I’m a Dean supporter, but I MIGHT lean toward Clark

[DisgustipatedinCA]

I like Howard Dean. I’m extremely liberal and yes, I know that he isn’t. Nonetheless, Howard Dean is currently my choice for nominee, for a variety of reasons.

I didn’t like Wes Clark when he was the presumed frontrunner before he even entered the race. I didn’t like, and still don’t like that there’s an assumption that a military man must be run against that little monkey occupying the White House. It sets a precedent that I just don’t care for. I also didn’t like that he apparently voted Republican a number of times and only recently registered as a Democrat. My overriding concern was that he just wasn’t qualified to be President, that he may have had a sparkling career as a General but that this didn’t necessarily qualify him to be President. And on the debate hosted by Fox a week or so back, I thought he didn’t fare very well, didn’t score too many points.

BUT (cue for Clark people to put away their flamethrowers):

I have been lately impressed with what I’ve been reading about Wes Clark. I read the thread about Clark attacking the Eisenhower-termed military industrial complex, and I liked what I read. In this same interview, he’s been credited with saying that the arts are the soul of our nation (thanks, OKNancy). I was quite impressed with that, because it’s a sentiment with which I agree and I was frankly surprised to hear it coming from him.

Also, Mr. Clark seemed much more poised at the CNN Circus for the Young debate a couple of nights ago. I think he was wise to take the high road while others went after Dean. His comments about the flag issue the day after the debate were also appropriate, I think.

Most importantly, Wes Clark has been kicking the living hell out of the Bush Administration, as have most of the other candidates. I’m impressed when I hear him talking about the failure of the Bush Administration in regards to September 11th.

I know that Clark has a lock on the military vote. I’m glad to see that he’s starting to cater to the liberal, nonmilitary vote as well. I still have reservations. It still appears to me as though Clark has reinvented himself to some degree, but hell, I have reinvented myself once or twice. I hope it’s a hallmark of maturity, in me, in him. But I’m still wary, and I’ll keep watching what Clark and the rest of the candidates say.

Finally, if I end up as a confirmed Clark supporter, it will be not because of, but IN SPITE OF, the Clark people who insist on attacking other candidates. To be fair, I’m just as certain that those supporters of other candidates who end up throwing their support behind Howard Dean will not do so because of the entreaties of obnoxious Dean supporters. It’s all based on the merits of the candidates themselves, not the name-calling.

Thank you.


(edited to add 'before he even entered the race' in the 2nd para).

[CMT]

1. good post

thanks for posting and in the end if Wes Clark is our nominee I will join you in voting for him.

[Warpy]

8. Exactly

Anybody but Bush!

My caveat about Clark is that he's a Pentagon insider, who would be unwilling to houseclean the Pentagon of all the PNAC crowd and especially his cronies, the Pentagon "cabal" of Wolfowitz, Perle and Rumsfeld. He's stated that these men are his friends, and that he thinks they are wrong, but they're still his friends.

Sure, I'd vote for him to get rid of Bush, but I'd have to take a shower afterwards.

[Kahuna]

10. WRONGO! To the contrary. Clark said that he...

knows everybody in the pentagon and how it works. He said that he will not fund spending just because they rubberstamp it, "secret." Clark has proposed defense spending cuts because he knows where the cuts can be made.

[Warpy]

11. Nice sound bite

...but you failed to address my point. Sure, he'd trim wasteful spending. However, he'd leave his cronies in positions of power and influence, ready to jump up again when the next GOPer manages to swindle his way into the top office.

THAT is my caveat. Try addressing it.

[LuminousX]

2. I'm impressed with his extreme pro-science position

He got a chance to reiterate it during the Planned Parenthood debate. Any candidate who has the understanding that investment into pure scientific research reaps amazing rewards deserves a second look.

[poskonig]

13. Lum: Could you elaborate?

I'm a physics major, and my vote is up in the air between Dean, Kerry, and Clark. I would love to read about Clark's position on investment in science.

[xultar]

3. Great Post...Though I've never seen any posts where Clark

supporters attack other candidates. If you have some threads bookmarked I'd love to see.

[w13rd0]

4. Hey, if we all chose candidates based on their supporters...

...well, we'd be voting for the Dali Lama or something. I've said before, if it comes down to a choice for the nomination between two good men who demonstrate a willingness to fight Bush, who opposed the war, and who stand up for core democratic values...I see that as a win/win. If Clark's the nominee, he's one of the candidates for whom I'd have no problems voting, and may even be willing to campaign for...

[DisgustipatedinCA]

6. I would LOVE to have the Dalai Lama as President

But he'd probably abolish the office on his first day. :)

[helleborient]

7. If it comes down to Dean vs. Clark for the nomination...

That's a signal to me that we won the debate about Iraq at least in the party...and that's a great thing!

Wesley Clark is not to be discounted.

[KittyWampus]

5. Clark Considers Himself A "Public Servant"

and HONESTLY believes in doing what is best for the country.

I wrote briefly in a post yesterday how my own background includes an NCO Father and how CLark's being military was an initial reason for pause...

But I listened to him and watched him and read about his history.

The man is a Leader in the best sense of the word.

He's not afraid to strive for perfection and I don't think he will understand the public's capacity to hear the Truth.

Clark is the best candidate, IMO, to level with the public about where this country is heading.

Last night, I heard his NH interview and he compared the US position to ROME before its decline.

Sounds dramatic but he sees the Big Picture. He is NOT playing politics.

[Kahuna]

9. Was it that, Jim Anderson from "Father Knows Best" ...

image he projected at the "Circus for the Young" ( :P ) forum the other night?

I think that Clark's personality is very endearing. He comes across as very warm and genuine. Don't ever go and see him in person. He's very charismatic.

[democratreformed]

12. On the contrary,

I don't believe that Clark is reinventing himself. I have been closely watching Wesley Clark for almost a year. He remains the same man I have been studying.

I do believe that he is becoming more successful at getting his message out and at let others see the real person he is.

Wesley Clark is a thinker. He is an intelligent man who actually enjoys studying issues before forming his opinion. He is also a listener who enjoys hearing others thoughts and points of view. These qualities are what first attracted me to him.

As I have said many times, he has not let me down yet. No, I don't agree that all of his statements are utterly correct and glowing. But, I do think he is an amazing person who clearly understands what it means to work together with others to solve problems.