Wes Clark Had Alot to Say Tonight, Do You Want To Know What?

[Justice]

Goodness, there are 3 or 4 posts about what Clark said about Dean -- and not much else about Wes' fantastic speech. Hmm - gotta wonder about that!


Wes spoke of the flag and its symbolism - and the fact that the flag belongs to all Americans. He spoke movingly of the men and women in uniform - and how they are feeling about they way people are feeling in this country about Iraq.

He spoke of our country in transition - he had done this eloquently during the campaign, and continues in that vein. He speaks of the emerging China economy, India and our need to be ready for that.

He spoke with distain about the tone of politics today and the need for us to rise above the discourse and show Americans a new direction. He spoke about Democrats and all that we contribute to the country.

People left feeling very good about him and where he is likely headed.

[tishaLA]

1. Thank you Justice

The real story about Wesley Clark isn't what he said about the Party Chair--after all, he said we have to rise above bitter name-calling and partisan fighting--but his message about how we can help our nation and our world.

We sometimes miss the entire melody when we focus too intently on a couple notes.

[Clark2008]

2. I think New Hampshire is VERY interested in the General

this time around - heck, he was the first candidate after the favorite sons of Kerry and Dean the first time around.

I love it that he's there and receiving such ovation!

[Adelante]

3. None of us knew the rest of his speech

Until now. What else. Did you write it all down? More, more. :)

[Justice]

6. I am sorry, WesDem,

when I read your posts I thought you were there.

Clark's speech carried the themes of his stump speeches, that we need to go back to our tried and true tested ways of dealing with situations - communicating and working with other countries, using diplomacy and and leadership to persuade others to our way to thinking. He spoke alot of China and the fact that its emerging economy is going to attract capital, technology, talent and investment - much like the US economy has done in the last century. He said we need our allies to work with us b/c of China's scale of growth - not b/c we are weak b/c that is smart for us to do.

He wove in a few new themes, but kept many of his original themes, families, values, honoring service men and women.

It sounded like a speech a person seriously considering running would give - although I don't want to put words or thoughts in the General's mouth. He is held in high regard by the party in NH.

[AntiCoup2K4]

4. I can't comment on his speech, because I haven't seen it.

I thanked him for saying he was proud of Dean just based on the second hand account alone, because so many other so-called "Dems" this week decided to cave in to pressure from the corporatists.

So anyway, is C-SPAN going to run the speech again tonight, so I can watch it?

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. Far as I know it hasn't aired yet. It just was taped...

...for possible broadcast. I think we just got our first first hand report beyond the mere "headlines". You can bet there will be some people calling CSPAN to make sure they air it and to get a heads up for when that will be.

[AaronforAmerica]

5. Former Clark Staffers Launch New Site

great speech from general clark! I though some of you may be interested in helping with a petition site that several of us former Wes Clark campaign staff members just put up. Its an email petition to Senators urging them to vote against John Bolton. I hope you check it out:

www.StopJohnBolton.com

Thanks!
take care,
Aaron

[faithnotgreed]

7. thanks aaron. when do we see the website about clarks presidential run?

hehe

many here looking forward to it...

[newyawker99]

16. Hi AaronforAmerica!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Clark2008]

9. First-hand account up at WesPAC, now.

When it came time for him to speak he got a wonderful ovation. All the speakers who had preceeded him had spoken of him with great admiration and respect, and the gentleman who introduced him did an admirable job of covering the General's impressive record of service to this Country and many of his personal achievements as well.

A Flag Day dinner is a natural for the General. After doing all the appropriate thankyous to his hosts he started with the flag as a theme, and talked about how it belongs to all of us not to just the Republicans. It was very moving as he spoke of the many roles of the flag in our lives, how we are perhaps the only nation whose national Anthem is about our flag,how we grew up pledging allegiance to it, how moved he was the first time he said the Pledge in uniform, how it flies in such diverse locations as schools, political locales, and sporting events.... and lastly how we honor our military dead by draping their coffins with it. I am not doing this justice at all...I can only tell you that it moved me to tears and got a very large ovation.

He went on to touch on many areas and gave us a very interesting history lesson to back up his theory of how we got where we are today. Saying basically the end of the Cold War left America in need of a new unifying principle, a new way of interacting in the world and a new way of achieving our aims both at home and abroad. He said 9/11 caught us in this unsettled period of transition, and the current administration capitalized on the country's fear and transitional state to create the situation we find ourselves in today.

He spoke of our international crisis and our domestic issues as well. I wish I could remember all the details, but I am sure the other bloggers present will be filing their reports too. He did not just throw out a lot of generalizations (no pun intended) or platitudes. He offered specific ideas about what he thought needed to be done, and received many ovations.

He ended by saying we need to put aside partisanship and get some leadership that can bring us together as a Nation, build on the things we all have in common, and lead us into the next new age for America. As we all rose in our last standing ovation of the evening I shouted out "We need You!!", but I don't think he could have heard me over the crowd.

http://pinb.forclark.com/story/2005/6/12/223610/551

[Clarkie1]

14. This is what will win red states.

"After doing all the appropriate thankyous to his hosts he started with the flag as a theme, and talked about how it belongs to all of us not to just the Republicans. It was very moving as he spoke of the many roles of the flag in our lives, how we are perhaps the only nation whose national Anthem is about our flag,how we grew up pledging allegiance to it, how moved he was the first time he said the Pledge in uniform, how it flies in such diverse locations as schools, political locales, and sporting events.... and lastly how we honor our military dead by draping their coffins with it. I am not doing this justice at all...I can only tell you that it moved me to tears and got a very large ovation."

We don't have to win states by "moving to the center" or compromising our liberal values. We can win red states by reminding them of the values we all share as Americans: inclusive values, not exclusive ones.

Clark is more than the best potential candidate to win 08' and help us win congressional seats in 06' and 08' decisively; he's also the best liberal democrat for the job and for our times. We have two great leaders leading our party to victory, and their names are Clark and Dean.

They are our leaders, and with their leadership and lot of hard work on our part we WILL take back America.

[Clark2008]

10. Kick

:kick:

[Cha]

11. I guess it was up

to you to tell us what else Clark had to say in that Great speach tonight.

And I want to thank Clark for everything that he said.

[pacalo]

12. Clark's convocation speech at Cornell was great, too. :)

I saw the video & loved the part about leadership so much that I transcribed it:

We’re embroiled in a vicious conflict in Iraq that’s consumed hundreds of American lives & threatens to undermine the strength of our all-volunteer military. And we see a terrorist leader who still defies the world & hides from the reach of American justice. And we see despotic regimes in Iran & North Korea continuing to pursue nuclear weapons. And we see hundreds of millions of people around the world who now profess to distrust our nation & dislike our foreign policy. And we see emerging economic competitors around the world who, in five years, or even tomorrow, can threaten American jobs & our standard of living.

You see, what happened is we won the Cold War but we lost our global strategy. The threats have changed, our situation’s changed, technology’s changed, our nation’s changed, & we still haven’t created a new framework for America’s engagement in the world & our actions & policies at home.

We need a framework that will preserve America’s freedom of action, our prosperity, our security, keep us & our families safe, & help us enjoy the fruits of our own labors here. And we don’t have it yet.

In the old days, we called the strategy deterrence & containment. But today, as the lone superpower in the world, we need a new strategy. We need to call it a strategy of American leadership. And we need to find it, because we haven’t found it yet. (applause).

Leadership. Gen. Eisenhower defined it this way. It was a definition we all had to memorize in military leadership at West Point. ‘Leadership,’ he said, ‘is the art of persuading the other fellow to want to do what you want them to do.’ He didn’t say it was force, manipulation, or the exercise of raw power. (applause) He said it was an art. (applause)

We need that kind of leadership today -- not the bullying kind of leadership. (applause) Not the kind of leadership...(applause)...we don’t need the kind of leadership that’s so hackneyed that even George Lucas quotes it in Star Wars. That if you’re not with us you’re against us. (applause) That’s not what we’re looking for. (applause)

We need the kind of leadership that moves nations & peoples with our ideals: steady, patient, balanced, determined...leadership that works to bring the world together to focus on the common tasks, not to divide it. And that works to build international structures, to promote development, to resolve disputes between nations, to respond to disasters, & to help advance our ideals of respect, dignity, security & health for every human being in the world. (applause) And we need that leadership at home, too. (applause).

[JDPriestly]

13. Thanks for this post.

I like Clark precisely because he is a leader. None of our other potential presidential candidates have the leadership experience that he has.

[CarolNYC]

15. thanks for the report Justice n/t