I saw Wesley Clark on MSNBC this morning...

[jenmito]

Does this move from Faux to MSNBC mean he's not running? Would he just start as an MSNBC analyst if he was going to run for president? Anyone know? :hi:

[wildhorses]

1. i think it is still too early to rule anything out --

however, i have no inside information.

[jenmito]

2. I wonder why he'd just start working at MSNBC, though...

He's on right now. What was I saying again? :D

[alfredo]

6. He makes good money, has freedom, is not a big target

for the Reich Wing, and can say what he wants. I'd rather be in that situation than be president.

As far as strategy for a run: Being on Fox gave him a positive image with the right moderates and the right wing. Coming back to a news organization reintroduces him to moderates and the left.

[jenmito]

8. True, but...

I'D rather see him as president so the things he says MEAN something...or have weight to them. I agree that working on Faux was a great move for him, exposing him to an audience that would otherwise never know of him. Maybe he left because he was given less and less air time OR because THEY know he's planning on running for president at which time to remain on Faux would kind of be a conflict of interest? :D

[alfredo]

11. Or that in the end, what he was saying was true and they couldn't

use him as a negative stereotype of Democrats.

[jenmito]

13. Exactly, which is why I said it could be seen as

a conflict of interest for him to remain on Faux if he were to run for president. THEIR interest is to make the Dems. look "weak" but he's clearly strong and as a presidential candidate that would actually hurt their objective. Didn't they realize he was a strong Dem. when they hired him as a military analyst? How stupid could they be?

[Adelante]

22. I think he feels he accomplished what he set out to do on Fox

which was to present a positive presence for Democrats ahead of the 2006 elections. That's done and his Fox contract's done, so he was free to go elsewhere. I imagine if he decides to run in the fall he has some way of backing out of the MSNBC contract, but I'm guessing like anybody.

[Bobbie47]

3. He's on now n/t

[jenmito]

5. I know...

That's why I forgot what I was talking about for a minute. :D

[ourbluenation]

4. Gore/Clark 08

[jenmito]

7. I could go for that as well as...

Clark/Obama or Clark/Gore. :hi:

[wildhorses]

15. that is a team i would gladly endorse

:patriot:

[Tom Rinaldo]

9. From "Hotline On Call". (Plus my observations)

June 13, 2007

A More Candidate-Friendly Audience?

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark will now be exclusively on MSNBC as a military analyst, sources have confirmed to the Hotline. Clark has still not ruled out a possible White House bid and MSNBC would be a much more Dem-friendly audience than his old gig -- Fox News Channel .
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/06/a_more_candidat.html


So it appears that Clark can exercise an escape clause if he wants. Here are my own thoughts on how this effects Clark's possible canidacy, taken from posts I made at Clark Community Network:

"From Clark's perspective, getting two months of free air time on MSNBC, and likely on NBC also, prior to entering the Democratic race for President would likely be viewed as a gift from political heavan. NSNBC/NBC means a probable open invitation onto Count Down, Hardball, and Meet the Press. It also means more excitement and anticipation over hearing Wes deliver his keynote at Yearly Kos, because as it is now, the only activists who watch Clark live or in reruns are usually Clark supporters already, but by then a lot more Democratic activists will have seen him reguarly on MSNBC to help get them psyched. All of that followed by the roll out of "A Time To Lead" on September 4th, with a slew of new readers, many of them Democrats, interested in finding out more about this guy they have been watching on TV all Summer.

From MSNBC's perspective it is less obvious. I can read it either way. Maybe they know damn well there's a good chance Wes will split in a couple of months and they are fine with that if it happens. Clark will have done an extended cameo appearance for their network, helping them gain Buzz and new viewers. If Clark runs the tag "former MSNBC news anylist" will get added to Clark' scredentials, adding to MSNBC's credibility.

MSNBC is still Number Three so they have to try harder. This may be a win/win for them no matter what Clark decides. There is a surplus of former military commanders out there available for MSNBC to hire in his stead should Clark move on, but hopefully, from their perspective, the new viewers Clark will win them now will stay. MSNBC's reputation as the up and coming hip news channel can only be helped by them hiring Clark now. No one will hold it against them later if Clark should leave to run for President of the United States."

Also this:

"This act extends Clark's window of opportunity to run. Not indefinately surely, not by more than a month or two max I supect, but it pushs it past the kick off of the first DNC sponsored Democratic debates in late July, which I had been using as a benchmark. Since I last thought that, there have been two blockbuster and relevent announcments.

The first is Clark giving the Key Note speech on the first full day of Yearly Kos. That gives him his single biggest potential activist break through moment since the 2004 election. Now this announcement about MSNBC, which is viewed by a much more Democratic Party friendly audiance on whole than FOX ever was. And Clark chatting about events with a friendly host like Keith Oberman rather than debating Billo and friends, is a very positive way for potential primary voters to become acquainted with Wes Clark, and for some of them to begin clammering "Why isn't this man running for President"?

Labor day still seems like an outer target to me, but now that doesn't sound as crazy."

[jenmito]

10. Great observations, Tom...

Sounds sensible to me! I hope you're right about an escape clause. Then it WOULD be a win-win situation. I really hope to see him on Countdown! :hi:

[flpoljunkie]

12. Don't know if Clark's ruled out a run, but it's great to see him on MSNBC

[jenmito]

14. It sure is!

I just hope he'll use this as free publicity before running!

[MGKrebs]

16. My opinion is that he will not run unless he sees an opening

that isn't there yet. The current front runners would have to falter, much like the Thompson/Republican scenario is playing out. But that is the same scenario that would likely motivate Gore to jump in, again detouring a Clark candidacy, although VP for any number of candidates would be shweet.

[jenmito]

17. Given how early it is...

there very well MAY be an opening. And since the war is going so badly, I really think Clark is a better fit to fill the opening than Gore. But I'd be happy if BOTH entered the race and ran on the same ticket.

[dmosh42]

18. He may be better off waiting for the right time...

I think that many of the voting public have not seen the right person, yet. And I include myself. I've been a Clark backer for a while, and still have hopes. Gore would be a good alternative, but I don't know if it would be a practical choice, as he would not be perceived as a "change candidate", which I think will be an important asset.

[jenmito]

19. I agree with your assessment...

Like I said before, I think Clark is a better fit for the condition the world is in right now AND he's a change candidate that would make "even" Rudy look like an imbecile on foreign policy. (I put "even" in quotes because Rudy has NO experience with foreign policy other than he happened to be NY mayor on 9/11).

[Tom Rinaldo]

26. I am one who believes Clark would make a better candidate for our Party than Gore

Meaning that our November victory would be more assured and/or larger should Wes Clark somehow emerge this Spring with the Democratic nomination rather than Al Gore. Obviously many feel differently, and I love Gore also so I have no desire to debate the point now.

However it seems to me that for many undeniable and understandable reasons, if Al Gore chooses to run he will take up a whole lot of whatever oxygen is left that is needed for a winning campaign to emerge from someone not yet part of the current field.

And having said that, it would be great to have Wes in the race regardless of whether Al enters or not, because with Wes Clark in the race his views on War and Peace will be thrust into the center of Democratic debate, where well they should be.

[jenmito]

27. So do I...

I was just wondering, re: MSNBC, how and if Tucker will deal with Clark, being that Tucker trashes Clark's '04 run every time he mentions him, saying his campaign was a disaster. I wish Clark would go head to head with Tucker and explain how he was TREATED disastrously in the MSM.

[Tom Rinaldo]

25. I agree that a Gore entrance into the race would likely preempt

any chance Clark would have of gaining the support needed to win. But you I and half the nation have been watching Gore on this for a long long time, and I still can't pretend to know what his final decision on running will be, and I suspect Al Gore may not either. A strong case can be made, from his perspective, for either decision.

And I think there is a solid opening for at least one more Democratic candidate this Summer, be that Al Gore or Wes Clark. I see signs of front runners "faultering" already. Edwards is now dropping in the polls, and Hillary's negative approval ratings with the public keep rising. There is still a lot of time before the first primaries. If that trend isn't reversed soon she will cause incresing anxiety for Democrats who want a winner in November. As for Obama, the simplest observaton to make is that he no longer is new and shiny; he's been banged up some. The initial explosion of support for Obama has more or less leveled off, or at least the growth rate has flattened considerably. At some point deficiencies in Obama's resume will show through more as the initial glare of his star power recedes.

[Auntie Bush]

20. I saw him twice already today and I only had on the TV on for a couple hours.

Seems that MSNBC will have him on much more frequently than Faux. I can't wait to see him in conversation as a guest on one of MSNBC's news programs. Ohhhhhh, am I ever looking forward to KO and Clark. He looks very serious when just answering questions. I'd like to see that magnificent smile during some nice friendly chats with KO. Than God for KO!

I frankly now think this is a prelude to his running. (I had almost given up) If he does run, I believe he has to cancel out on MSNBC or it would be considered a conflict of interests. He can't be an analysis if he's running for president...damn. Go Wes Go!

We should all write to MSNBC and congratulate them for their excellent decision. We don't hesitate to criticize...so we shouldn't hesitate to complement.

[jenmito]

21. I said the same thing about KO...

that I hope to see Clark on his show. :D I saw Clark four times today on MSNBC so far! He's been talking about Hamas/Gaza. Very intelligent (and telegenic).

[Adelante]

23. He was on MSNBC twice the other day

I understand he was just there for a meeting, but they wanted him to go straight on the air. :)

[jenmito]

24. GOOD!

I'm sure he's much more appreciated than he was at Faux.