Clark says he's a Dem but says Sept. 19th will bring "closure"

[DJcairo]

hmmmmmmmm

From Inside Politics....

[jos]

1. Sounds like the Clark folks here should get prepared

It sounds like the man aint-a-running. For president that is. I think what he's really running for is VP. And he might get it, especially if Dean wins. I think he might be better suited for Secretary of Defense or Secretary of State.

[meegbear]

2. How do you know?

You get that from that statement, that he'll be dean's VP? Jeez, can we wait until he announces it HIMSELF???

Didn't Ahh-nold pull something like this and look what he did.

[Cornus]

4. The Clark folks here ARE prepared

Contrary to your perception, I got the feeling that he definitely IS running...for president that is. Perhaps he might consider Dean for his running mate?

[GainesT1958]

3. Let's ask ourselves this question...

If Gen Clark does NOT "choose to run", why would he wait until Sept. 19 to announce that decision? Why not go ahead and say it now?

Once Al Gore (ostensibly) decided, he didn't waste any time letting us know. Wes Clark wouldn't do that, either, IMHO. No, he's waiting until Sept. 19 to let us know he's a candidate--after all, he's scheduled to do that in Iowa--not by accident, I take it...:eyes:

B-)

[diamondsoul]

5. I get the same feeling, and I'm not even a Clark supporter.

I think he's going to announce, and honestly, I'm a little bummed by it. I deeply respect and admire Gen. Clark, but he's put some of us in a bad position I think by delaying his announcement this way. I won't pull out of Kucinich's campaign at this stage in the game, and if I'd committed to Clark at an early point in the process I'd feel the same way.

No offense meant, because I'd love to see him in the White House, myself, BUT, I wonder has this hurt him in terms of support.

[dpbrown]

6. I don't think "closure" signals a run

If that's the word he used, I think he's thought it over and decided against it. And if I recall, Gore kept us on the hotseat for some time in late 2002 about his announcement, making it a bit ahead of schedule after his SNL debut, but after coming out on a book tour and issuing several policy statements about Bush, essentially drumming up support, had there been a run.

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota

[Kahuna]

8. He's been using the word "closure" for months now. Closure

just means a a decision will be made one way or another. Ya'll been watching too much Dr. Phil.

[dpbrown]

15. I don't know who doctor phil is

But the interpretation of closure I used is from my own head, not someone else's.

[genius]

10. He could be under pressure not to run

Al Gore acted as if he were running until he made his decision. There is at least one really vicious campaign going on and I wouldn't be surprised by anything that happened.

[Ediacara]

11. thge only vicious campaign I know of....

is the anti-Dean campaign here, headed by the "genius" and NJ...

[ModerateMiddle]

16. Sigh

[renie408]

21. Because he is more flirtatious than a 13 year old cheerleader?

I was kind of interested in Clark for awhile there, but I ran out of breathless anticipation a few weeks ago. I think all this 'will he or won't he' soap opera crap is cheap and unworthy of someone who wants to be President of the United States. Christ, if he takes this long to even decide to let us in on the fact that he is a Democrat or that he might/maybe/possibly wants to run, how is he going to make decisions in the future??

[DrFunkenstein]

7. It's Getting Annoying Watching Pundits Try To Out Him

I know why he's on TV all the time, but he says the same things OVER AND OVER. By closure, I hope he means he'll stop all this irritating coyness. And I like the guy!

[Nicholas_J]

9. He could also

Be discussing things with Clinton, and since he is rather a party loyalist, with the party and the DLC itself. He would not be likely that he would do something that would create an even larger number of democrats competing. He is a great man, and one of the few who would put the party's decisions, before his own ambitions. Like all good military men, he is used to displacing his own personal desires to a greater cause.

Or it could just be that this is the day that his exploratory comittee comes back with a full data and a recommendations for him.

[dean4america]

12. any significance about the 19th in particular?

I mean, to Clark personally? Anniversary of 35 years in the military, for example, or something like that? It is odd date to announce anything, because it is a Friday. I don't think that gives him an opportunity to control the news cycle that much. Remember, the Clinton WH would always dump stuff on the press on Fridays to bury it. Yes, he does get a MTP slot that weekend, one would think, etc., but he gets that regardless. Every other candidate has announced on a monday or tuesday, controlled a weeks worth of news (generally speaking), then hit the weekend shows (or, in Dean's case, was on the weekend shows in advance of his announcement).

Also, the word "closure" in a general sense, to me, seems like a very carefully chosen word (if that is what he said, I didn't see the appearance and am just going by the headline). Closure is normally attached with getting closure after a bad breakup with a significant other, a death in the family, etc. Seems odd, is all.

[DrFunkenstein]

13. It's So He Doesn't Have To Declare

How little money he has in his coffers. It's right after the deadline for declaration.

[ModerateMiddle]

18. No, that date is in October

By October 15, candidates have to file their financials for the period ending 9/30.

[ModerateMiddle]

17. It's simply a date he has a scheduled

speech in Iowa. That's why that particular date. He'll announce his candidacy at that speech, or he'll announce he's not running, either before or on that date.

Frankly, I take the man at his word. Folks in the military aren't partisan - they are American. They may have their choices for one leader or another, but for the most part, the military is a "party" unto itself.

He's lived most of his life that way. It has been difficult for him to make the transition to a partisan world of power-broking. And I believe it is a HUGE decision to run for President. You practically have to lay down on the cross while the talking heads - and the opposition - nail you to it.

No matter that I'm not qualified, I would NEVER even THINK of doing it.

[CoffeePlease1947]

14. Two points

I tend to think that closure means to finish it off. This could mean that he has decided what he is going to do. It could mean that he will announce, or he will not announce. I lean to the the "he won't annouce" with the word "closure".

Second, he also said he would be speaking in Iowa on the 19th. He also declared that he is a Democrat and proud to be a Democrat. Now why would he announce he is not running on the 19th in Iowa? Seems odd to do that. Why not just say "no" at an eariler or later date some place else?

This leads me to conclude that he is going to run and he meant "closure" by the fact that he is done dancing around the idea of when and how to run the race.

Mike

[jiacinto]

19. Well

I think he might be positioning himself for the VP position.

[Avalux]

20. Nope

He's stated VP is not a consideration. If he runs, it'll be to win.