My question is If Clark is the Dean stopper

[candy331]

and does overtake Dean in the polls and Clark becomes the front runner, will the Dems then come together,rally behind him and stop the attacks that have been constantly hurled to unstop Dean? In other words will Clark as front runner unite the force?



Dean/Clark

[Screaming Lord Byron]

1. No. Then people will start calling for a Clark stopper.

There's always an anyone-but-the-guy-in-front tendency, in every election.

[judge_smales]

2. Not sure why

you would think that. I'd assume that they'd all gang up on him, like they seem to w/ every poll leader.

[mkultra]

3. this dean supporter

will happily support clark if he wins the primary

[ochazuke]

4. Maybe that's the real reason Gore endoresed Gov. Dean.

He forsaw the probability that there would be great divisivness in the party if Dean is unseated as the front-runner and Clark is the new front runner. Clark's credentials as a Democrat will be called into question, he'll be seen as the "establishment" choice. Dean's supporters will feel robbed.

[mrgorth]

5. I don't think so

Some pro-war will still go after Clark. Others, seeing Dean down will kick him. IMO, only the unification of Dean and Clark could stop the bleeding.

[Jack_Dawson]

6. Most Dean Supporters Will Support Clark, Some Won't

And that's too bad, of course. But if it does divide the party, and Bush kicks our ass, then we deserve it.

[Rowdyboy]

7. Yes, we all know at least one whose vote is...

non-transferrable! :)

People are just too funny...

[mmonk]

8. I'd rather all candidates

be referred to as "bush stoppers".

[Capn Sunshine]

9. You're telling me

the ABD crowd have flaggelated themselves into a foaming frenzy of fallacious fear.
:nuke:

[Upfront]

10. Dean Supporter Here.

If Clark wins he has my backing.

[curse10]

11. I'd have a much easier time getting behind Clark than Dean

that's for sure.

[newsjunkie]

23. Kerry reminds me of Herman Munster

Ok... I know that's silly, but he does! LOL!

[Hep]

12. Nah, Dean is the devil.

They'll gloat like frat boys though.

[flpoljunkie]

13. The answer to your question is yes, the party would unite around Clark.

[bitchkitty]

14. If you're talking about the Democratic

establishment, probably. They won't unite behind Dean because he's not an establishment whore. If you're talking about Dean's supporters, the majority of them are ABB, but I'm sure there are some, particularly those who have never been involved in politics before, that will take their ball and go home. I'm ABB, but if I have to pull the lever for Clark, it will signal the end to my interest in politics, and I'll start collecting shoes again or something.

[stinkeefresh]

16. I agree.

The anti-Dean freak-out has a lot to do with who will be in charge of the party for the next four years. If Clark gets the nom, it'll be the same power-structure that has been for the last 12 years, if Dean gets the nom then things will be quite different. Even Terry McAuliff could be out of a job.

So yeah, if Clark were the nom there would be a lot less vocal opposition, because there would be a lot less powerful Dems facing a loss of power. There'd be a hell of a lot of pissed off people, but they wouldn't be able to be as loud.

To me, that's not necessarily a good thing.

[sandnsea]

15. Yes I think so

He's a great guy. He's going to do well in most of the country. He's got an easy, steady personality. He has alot going for him and could heal the country as well. The right will just not get away with smearing a General.

[adadem]

17. Absolutely

Though I already support the General...along with a few others.

[YellowDawgDemocrat]

19. Clark is last on my list.....

But, yeah, I would vote for him if he gets the nomination. I wouldn't be voting for Clark, but merely voting for the party.

Gephardt is my guy, but if the Texas primary rolls around and he has failed to do well in the other primaries, I'll vote for Dean.

[Scott Lee]

18. I was OK with Clark at first. Now, things have changed.

Firstly I have come into some information about Clark regarding the Kosovo conflict and the KLA that greatly disturbs me. I posted this as a thread but it was locked down as "inflammatory". Google on Clark and the KLA, I'm sure you can find alot of it. To put it in a nutshell, Clark exposed himself as a political bungler that has me greatly concerned what he'd do on a grander scale if he were president.

Secondly, I think he came into the democratic "fold" suspiciously late for me. I think he's a prop candidate - a made for TV guy the Democrats can try to unseat Bushhole, while retaining their more-rightward-moving-by-the-day positions and their statist party privileges. I am simply not convinced this guy has much of a true democratic bone in his body.

Last, if the behavior of many of his supporters here on DU is any indication, he'll end up alienating more than he garners support. In the end, the Democrats won't win much of a thing with this guy.

So sorry, that wasn't what I had hoped when I initially supported Clark along with Dean.

[YellowDawgDemocrat]

20. Lee, yeah, that's my take on him as well. That's why he's last on my list

[Larry Gude]

22. Scott and Yellow Dog...

...watching Clark rise has been the theatre of the absurd for the 2004 race.

Yes, he's the Clinton 'guy' and certainly that gave him instant legtimacy and veteran support but there is simply no way around this debate question...

"General Clark, you just became a Democrat a few months back. What made you suddenly decide this and what will you become a few months from now? And why?"

This is not a position change, this is core.

[Justice]

24. You Initially Supported Clark?

Wow, I would have like to have read your posts. Typically people that switch continue to hold the former candidate in some regard.
So it is surpring to me that you once supported Clark, because you have been pretty consistently negative about it. Of course you are entitled to change your view - that's democracy.

I am very disappointed with the tone of DU, it seems to keep escalating. It is incorrect to say that one group of supporters or the other is to blame. I think the majority of DUers are very supportive of other candidates. There are a few in every camp that are the spoilers.

[jonnyblitz]

25. basically the same for me though I will support him of course

if he is the one. His supporters have soured me really bad on him even if that is irrational and unfair. Also I was in the navy for 10 years and can't get it in my head that military brass can ever be anything but right wing. Of course I will get over all of this if he gets the nomination. I got real tired of being called a fringe leftist by his supporters and if his supporters are so against "leftists" why are they supporting Clark if he is "progressive". I don't know. I need to step back and look at him again without the taint of the DU flame wars in my head. :shrug:

[ErasureAcer]

21. Dean is the Dean stopper

he has already shot himself in the foot 50 times with his lies...

He will not win...and if by some chance he does...he will have pissed off enough people not to support him...such as myself.

[Killarney]

26. I don't think people will unite until after we have a candidate.