I am new to politics, but is Clark gaining momentum?

[HoosierClarkie]

Lately he is everywhere. I just feel that his campaign seems to be picking up speed. What next?

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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

[pruner]

3. LOL

:)

[SahaleArm]

Damn looks like the overs covered *nm*

*nm*

[Kool Kitty]

2. Is Clark gaining momentum?

From your mouth to the Goddess' ear, dear! I think so, but I'm biased. And welcome, sarah! :hi:

[Robin Hood]

The more i see of Clark the more I like him.

So far I think it will be a Clark/Dean ticket.

[Renew Deal]

4. Sarah, Sarah, Sarah

You can get away with saying that if you don't have Clark 04 in your name. The sharks are going to have fun witht this thread.

Back to your point. Yes, I think it is obvious if you lookt at money, poll numbers, VA petitions, and overall excitement.

[HoosierClarkie]

5. I was just wondering...

if this is true momentum or will it fade or what? I have never even voted before. Please do not beat me up. I was looking for some expert knowledge about campaigns and what happens thats all.

[Renew Deal]

6. I am having fun with you.

I wish I had more time to post. Poke around. DU is a great place. Welcome :HI:

[HoosierClarkie]

10. what does o/u and nm mean

[Renew Deal]

46. Over/Under

It's a joke about how many posts you nead to start a new thread.

[bookman]

13. Educate yourself...and VOTE

Read here and elsewhere on candidates. Ask Questions.

And by all means VOTE. You may not always get a perfect candidate, but I you stay home on election day you get whatever.

[HoosierClarkie]

14. I agree....

What does o/u and nm mean?

[Myra]

17. What does o/u and nm mean?

I have no friggen idea and I was hoping someone
would ask.

Now I'm hoping someone will answer.

Regarding your original question:
Please be aware that when you post anything
remotely favorable, no matter how tentative, about Clark
on DU, you will have to enter the witness protection
program shortly thereafter to escape mobs of trolls
bearing torches. Or is that torch bearing trolls?
Either way, it's vexing.

Oh, and welcome. :)

[HoosierClarkie]

18. In a perfect world...

people would come together and be able to converse in a civil manner, but I have actually found most here to be quite pleasant. I should have phrased my question differently, but I believe in Clark. He is the reason why I am here! So, I just thought leaving him off my name would've been wrong for me.

[Myra]

20. That's great if you feel that level of confidence at this point.

I'm impressed with him in many ways, and I have
many reservations. Same for Dean and Kucinich.

I don't want to totally commit to someone at this
point because I'm hoping to influence the above
candidates to adapt their platform to better serve
voters.

Is he really the reason you joined DU?
Wow.
I'm just curious, did you know about DU before
and you're just now motivated (by Clark) to join?
Or have you known about DU for a while?

[HoosierClarkie]

51. never heard of it and....

never new fox was full of republicans

[Kahuna]

37. Welcome to the Wes Wing and DU, Sarah! Hopefully...

you will be able to cast your first vote for General Clark.

:hi:

[Julien Sorel]

19. o/u = 'over/under,' a betting term.

In this case, the poster was saying the odds are 50/50 that, within 10 posts, a frothing at the mouth anti-Clarkite would be here to go on the attack. N/M is 'nevermind.'

[Myra]

22. Ohhhhh, thanks BillyBunter

Good god, they should have a glossary.
...
Lets suggest that to the mods, 'cause I think
they don't have enough to do and are very very
bored.


:evilgrin:

[newyawker99]

33. n/m = no message....it is used when you only post in the

subject line.

[ShaneGR]

49. No, that's nt, not nm...

nt= no text...... nm= never mind

[Myra]

56. nm

means "no meaning."

[SahaleArm]

57. nm = no message.

nt = no text.
eom = end of message.

[_NorCal_D_]

50. Welcome to DU!

nm = never mind B-)

[Myra]

23. "The sharks are going to have fun witht this thread." Shhhhh!

Don't wake them...
I think they're asleep.

Let's see how long this thread can get
before they wake and go on a feeding frenzy.

[Kahuna]

39. "Sharks?" More like gnats...

I flick off their lame insults like the buzzing of tiny, insignificant gnats.

[BootinUp]

7. Slowly but surely

I haven't been a member here long, but I lurked around since early October. I would say he has made some gains among those that follow politics here.


Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Rocinante]

8. Don't be hurt

there are some folks that will make fun if you just have a few posts. And sometimes it doesn't matter what you post. They will find a way to put you down anyway.

[fujiyama]

9. Welcome to DU!

[salinen]

12. howdy sarah

i'm new too. clark/dean, dean/clark, dean/kerry, kerry/clark, all o.k. with me. dream team:

pres. clark
v.p. dean
s.o.s kucinich
d.o.d kerry
d.o.i bobby jr
att.g schumer

[absolutezero]

45. flip your prez and vp

and have edwards as the attorney general, thats the dream team

[Julien Sorel]

11. He's making some progress.

He has defined himself and his campaign to the point where I think he's comfortable with it, he's progressed at the political game, and his confidence has soared. His organization is still a work in progress, but it's getting there. His poll numbers have gone up recently, no one else has taken off, he hasn't made any disastrous mistakes, and there have been no skeletons found in his closet. Fundraising has been excellent. He polls well nationally, yet he just started running commercials this week.

There will still be some ups and downs, but there's a lot there to like. Momentum? I don' believe in it. But traction, yes, and it looks like he's getting some.

[Rowdyboy]

15. In July there were only a few people seriously talking up Wesley Clark

Been a bit of a turnaround since then. So, yes, Wes does have some momentum. He's not perfect, and I disagree with him on a point or two, but he is definitely my candidate.

Welcome to DU and don't let anyone scare you off. Half the people who attack you are middle-school aged cretins anyway. Just check their spelling and grammar.

on edit: Damn, I always misspell that word!

[quaker bill]

16. He is gaining a bit

not enough or fast enough yet.

[LauraT28]

21. I hope he's gaining...

Hope the momentum keeps up... the more I see/hear out of him, the more I like him. He's not taking sh*% from anyone!

Oh yeah... Welcome Sarah, glad you're voting for the first time!

[newyawker99]

34. Hi LauraT28!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ryharrin]

24. It seems to me that he's falling back from the pedestal he started on.

Most of the polls I've seen recently have him falling from the high numbers he had originally, with Dean usually regaining first place. It seems to me that he hasn't done much yet to dispel the notion that he's a general and not much else.

[neuvocat]

25. Depends on how you look at it.

My personal feeling is that, yes at least for this week, he's gaining a lot of momentum. How will it play out over the long run remains to be seen but I do have a lot of cautious optimism.

:)

[Gore1FL]

26. My take

He has a lot of momentum from his initial announcement still -- though I see some of it bleeding.

Clark needs to come in 3rd in Iowa and ahead of Kerry and/or Lieberman in NH for things to play right for him. I think he'll do OK in the South -- especially if Edwards is out by Super Tuesday.

If he gets 2nd in Iowa and 2nd in NH, he'll have more momentum than he ever had.

IMO he has to knock out Gephardt in Iowa -- It would seem, though, that if anyone has a chance to challenge Dean's polling leads, Gephardt has to clean Dean's clock in Iowa.

NE is going to be a tough nut to crack if Dean eliminates Kerry and Lieberman in NH -- which looks likely, so Clark will have to rely on strong showings in the first few challenges and bide his time until Super Tuesday. If clark wins, that is how he'll do it.

[Tom Rinaldo]

47. 3rd in NH is the goal, more than good enough

If Clark had stayed in the race in Iowa, he would have needed to come in 3rd there perhaps. Because it is so hard to organize in Iowa with little time, that is the main reason he pulled out of there. He has already taken his lumps on Iowa by doing so, at this point no one expects him to come in the top four there.

NH is a different story. For a long time it has been assumed that Kerry and Dean would be the two top finishers in NH. Both are from neighboring states and both have campaigned hard there for a long time. Third is the slot all the other candidates are competing for. That would change if somehow Kerry fell to third or worse. If that happened the second slot would suddenly loom big. Think of NH as a primary between everyone other than Dean and Kerry. Whoever comes in third in NH is still viable, perhaps a very close 4th could keep someone in play. Some candidates will be eliminated for all practical purposes after NH. Kerry almost has to win, or come in a close second at worse, to not start leaking supporters.

[JackRiddler]

27. If you have to actually ask...

then it's not really momentum.

[JNelson6563]

28. I think he is getting more coverage

but I also think (know for a fact) some of his supporters are not so confident. No one here I mean here in my local, RL world. Breaking rules to drum up support doesn't usually indicate confidence. I also believe the General would disapparove.

I'm a Deanie but also a member of ABB. The more coverage our candidates get the more our message gets out.

Julie

[CWebster]

29. Not if who it is he truly serves gets out--

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2003-11-19-clark-dean_x.htm

Corporate whore of the Military-Industrial complex flavor. Arguably, the worst of the worst.

[farmbo]

30. His poll numbers have sharply declined in NY State

In the October Quinnipac Poll Clark led Dean 18% to 17%.

Yesterday's Zogby poll now has Dean ahead 21% to 10%.

Welcome to DU!

[Barbara917]

36. Apples and Oranges

Quinnipiac = New Jersey
Zogby = New York

[farmbo]

38. Quinnipac = New York

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x8316.xml

(I don't know what to make of these polls either)

[Kahuna]

40. Zogby's polls are waaay out of line with all the others...

I don't get it. If they were a few points in either direction that would be one thing. But their differences are too severe to be taken seriously. Also, you can't compare a Quinnipiac Poll with a Zogby Poll or a Gallup Poll. You must compare each poll with it's own previous poll. And Zogby's have been totally opposite of all the others.

[slinkerwink]

52. Need I remind you that Zogby's poll in NH was the first one to show

Dean's lead in NH? This is the same in NY....

[in_cog_ni_to]

31. Welcome to DU,

Sarah! :hi:

Yes, he is gaining momentum and when he finishes this weeks media blitz, he will be even more popular!

Tonight he's on David Letterman

Sunday he's on "Face the Nation"...CBS...at 9:00 or 9:30 A.M. Central Time

Sunday he's on Wolf Blitzer, CNN at 11:00 A.M. Central Time

Be sure to tune in! Again, Welcome to DU! :hi:

[TreasonousBastard]

32. Like a few other people hinted...

it's really too early to tell. He's getting a lot of coverage lately, but no one knows if that relates to real support. He's also getting the fundraising in gear, which is a big problem for a late starter. I suspect part of the reason for taking so long to announce was lining up fundraising and major party supporters.

He got a late start in campaigning, so not that too people know that much about him yet, and the recent coverage may help that. Of course, out in the real world, not that many people know much about any of the candidates, and name recognition is the most important thing at this point.

:hi:

[DemCam]

54. I truly believe getting Gert in line

was the reason he took so long to announce. I don't blame her really since she no doubt was looking for a some stability after moving so many times.

But, after the headlines today...I am more convinced than ever that Wes Clark is the man we need today.

Whether he can get the nomination is a great big if...and it will break my heart if he doesn't make it. But it is still two months until a vote is cast...so who knows? That is long in elections.

[newyawker99]

35. Hi Sarah!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[RetroLounge]

41. Clark is not everywhere. Elvis is everywhere!

But seriously, welcome to DU.

Hard to tell if Clark is gaining or not, but he definitely is not going away anytime soon. Although Dean is my pick, Clark is my number 2.

Put on your asbestos suit and welcome to Candidate Wars!

Just remember, DU does NOT reflect the real world as much as people would like it to.

[Avalux]

42. This has been a good week

Look for Clark on David Letterman tonite - Face the Nation and Wolf Blitzer over the weekend.
I think Clark's campaign had some growing pains initially; remember - he's only been in the race a couple of months. I look for momentum to continue building; will be interesting to see how his testimony against Milosovic plays out (if we even hear about it).

[Justice]

43. Clark Gaining Recognition

Clark has been gaining media recognition, interviews, stories etc.

He was knocked out for almost two weeks after announcing because of losing his voice - that impacted his momentum (and IMO is reflective in the polls we have seen in the last few weeks).

His interview with Rather last night was good - although I didn't like the style. Instead of just interviewing the guy, Rather kept telling us what Clark said to him.

[AmericanDem]

44. He sure is

months left before the first elections. His campaign is jus now getting its legs under it. Better things to come.

[theboss]

48. Name recognition, yes

He is definitely becoming more well-known. I don't know if it is translating into actual support.

[mikehiggins]

53. Momentum is not the issue

If Dean does not take Iowa AND New Hampshire, this is going to end up in the Convention. Losing either of those races will bring out all of the hounds of the media talking about how the Dean movement has run aground, etc., etc., etc.

If Dean takes both states, things will be different, since Kerry will be hard pressed to carry on in the face of such a resounding rejection. Gephardt will still be in better shape but even he will be rocked considering how much time and effort his campaign put into the caucus.

In either case, Clark's campaign will continue forward no matter what.

Keep in mind what we're looking at here. Last year all these politicians (and Sharpton) were gearing up for this campaign. Clark was working for a financial firm in Arkansas (one tied to the GOP no less) and giving speeches around the US. He was also a commentator on CNN.

Certain disgruntled Dems set up a committee to persuade him to run for office, which effort proved successful. The reality of that will be discussed for years if he wins but there is no real reason to doubt it at present.

The committee manages to raise $3+ million in pledges BEFORE Clark even announces his campaign, and now the official organization is shooting to raise an additional $12 million or so this quarter.

My point is that Clark's campaign cannot be judged by the standards that apply to the others. What does he have to lose? Just like Braun and Kuchinich and Sharpton, he will hang in until the convention, no matter what happens, and may very well end up the beneficiary of a brokered convention at the end of the road. Certainly, as things stand now, the establishment will resist nominating Dean with the very last breath in their bodies. Kerry, Gephardt and Edwards will most likely be done, and Lierberman would be totally unacceptable to anybody who wanted to win the election.

Of course, this is just my own opinion but I've been around a long time and I think that Clark will most likely end up the Democratic nominee. I cannot see a situation in which Dean can get the nod unless he does it in the primaries, and I don't see him racking up a winning number that way.

Sooooooo....

We'll see, but I don't think momentum is as big an issue as it seems right now.


What has momentum to do with all this? Beats me.

[HoosierClarkie]

55. Thanks to you and everyone else in DU that....

have answered my questions. I live in Indiana and here people bought into Bushes propaganda. I can not get the full picture from this state on how things are going in Democrat country. The only national political news from Indiana lately has been "Indiana Governor Dies" and "Wesley Clark Gives Speech at Depauw in Greencastle, IN". Don't get me wrong I read a lot from other states local papers and national ones too,but even my pastor admires Rush Limbaugh, but I proudly drive to church with my Clark04 bumper sticker! I saw Clark inspire 3000 people who showed up to hear him speak in IN. Most were Republicans holding draft Clark signs. (they did not know what they were) Like I said I am new to politics and I just can't fully grasp the whole picture here. I know one thing-Wesley Clark is liberating a lot of people who have been hijacked by this administration.