Grim view of TN voters re. Clark (Guardian)

[BeyondGeography]

Clark Suffers Lack of Recognition
Matthew Wells
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
The Guardian

<snip>General Clark was the only candidate who chose to spend the whole of this crucial day in Tennessee. However, despite his efforts to make himself and his message widely known here...voters were still struggling to recognise him.

"I think I saw something about him. I knew somebody was a general," Lisa Sweeney, an ex-Marine who works in one of the mega-pharmacy chains that blight the mid-American landscape.

Albert Johnson votes Democrat, but he wasn't too worried about the primary stage. He has heard of John Kerry, but said he couldn't see Clark in his mind's eye, or remember what he's done.

<snip>Joe Jenkins is the 66-year-old chairman of the local county Democrats. He has always been sceptical about newcomer Clark, reasoning he is no more "one of us" than he had been before deciding to run for president:

"The man is a Repubican. He voted for Reagan and Nixon and fundraised for George Bush senior," he said. "He hasn't convinced me where his money's coming from and, so far, he's carried just one state."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1144942,00.html

Comment: A Democratic county chairman implies Clark is being funded by Republicans. Unreal.

[xultar]

1. Well I'd first like to thank the Media...then I'd like to say..

HE shoulda started running 2 years ago like everyone else. Maybe that woulda helped him.

Ya think?

[MoonRiver]

2. Yeah, the fact that he gave up a lucrative business to help his country

in its time of dire need apparently amounts to a hill of beans. People obviously WANT career politicians. :argh:

[maddezmom]

3. looks that way

:(

[jpgpenn]

4. This my friend are the "thinkers" within our party!

:scared:

[Carolina]

12. that's why I'm so despondent

this nation is doomed and perhaps rightly so since it was founded on such hypocrisy. We've yet to have freedom and justice for all. And now ignorance and indifference abound and are even glorified.

As for those of us who support Clark, even more despair since the party bigwigs have likely thrown away a treasure.

My days of support for the party are over. I'm not even sure I will ever proudly say I'm Democrat again. I feel more and more alienated ...

[aquart]

13. Well, I value the constitution above any man.

So you just go home now and let the rest of us save that document from the shredder.

[Tinoire]

5. Oh Lord have mercy

Things are really bad when I, of all people, have to cheer up Clark supporters. Where's your spirit?!

Take a cue from Kucinich supporters. Do NOT let this crap get to you. Just keep on plugging away.

[maddezmom]

7. LOL

funny what politics will do to ya. thanks :)

[Tinoire]

25. Lol yes but I have no quarrel with you guys

My bitterness is for the system- not the people getting involved. Besides, who's to say who's really right? ;)

[MoonRiver]

8. Thanks Tinoire! :-)

General Clark was called to help his country, and he answered. Granted, we don't know the end result of that adventure yet, but if he doesn't get the nomination, Clark will be fine. I'm not so sure about We the People.

[Tinoire]

21. I understand your point. I understand your passion & sincerity

& really admire that.

Without ceding the competition, I sincerely, as much as I possibly can, wish you guys luck because of all the hard work you've put into this. I really hate to see people emotionally invested in a candidate and then crushed- especially young people who are trying to make a political difference for the first time in their lives.

Clark will be fine. Like you, I'm more worried about we the people but I think that together we can get through this.

[MoonRiver]

27. Tinoire, a picture is worth a thousand words

:grouphug: We Americans must all stand together to defeat the fascist forces of darkness. General Clark would, imho, agree.

[Tinoire]

29. That is really kind! Thank you

I am eagerly looking forward to the day where we're all on the same sheet of music again!

Peace

[Tom Rinaldo]

9. Tinoire LOL That was Great!

Thanks. Words of wisdom to be sure, but better yet, you gave me a real chuckle, like you said, coming from you. Nice gesture.

[Tinoire]

22. Well, you guys are nice people

Hate to see passionate people trying to make a difference down in the dumps.

At the end of the day, no matter what happens, we will all have made a difference.

:toast:

[Nashyra]

10. Thank you Tiniore

Keep your chins up you don't know what a difference a day can make. Even if things don't swing our way hopefully Wes Jr will write a screenplay about the primary. It is truly remarkable that a person who would give up a profitable career to run for the Presidency was given such shitty treatment by the press, just goes to show you that the politicos might want to get rid of * but they don't want to have give up doing business as usual. Surprise Surpeise, they would rather let the * win again then have someone that could really make a change. Americans 0 Media 1000% Washington=business as usual, Welcome to America

[Tinoire]

24. Quite a devastating let-down, isn't it?

the politicos might want to get rid of * but they don't want to have give up doing business as usual

That part's pretty clear. The machinery has no intention of being dismantled. It's all very, very sad. I fear it will take a physical revolution to change things for us but I'm not holding my breath- we don't even know how to hold a decent strike because we're so afraid to lose our jobs with no social safety nets to back us up...

They've got us by the *^* and they know it- that's the most discouraging thing about it!

Peace

[MidwestMomma]

19. Thanks for the reminder

I want Clark as our nominee but I also want Clark to stay in the race because look what his candidancy has already reaped. AWOL Bush is on the front page!

I really admire Kucinich and his supporters and I will try to imitate them. :D

But damn the media...

[Tinoire]

26. Lol... But don't imitate me!

I don't even have a Kucinich avatar because, well... as you know, I'm not the representative sweetness and light ;) Have a hard time keeping my cool, something you do admirably well.

[EXE619K]

6. We'll send the good Doctor over.....

Maybe he can stand next to Wes and say "YEAAGGHHH!" to garner some media attention.

Seriously folks....you guys have nothing to worry about.

At least, your guy has a better chance at knocking off Kerry than our guy in Wisconsin.

Good vibes to ya!

:hi:

edit: schpelling

[BeyondGeography]

11. And I'll thank you, EX-IE

Good vibes right back atcha.

[BigBigBear]

14. To some extent, this is HIS fault

He waited WAY too long to enter the race, imv.

It didn't help that all eyes were on Dean early on, either.

[Julien Sorel]

15. This guy is mouthing Dean/Kerry talking points:

Joe Jenkins is the 66-year-old chairman of the local county Democrats. He has always been sceptical about newcomer Clark, reasoning he is no more "one of us" than he had been before deciding to run for president:

"The man is a Repubican. He voted for Reagan and Nixon and fundraised for George Bush senior," he said. "He hasn't convinced me where his money's coming from and, so far, he's carried just one state."


10-1 says he's a Kerry or Edwards supporter, probably Edwards.

The problem with low name recognition is that all the undecideds go into the booth and pick whatever name is on the TV. I did a lot of calling for Clark, and on my tallies Clark would show even with Kerry, with a high number of undecideds -- about 25%. When it came time to vote, Kerry got almost all the undecideds, whereas Clark's numbers came in exactly even with my calling. It's the power of the boob tube -- specifically, the evening news shows. If you talk to someone who is 'undecided,' the odds are overwhelming that they will go into the booth and vote for the media favorite du jour. And, not to beat a dead horse, but that's what sucks about this format, because if the election had been a few weeks earlier, it would have been Dean who was running away with it. It's simply too random and sheep-driven.

[bigtree]

16. Clark's no republican

We are lucky to have him on our side.

[meow mix]

17. la la la! everythings fine!

and joe jenkins can suck it, freaking tin-hatted bigot.

[NashVegas]

18. Nashville Media is Horrendous

First thing: with all the musicians in town, this is the most self-absorbed city in the US, west of LA.

That said, our daily newspaper is horrid. Look for my response to news the Tennessean endorsed Kerry from back over the weekend to see just how bad it is.

There's barely any significant coverage of state gov't affairs in any of the local media. When something relevant happens, we'll read about it a week later, and we won't see it on the TV news unless there's a possible tax hike involved.

People who know to look for Wes would look for him. People who don't are off somewhere getting a studio tan or a shopping for a 34 DDD bra (think about it).

[democracy eh]

20. mind boggling

I know I am a political junkie

but man oh man
even with just watching the evening news, can't people retain some info on the candidates? This is not a 'poor Wes' rant. more of a 'poor democracy rant' as with the exception of the last guy, I am sure most of the candidates have the same issues. Even Kerry, for most folks on the street all they can muster is "he can beat Bush". as the many passionate Kerry supported on DU can show, there is a hell of a lot more to JK than that, policy, vision, experience, sheesh. Tell me, what do people do, see something political on the TV and immediately flip channels? bizarre, bizarre bizarre

[LiberalBushFan]

23. Sad that we must turn to a foreign publication

to get any news about Clark.

[Leilani]

30. Isn't that the truth

Pretty sad!

[HFishbine]

28. A salute to the Lisa Sweeneys of America

You are the uninformed. The unaware. Trotting along in your blissful ignorance, you are the exemplar of the Murikan muddle. For your slavish devotion to your own little world, I salute you Lisa Sweeney!

(on edit: Damn sure should have taken that typing class. This is a dig at the "uninformed," not the "uniformed" as orginally posted. Sorry)

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