do that if you cannot understand the differenc

between republicans claim's of supporting our troops and actually doing it. The point is that it shows the contradiction of the Republicans between their actions and their words. Kind of like when Dean takes the Republican slogan of "Take back America".

Mike

[w4rma]

11. Actually

Folks have been posting on DU that instead of going 3rd party they should "Take back the Democratic Party". "Take back America" is similar to that rallying call.

[TacticalPeek]

6. Bad for Shrub.

[w4rma]

7. As soon as he enters the race, he's a politician.

politician
noun
1 a person actively engaged in politics, esp. a full-time professional member of a deliberative assembly
2 a person who is experienced or skilled in the art or science of politics, government, or administration; statesman
…
http://www.wordreference.com/english/definition.asp?en=politician

Note, I like Gen. Clark. I'd like to see him change his prefix to Vice President in 2005. But, someone running for office is a politician. And someone who wins office is a career politician. There are many other good things to say about this brave man.

[CoffeePlease1947]

10. We are all politicans. But not career polticians. Understand the Dif?

A career politican is one that spends their entire working lives in politics as a professional. Every one in the world is a politician. But that does not mean they spend 25 years getting paid to do so like the other candidates.

Mike

[w4rma]

12. I invite you to read the Collins English Dictionary definition again

Although I do understand what you are saying. I don't consider myself a politician, although I'd consider myself a political activist. I'm not running for office. I'm not employed by a campaign, atm.

But, anyway. I'm getting into parsing words. Maybe that's a good soundbite for Clark. But, It lacks that synergy, IMHO, that would help Democratic politicians ride someone's (who uses that soundbite) coattails into office.

[CoffeePlease1947]

13. I am well aware of the definition of what a politician is

It fits the other nine candidates much better than Clark. I think anyone that thinks can understand the difference between the professional politician and the regular joe or jane on the street.

If you think taking the sound bit of the Republicans is bad idea you should talk to Dean about his sound bites, such as "Take Back America". Reagan and Bush Senior were using that one.

Mike

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. As long as he doesn't start a debate with the following line:

"Who am I and what am I doing here?"

He should do just fine.

[Pepperbelly]

15. People misunderstand this a lot ...

The point is not to label anyone as a career politician as though that is a bad thing because by itself, it is not. What is relevant, IMO, is that Wesley offers a problem-solving paradigm not constricted by a lifetime of "positions" or by a hard-edged ideology. Rather than going to ideology for answers, perhaps the best method is to actually examine the problem and arrive at solutions that will serve the most people in the best fashion.

Ideology rarely hands out good solutions. If ideology actually possessed solutions that worked, one ideology or another would have won the intellectual contest specifically because it worked. None have and ideology is still a matter of opinion.

Think outside of ideology for solutions.

[dsc]

16. Yes it is bad

I wouldn't go to an amature doctor, amature professor, amature mechanic, or amature lawyer for that matter. This job is brain surgery and we need to elect someone who knows what he is doing and that we know what he is doing. Clark also has had zero vetting by the press corps. Remember Perot and his paranoid behavior. It was OK as the Howard Hughes of Texas but not so great for the guy running to have his hands on the nukes.