Michael Moore backs Wesley Clark

[59millionmorons]

January 14, 2004



Many of you have written to me in the past months asking, "Who are you going to vote for this year?"



I have decided to cast my vote in the primary for Wesley Clark. That's right, a peacenik is voting for a general. What a country!



I believe that Wesley Clark will end this war. He will make the rich pay their fair share of taxes. He will stand up for the rights of women, African Americans, and the working people of this country.



And he will cream George W. Bush.

[Killarney]

1. I agree, Mike!

:toast:

[liberalmike27]

2. dis

Apparently the media disapproval has finally gotten to Moore, who is now willing to vote for what appears, by all intents and purposes, and past history, a Republican.

I want to beat Bush too, but I am unwilling to sell-out, and put a known Republican on the ticket. I really thought this board was above some of the other ones, but I'm about ready to concede some of you are as easily duped as people on the iwon board.

By the way, I like Mike Moore, and have read his last two books, but I really think he's wrong on this one. Clark voted for several Republican presidents, and comes in, adopts all of Dean's positions (split the liberal vote) totally transforming his history, and now is competing for the lead. Dean would be "way" ahead now if it weren't for this split. Sounds like the actions of a Republican.

Don't be so easily fooled, you have to look at a lot more things than what the candidates say, like their history, both recent and distant. I don't know why Clark didn't run in the Republican Primary.

[vi5]

5. And if he voted for Dean he'd be a liberal hero?

C'mon. This is disingenuous. When I made some negative comments about Moore a few months back before Clark entered the race, I was chastized by more than a few people with Dean avatars and sig lines.

Now the knives are coming out?


Please.

[59millionmorons]

8. Does that mean I can't vote for any Democrats?

I voted for (R)Todd Platts.

[absyntheNsugar]

12. If I said this once I'll say it again

Clark is to the left of Dean. Not by much, but enough to be significant.

[Doctor_J]

14. And yet

Rove will have a much harder time painting him as a liberal. "Howard Dean, the Governor of the most liberal state in the union" fits nicely into a sound bite. What would they say about Wes? "A lily-livered liberal who risked his life for his country for 10 years".

[webkev]

3. read the rest of his message

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php

[Doctor_J]

13. Wow

That is an impressive piece of campaign literature. It sums up everything I believe about the general and his contrasts to Bush and Dean.

This November could be really fun if Clark is nominated.

[cprise]

4. Enjoy the attention Michael

Clark won't touch you with a 10ft. pole!

:)

[HootieMcBoob]

11. Oh yeah?

This from Wes's web site.

"Michael Moore is an enormous talent and an inspirational figure for millions of Americans. I am delighted to have his support, and I am honored by the eloquence and passion of his endorsement letter."

[Killarney]

6. Read this part

"I am convinced that the surest slam dunk to remove Bush is with a four-star-general-top-of-his-class-at-West-Point-Rhodes-Scholar-Medal-of-Freedom-winning-gun-owner-from-the-South -- who also, by chance, happens to be pro-choice, pro environment, and anti-war. You don't get handed a gift like this very often. I hope the liberal/left is wise enough to accept it. It's hard, when you're so used to losing, to think that this time you can actually win. It is Clark who stands the best chance -- maybe the only chance -- to win those Southern and Midwestern states that we MUST win in order to accomplish Bush Removal. And if what I have just said is true, then we have no choice but to get behind the one who can make this happen."

[bowens43]

7. Shouldn't the subject line be

Micheal Moore suffering from dementia?

[stickdog]

9. Wesley Clark: Ralph Nader with Stars & Bars! (nt)

[JanMichael]

10. Shouldn't this be locked?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=announcement&id=37

"While that forum is gone, you are still NOT permitted to Discuss the primary in the regular GD forum."

[For PaisAn]

15. This is politics and campaigns forum...

not GD. No need to lock.

[returnable]

16. Hello! This isn't GD...

...this is "politics and campaigns" :hi:

[HootieMcBoob]

18. it was moved from gd

to politics and campaigns. the post above was made during its short stay in general discussion.

[returnable]

21. Oh, I see...

Thanks for the scoop :toast:

[Bread and Circus]

17. What a great endorsement, Mike Moore has been taking his vitamins lately..

and I dare say he has been snooping on DU...

"I have met Clark and spoken to him on a number of occasions, feeling him out on the issues but, more importantly, getting a sense of him as a human being. And I have to tell you I have found him to be the real deal, someone whom I'm convinced all of you would like, both as a person and as the individual leading this country. He is an honest, decent, honorable man who would be a breath of fresh air in the White House. He is clearly not a professional politician. He is clearly not from Park Avenue. And he is clearly the absolute best hope we have of defeating George W. Bush.

This is not to say the other candidates won't be able to beat Bush, and I will work enthusiastically for any of the non-Lieberman 8 who might get the nomination. But I must tell you, after completing my recent 43-city tour of this country, I came to the conclusion that Clark has the best chance of beating Bush. He is going to inspire the independents and the undecided to come our way. The hard core (like us) already have their minds made up. It's the fence sitters who will decide this election.

The decision in November is going to come down to 15 states and just a few percentage points. So, I had to ask myself -- and I want you to honestly ask yourselves -- who has the BEST chance of winning Florida, West Virginia, Arizona, Nevada, Missouri, Ohio? Because THAT is the only thing that is going to matter in the end. You know the answer -- and it ain't you or me or our good internet doctor."

---

Point for point, it seems Mike is talking to the DU'ers and addressing
the major arguments surrounding Clark.

[HootieMcBoob]

19. it's definitely the smartest move

if i've said it once i've said it a million times. if we want to win and win big we nominate clark. clark will be able to do the 'nixon to china' type politcal moves that any other democrat wouldn't be able to pull off in a million years. as a president clark would be able to accomplish more for liberals than any president since johnson or even fdr.

[Bread and Circus]

20. Right On!

That's what I have been arguing since the start.

[diamondsoul]

22. Except that he's dismissed Kucinich

without being as informed about the man as he is about Clark. And YES, I do know this for a fact. His own words show it and the events in Chicago when Dennis made his official announcement speech there prove it. Mike spoke at Northwestern University that night. He could easily have arranged the timing of his appearance to allow him to come to the announcement event. Instead he held his appearance in direct opposition to the Kucinich announcement.

Now that's not to say I think he did something wrong, but comparatively, I'd say he hasn't done enough homework to have made this call.