General Clark says voters are like "troops" in "the motor pool."

[A-Schwarzenegger]

Only better.
This shows how much General Clark likes the voters
and how close he feel to them. Also it made me
think of my good friend Phil Silvers in Sgt Bilko,
another friendly, happy, popular military man:

"General Clark said he had enjoyed a visit
to New Hampshire over the summer that he said
signaled to him how much he would like campaigning.
He compared meeting New Hampshire voters to his work
as the NATO commander. "It's like what we did in the
military when we went to the motor pool and talked to
the troops — only better," he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/19/politics/campaigns/19CLAR.html

[IndianaGreen]

1. Clark never worked in the motor pool

He is as deluded as all the big brass whose only contact with the troops is during inspections.

[bowens43]

2. It dosen't say that he worked in the motor poll.

[IndianaGreen]

3. How does he know how troops in the motor pool feel?

He never worked there! Perhaps his wife had something nice to say about the hapless GI that drove her to the hair salon.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

4. How do you know if he worked in the motor pool or not?

Were you standing around watching him?
He might not have done very much in the motor
pool but maybe he did more there than you think.
As far as what troops in the motor pool feel,
he probably asked them how they feel. If you
were in the motor pool all greasy and sweaty and
hot and tired, and General Wesley Clark came to
visit you, wouldn't it cheer you up?

[Dead_Parrot]

5. "we went to the motor pool...

...and talked to the troops"

I'm not a doctor but I've been to hospital and talked to nurses.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

6. It's a lot easier to loose a couple lug nuts

than give some guy a quatruple by pass.

[Dead_Parrot]

9. The point being...

That you don't have to work there to go there...

[A-Schwarzenegger]

17. No, the point being that General Clark likes the voters

just like he liked the troops in the motor pool--
"ONLY BETTER."

[IndianaGreen]

20. So, what you are saying is that Clark looks at voters as he does troops

with the class disparity that is such a part of the military caste system. Is that the analogy you are trying to draw?

[A-Schwarzenegger]

26. What kind of a military do you want then?

Where everybody just wanders around in choas
all the time? Where there's no officers or
else no regular troops? Where nobody knows
what to do because nobody has the clout to
give orders? Where everybody's just the same
and equal as can be while the enemy comes
waltzing up the beach and moves into your
shanty hovel with a how do you do?

[IndianaGreen]

31. Actually, the IDF is my idea of a great military

IDF officers lead their troops into battle, rather than sit in air conditioned trailers.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

41. What the hell's the IDF?

Let's try not to use big words to show off.
If you say General Clark sat in a air conditioned
trailer, post the citation right here:

[IndianaGreen]

43. Israel Defense Forces

They even have a website:

http://www.idf.il/newsite/english/main.stm

[IndianaGreen]

7. "all greasy and sweaty"

If you were in the motor pool all greasy and sweaty and hot and tired, and General Wesley Clark came to visit you, wouldn't it cheer you up?

You never been in a military motor pool, haven't you?

As to having the big brass coming to visit, I wouldn't call that a cheerful encounter, but more like additional shit duty.

Have you ever heard the term "GI party"?

[A-Schwarzenegger]

14. I have too been in a military motor pool.

A GI Party is when a bunch of military fellows
toss a blanket over another military fellow and
beat the poop out of him. What is that got to do
with General Clark?

[IndianaGreen]

18. That is not a GI party!

unless one is speaking of the Waffen SS.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

22. You're trying to distract me from my point.

My point is that Clark is no nambe-pambe
that struts around Kosovo or New Hampshire
slapping himself with a General swizel stick.
He is "of the people by the people for the
people." He loves the voters in New Hampshire
like they were his own men and ladies working
in his motor pool.

[IndianaGreen]

24. Clark is no more "of the people, by the people" than

Douglas McArthur was!

[WilliamPitt]

25. OK, this is just getting funny

[blondeatlast]

61. No forking sugar it is. Are we sure these two are seperate people?

[A-Schwarzenegger]

28. Douglas MaCarthur was a grumpy old fart

that smacked that guy that turned into a
sniveling jelly legs. General Clark would
never smack some jelly legs coward. He'd take
him for a ride in his limo and pep him up
and send him out there to get Milosoviec himself.
If General Clark had had his way that war would
have been over a lot quicker with a lots less bombs.
PLUS he's a lot happier and friendlier than
TEN General Macarthurs.

[WilliamPitt]

29. I am laughing my ass, literally, off

Oy.

[IndianaGreen]

30. You are thinking of General Patton and the slapping incident

McArthur was the pompous ass that after making President Truman wait for him at Wake Island, proceeded to tell him that there was no chance the Chinese would intervene in Korea.

BTW, McArthur also told Roosevelt that there was no chance that the Philippines would be invaded by Japan.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

40. Are you trying to saying we lost WWIII now?!?!

Let's try to forget ancient history for a minute
and focus on something resembling reality. General
Clark won the war in Kosovo or Bosnia or wherever
it was. He won it. Let's start with the basics.
He would have won the Iraq War too if he had been
in charge of it.

[IndianaGreen]

42. It's World War II not III

Let's not get our wars confused.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

46. I was one world war off, let's not get petty.

Let's see if we can conduct ourselves like
officers and gentlemen, like General Clark
conducts himself now that you mention it.
General Clark is so handsome and smart and
been all around winning wars and doing things
that he just tosses his hat in the ring and
goes right to the front of the pack. I know it
burns you guys up that had your money on the
other saps, but he can't help it if he's lucky.
Why hate him just cause he's so purty and smart?
Get on the bandwagon and be happy.

[Bandit]

73. I'm beginning to think you really are Ah-nold

You sound just like him. You should be proud you picked your moniker well.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

48. Let's Get Our History Straight

It was Patton who slapped a soldier in front of the press corps and ended up getting reprimanded by Ike....

[WilliamPitt]

49. Ba doom boom tsssssss!

[A-Schwarzenegger]

50. I don't care about ancient history,

I care about the future. Why don't you put
down your dusty wormy moth eaten history books and
pick up General Clark's ONE HUNDRED YEAR VISION
of the FUTURE. You might learn something. The
past can be nice, but it can also be like carrying
around a piano stacked of crap like in that Bunuel
movie. If you want to get the girl, if you want
to grab the golden ring of the hundred year vision,
you better get on the General's bandwagon before it
leaves the station.

[CWebster]

32. Great posts, Indiana Green

You have a grasp of the reality here, unlike these poor naive fellows that live vicariously through military imagery as the apex of masculine glory.

[WilliamPitt]

34. While giggling

You forgot about the giggling.

I'm giggling.

Right now.

[CWebster]

44. yes as I was saying...

juvenile boys...

[WilliamPitt]

45. Giggling juvenile boys

Gotta get the 'giggling' part in there.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

47. I'll drink to that

whatever the hell you said.

[blondeatlast]

62. Apparently you already have . . .several times.

[RetroLounge]

77. Getting so funny it's almost sad...

I've heard of General McArthur.

I've seen pictures of General McArthur.

I've seen General McArthur portayed in the movies.

Clark is no General McArthur...

//sarcasm off//

[OldSoldier]

76. That's a blanket party, not a GI party

A GI party is where everyone who lives in the barracks gathers on Monday night and scrubs the place from top to bottom.

A blanket party is where you throw a blanket over the company fuckup and beat the crap out of him.

There is a slight difference.

[izzie]

54. I am not sure about the Army but in the Navy.....

Navy is as class rigged as the best of them but not in the Subs. They are all together or they sink and that is not a pun.

[hunter]

78. In a submarine...

...all greasy and sweaty and hot and tired.

I'm all adrift now.

[Bread and Circus]

66. Dude, Clark was commanding troops.....

bleeding on the battlefield in Vietnam. Mis-representing the
truth doesn't help your candidate.

[SaintLouisBlues]

84. Did he have any contact with the troops in Vietnam?

Oh yeah, he was in combat. Took four rounds of hot lead. How's that for contact.

[WilliamPitt]

8. Posts 1-7 above are, bar none,

the dumbest shit I have ever read on this message board. What kind of crack-brained conversation have we collapsed into here, for God's sake?

[Dead_Parrot]

10. LOL

Most eloquently put, sir.

[IndianaGreen]

11. It's a motor pool issue, Will

something that perhaps escapes your vast experience.

I will point out that the title of the thread is: General Clark says voters are like "troops" in "the motor pool."

On edit:

Looks like Clark also loves to use troops as props for his speeches, whether they are actually present or not, like Bush does.

[WilliamPitt]

13. I have enough 'vast experience'

to know stupid shit when I see and smell it. Posts 1-7 qualified in, like, gold-standard time.

[IndianaGreen]

16. The article the poster linked to is the infamous NY Times Clark interview

in which Clark says that he would have voted for the war in Iraq.

The poster did not post that part of the article, and Clark's rambling explanation for his antiwar prowar feelings, focusing instead on an obscure paragraph way towards the end of the interview where Clark says:

General Clark said he had enjoyed a visit to New Hampshire over the summer that he said signaled to him how much he would like campaigning. He compared meeting New Hampshire voters to his work as the NATO commander.

"It's like what we did in the military when we went to the motor pool and talked to the troops — only better," he said.


How many times is this man going to refer to his being NATO commander? It is almost like Bush's mantra of "compassionate conservative," until one actually analyses what the hell the man is talking about.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

19. Oh now there's something WRONG with being NATO commander?!?!

How low will Clark bashing go?

[IndianaGreen]

23. Being NATO commander during the war in the former Yugoslavia

is indeed a valid issue, particularly in light of the damning reports about NATO's bombing and civilian casualties by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Clark babbling about his leadership of NATO is like hearing General Pinochet talk about law and order.

[bearfartinthewoods]

70. especially considering the long running thread which boasts that

he had zero US deaths while in command.

two issues...if he had had his way in the confrontation with the Russians at the airport i doubt that statement would still hold water so he has Jackson to thank for the validity of the statement and it's a given that there is a balance to be achieved between civilian deaths due to reliance on air power and troop deaths.

you can win any battle without troop loses by dropping a big enough bomb.

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

53. It's OK far as I concerned

it gave me a hummingbird in my throat to watch him
suddenly stop throwing tomatos at the bandwagon and
start running after it to jump on board for Clarksville.

[WilliamPitt]

55. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

Perfect, Q. Perfect timing.

Now read the whole thread.

[blondeatlast]

65. I read that post. Why was it deleted?

Perfect timing is against the rules? I didn't know.

[WilliamPitt]

67. Wow

I didn't alert it. Huh.

[Catch22Dem]

56. In Will's Defense

Disrupting this drivel should not be considered a bad thing. I agree, it's the stupidist shit I've read in ages.

[WilliamPitt]

57. Yet endlessly entertaining

Q's entry could not have been timed better.

[blondeatlast]

64. Yep.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

15. I would say that nobody that was the "Ultimate Perfumed Prince"

would visit a motor pool. General Clark
did visit a motor pool. Ipso facto he is NOT
the Ultimate Perfumed Prince.

[IndianaGreen]

27. The brass always inspect their troops, including the motor pool

which is nothing more than a militarized version of Avis.

And the "GI party" that you could not properly identify, is the asses and elbows cleaning that takes place to spruce a place up for an upcoming inspection by the brass.

The brass refers to officers, but particularly meddlesome field grade officers.

As to generals, I have seen them come and gone. Some are good, some are bad, one I did know was totally insane (and was promptly retired).

If you want a former General as President, I rather have former Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki, a true hero in the full meaning of the word, a great military commander, and a general that told the truth about Iraq when questioned by Congress. Shinseki is also of Japanese ancestry.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

33. I don't remember what the hell a GI Party is.

There was some damn thing where some dope nobody
liked got a blanket thrown on him and roughed up.
I don't remember what the hell it's called. In the
army I was stoned on everything from that soaked
rag inside Vick's nasal inhaler to industrial glue.
If you're trying to say it's a BAD thing that General
Clark hung out with the troops, think again. Look at
how his suits are too big for him and he kind of ambles
around like Huckleberry Finn. Do you think that's some
kind of a thing that somebody too good for regular
people would do? Do you think he's PRETENDING not to
have a bunch of pre-prepared answers to every dumb
question some bum asks him? There's about two years
till the election. If he answered everything now what
would he have to do until the election? General Clark
may be the first lovable hayseed General President in
history, and there's always some knucklhead nay sayer
like you to poop on a party.

[WilliamPitt]

36. You gotta stop...you gotta stop...please...killing me...

:):)

[IndianaGreen]

38. ROTFLMAO, Clark as Huckleberry Finn!

Look at how his suits are too big for him and he kind of ambles
around like Huckleberry Finn. Do you think that's some kind of a thing that somebody too good for regular people would do? Do you think he's PRETENDING not to have a bunch of pre-prepared answers to every dumb question some bum asks him?

This is perhaps the best endorsement of Clark I have ever heard!

[IndianaGreen]

37. That's a "blanket party"

And you are probably thinking of Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket."

Life is not a Hollywood movie!

[blondeatlast]

63. Damn--is that the end?

Come on, A-Schwarzenegger, please reply . . .

I'm still LMAO.

[bearfartinthewoods]

69. please add to your lists posts numbered

29, 49, 34, and 45....all posted by one person may i add.

[joanski01]

12. Another thread where I thought

I was going to learn something, but was disappointed.

[renie408]

51. I learned a couple of things

A) Apparently you can sustain an entire discussion based simply around whether or not Clark worked in a motor pool

and

B) Clark has a pretty bizarre turn for analogies and can manage to be pretty darn supercilious while attempting to make happy talk about schmoozing voters. His comments sound as though he is like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday and he got a chance to get out amongst the little people and found out that it was fun!!

[A-Schwarzenegger]

68. Nobody could be less insulted than

to be compared with the great Audrey Hepburn.
I think it would tickle my good friend General
Clark up one side and down the other.
General Clark like Audrey is classy, petite for
a General, perky, happy, and born glamorous. Also
both are niaive, which is a large part of
General Clark's appeal to the innocent waif in
every American voter's heart. I think people are
subconsciously struck by how a General that
commands great armies of the earth could also
be a romantic with a boyish ambling gait, wearing
extra big designer suits, a lopsided cornball grin,
and a charming carefreeness about his stands
on the issues. People that are not
on the bandwagon do not know what they do as they
hurl rotten tomatoes at the beautiful dazzling General,
but once they get on board, the stars in there eyes
tell all.

[SammyWinstonJack]

80. huh?

:crazy: That was just embarrassing to read.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

87. Thank you. True love is embareasssing

but it is way worth
every bright pink blush.

[ClintonTyree]

21. Mary, help?

That doesn't bode well for a supposed man of action. There are still too many question marks involved with Mr. Clark for me to support him at this point. Being a Democrat for roughly a week, the biggest question mark of them all. I'm sure he's a fine man, but in the coming weeks he's going to have his feet held to the fire and then and only then will we see the man's true character. He's still enjoying the warm glow of his honeymoon period. Let's give him a few weeks and then see what the his level of support is.

[Trahurn]

35. The man is a career soldier. He sees examples like that all the time

It's easy to trvialize about seeing voters like troops in the motor pool. But I bet when its time to count those voters as he puts it that each one will get counted. Clark is not likely to put up with voting booth shanaguns.

[The Lone Liberal]

39. What he was saying

Is that the voters are the real people, that was the reference to those who work in the motor pool. Unlike the current swagger-in-charge who only acknowledges the existence of those in top one-percent.

[trof]

58. As a former "motor pool guy" I am deeply offended.

OK, at first I didn't think I had a dog in this fight, but upon reflection I think I HAVE lost a cat in here somewhere.
(Here, kitty?)
OK (again) I didn't actually WORK in the motor pool. I mean I wasn't assigned there. But I WAS a squadron pilot and I DID drop off my MG for a thorough detailing every week, so I got to know those guys pretty good. God, could they put a buff on that beautiful hand-rubbed British Racing Green scooter.
Anyway, every week I'd toss 'em a couple of bucks and a carton of Luckies (from the BX) which they were very glad to get and besides it was a hell of a lot cheaper than outside on the civilian economy.
So don't be going off on the motor pool guys cause I loved those guys AND THEY LOVED ME!
:grr:

[greatauntoftriplets]

60. My father was motor pool in WWII.

Thanks, trof!

[Larkspur]

59. I'm not a private in Clark's army

Stuff it general! I'm not in your motor pool.

[rman]

71. a feel-good story. emotional language of the type bush is good at.

(or his speech writers anyway)

there's no content.

what is Clark's opinion on black box voting, patriot act, 4th amendment, corporate faude, liying about war, lying about the tax cut, lying about 9-11/saddam link, corporate ownership of media, voluntary self regulation for poluting industries. etc etc?

[A-Schwarzenegger]

89. What is wrong with emotional in politics?

Issues can be interesting distraction
but if I cannot get a decent boner
for my candidate than what's the point?

[Donna Zen]

90. I personally checked

with the draftclark people, when Bev was breaking the story, to check if Clark was aware of BBV. I also sent a raft of posts and links that were available. I sent the same package to all of the candidates. The response I received from draftclark was that the Clark was very aware of BBV, and very concerned about it.

[ellie]

72. Thank you

for one of the most entertaining threads I have read in ages.

[fob]

74. Login problems or not, I had to comment

This indeed is an excellent thread. Entertainment value was off the charts!

Look out DUers, there's a new kid on the block and he goes by A-Schwarzenegger.

I laughed until I cried! Which is tough cuz I'm at work!!

Someone HAS to post what Q posted that was deleted. It's the only missing ingredient in a DUey Award winning thread.

Don't miss an opportunity to bookmark this one - fob

Hell, I may even print this whole thing out.

[Jim Sagle]

75. A-Schwarzenegger - The Best Damn Comedian on DU.

And that is high praise indeed, for we are indeed a tough crowd!

[noiretextatique]

82. indeed...s/he is hilarous

and quite astute :thumbsup:

[iambe]

79. The next time I hear anyone say "motor pool"

I am going to burst out laughing, and nobody around me will understand.

[WoodrowFan]

81. I just Did

after stiffling several snorts. Who ARE these guys???

[fob]

83. Kick! Must...not...fall...into...archives...

This thread just keeps on giving!

I think Bob Boudelang as A-Schwarzenegger is spectacular! And frankly shows DU in a good light that a repub team leader is debated so openly on this forum.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

88. I do not know whom Bob Buodelang is but

now that I have partialy sobered up
I apoligize to him on you behalf.

[azrak]

85. Somehow

this offends me. I guess because recruiters always say "if nothing else they can work in the motor pool." It just seems to me like he is insulting the overall intelligence of the voters.

[zekeson]

86. I admire Clark for going to the motor pool

I used to have to go to the motorpool when I was a lowly airman and I foudn those motor pool guys pretty surly. That does it, I'm a Clark guy.

[Upfront]

91. Don't Like This statement

Kind of looks down on the motor pool people, and the voter. If the general did not have a motor pool he would have to walk among us common folk. Sorry, to Clark supporters but that statemnt says lots to me.

[Donna Zen]

92. Clark's motor pool

In early 1980 I was placed in command of a tank battalion at Fort Carson, Colorado. The previous commander had been removed early due to the battalion's poor ability to maintain tis equipment. The assistant division commander said, "Take six weeks, get the unit in top shape and pass the materiel readiness re-inspection." I walked the quarter-mile down to the motor pool for a look. Pitiful. The tanks were inoperative. Twenty-five had their engines removed, with the hulking engives and transmission assembles half covered in tarpaulins, sitting on the sloping concrete on the motor pool, bleeding oil slowly onto the ice and snow. The troops weren't anywhere to be seen.

I gave a lot of pep talks, I made it a point personally to inspect the tanks, including a detailed technical inspection, and I met individually with the company commanders...We went on to earn a reputation for the best maintenance in the division and became one of the top battalions with great esprit and morale, too. (WMW 24)