Wesley Clark seems to understand the "Seven Days in May" worries

[OKNancy]

In a long NYTimes article, I saw read this crack by Clark about how his being a general might be perceived.
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On the phone recently with a friend, he said of the generals: "I'm not going to be stopped by Army gossip. We're trying to save the country here."

An hour later, he fielded a question at a campaign stop full of jovial buzz in Bow, N.H., and there it was again: what about these generals taking him apart?

Afterward in the car, relaxing with his advisers, he said: "At least I don't have to worry about `Seven Days in May.' I thought if I ran they might think, `The generals are taking over the country.' They're not. They're all voting on the other side."

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/23/politics/campaigns/23CLAR.html?pagewanted=1

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This quote is on page 4. It's an interesting article about a complicated man.

[Racenut20]

1. I had great reservations about General Clark

Worked on the Graham campaign.

Never thought I would ever support a military person.

But this man REALLY has it together....

[Renew Deal]

10. A lot of former Graham people are on the clark team.

I have met several.

[Clark Can WIN]

15. Welcome to the CLARK side..................................

I grew up in the clutches of the cold war. I hated the military because of the constant slime of fear that pervaded everything in our lives.

Duck and cover drills in the schools
Shopping down town and taking note of which shops had a designated fallout shelter
Studying maps of likely target zones and contemplating an excruciating 14 to 21 day death process for me and my community

I had the buttons with the "That's all folks" and the mushroom cloud on my very cool Levi denim jacket

It was a visceral reaction to my environment.

As I grew older I realized that right and might are not always antithetical, but that the LEADER of might is paramount.

Bush is the perfect example of how wrong it can go. For the idiotic buttmunches on here who have asserted that there is no appreciable difference between Democrats and Republicans I ask this. Where would the world be now if Bush were in the house during the Cuban Missle Crisis?

As Clark says over and over, it is a matter of leadership.

We can do better, we will do better and we will do it together.

[La_Serpiente]

2. This article is a RIOT!!!

I laughed so hard in some sections. Take this one for instance:

Page 2

Intent on safeguarding the country, he first envisioned the Navy. He had a picture of his deceased father in naval attire, and a book about Annapolis. But he learned that he was nearsighted and that glasses precluded Annapolis.

A cadet from West Point came to town to speak, and afterward Wesley asked, "Can you wear glasses and go to West Point?" The cadet said yes, and right then he knew.

And this one on the same page:

This was his: In his plebe year, he was lined up for shower formation, and he was supposed to "brace," which meant tuck his chin in, and he could not help it, he smiled. That was bad enough, but then he did the unthinkable: he giggled.

Four superiors stuffed him into an open-faced locker. One started pounding his fist on one side, while another pounded on the opposite side and a third clambered atop the locker and banged from above. He had to stare straight ahead, because you were not supposed to move your eyeballs, and he had a bad case of swiveling eyeballs ("I was curious about things"). The hooks inside the locker were grinding against his head. And it was getting alarming until an officer ordered him released; General Clark has always thought the very best of that man.

He ceased giggling, tamed the eyeballs. He mopped up information. John Wheeler, a classmate, insists he saw him read "Darkness at Noon" in 45 minutes.

Although the act of him being beaten in not funny, how he reacted to the situtation is. Although this article details some of his imperfections, I think it is those imperfections that make him so admirable.

Basically, this guy REALLY reminds me of my brother.

[Tatiana]

18. I thought it was hilarious too!

So General Clark "giggles" eh???? LOL!

[Julien Sorel]

3. This quotation is it:

In golf, he finds profundity. "Golf is like life," he said. "When you learn a sport, you go through the cycle of humility. You learn about yourself."

That's this campaign, as well. That's mastering any endeavor. I've always sensed that about Clark -- a curiosity, a desire to push himself, and a willingness to fail, as long as you learn something from the experience, become a better person, and not accept failure as an end. Watching him go through the learning process is one of the cooler things of the campaign to me.

[OKNancy]

5. As long as we are in Pep Rally mode

What I like is that Clark doesn't like losing. He wants to win, does what it takes to win, and won't stop until he's won.

That's a really good attribute to have in this election.

Makes me think about Gore, god love him. I think he had such a calm and balanced view of life, that he accepted things a little too easily. Sometimes I think his thought process was this: My enemies say hateful and untrue things about me....oh well, I have the love of my wife and a good life and I know what I'm doing is right, so let them say those things....

LOL I went off there a minute. Anyway, I think Clark has the kind of ambition that it takes to win and I like it.

[lostnfound]

11. "Really good attribute in this election" good point n/t

[Clark Can WIN]

16. Maybe he could explain golf to me then

because I love sports........ but golf...... I don't get.

[Palacsinta]

4. Clark-think

This impressed me.....

<Always, he thought unconventionally. General Scales, his classmate, offered this: "They say in the military that you bring to your boss three solutions: one that's too hot, one that's too cold and one that's just right. That's called the Goldilocks solution. You have an answer and you steer him to it.

"Wes doesn't recognize the Goldilocks solution. He'll say: `Well maybe we shouldn't eat any porridge. And why are there bears in here? And who is this Goldilocks character wandering around? And by the way, what is the whole purpose of fairy tales?' And this drives some people nuts.">

[robbedvoter]

6. My favorite too. I can hear his voice asking these questions.

I wrote a piece : "Goldilocks vs Clark - protect our fairy tales" here:
http://robbedvoter.forclark.com/story/2003/11/22/204246/39

[Clark Can WIN]

17. Damn that's funny.

And explains alot too.

I think Wes thinks many times like JFK. They always said about JFK that he took responsibility ~ and that in any room he was clearly the best and the brightest.

I love tht he speaks of his administration as a reality, not a theory.

[radfringe]

7. my dad is soooooo conservative

he makes rush limbaugh look liberal...

that being said: He didn't like Bush during the 2000 campaign, but voted for him anyways - basically his vote was an anti-Gore vote and not a pro-Bush one

although in conversations with my dad - I steer clear of any topic that could turn into a political debate. (even discussing the weather turns into a debate about global warming and environment)

but a month or so ago - he mentioned Clark and pretty much said that if Clark is the Dem candidate that he would vote for him... if not then he said he would hold his nose and pull the lever for Bush...

[Bread and Circus]

12. I have found that to be the case with many Repubs/conservs...

I know. As much as the uniform might make some good liberals bristle,
it is gives him a pass with alotta conservatives. The fact that he
almost died for the country carries alot of clout with
a lot of folks. The cool part is that he is a true-blue humanitarian
at heart with great potential as a Democratic President.

[jumptheshadow]

8. Good article

It's interesting that you can count on one hand the number of articles that have reprised the same shallow B.S. about Clark without bothering to do any additional research.

That's why when a deeper article gets published it feels so profound.

I would still like somebody to try to interview Clinton to get his viewpoint on what the generals have said about Clark. It doesn't compute with me that Clinton would have encouraged Clark's candidacy if he wasn't made of presidential timber.

Again, I want to make a point, however, that Clark is going to have to address the Democrats who are reluctant to cast their votes for a lifelong general if he wants to win this nomination. The RW attack is coming from the generals but at the grassroots there are plenty of people who need to feel more comfortable about this guy. I'm educating several people individually but would appreciate some recognition of this factor from his campaign.

[Donna Zen]

9. Choices of smart people

The best and brightest in America stay away from politics. I mean who runs out and begs to live in a fish bowl; one filled with rightwing liars at that? We have seen a few llike Clinton, and you are more likely to see a "D" after their names. Nevertheless, it is more common that the brainiacs stay away. Conason wrote about this when Clark first declared, he also wondered how America would treat this unique man. I would love to see him stare down Delay and tell him to take those convoluted, do-nothing, pork-filled pieces of anti-American legislation and shove it.

epistemologist.....thinking outside of the box...so why are those bears there?

[Bread and Circus]

13. Clark is a rare bird or like a white tiger.....

It's hard to encapsulate
but I think was born to be a President for a time like this.
His path is so unordinary that if he ascends to the White
House, it will be history long remembered.

[Clark Can WIN]

14. He is a fascinating person

Loved seeing the genuine joy from him at meeting up with old aquiantences and friends tonight on CSPAN.

He's so engaging and genuine in person. Love the guy.


AARP is a sellout................ HA love that!