General Wes Clark still saying (even as of tonight) "I haven't said that I won't run"

[snowbear]

He spoke at Central Michigan University earlier tonight -- and he's still leaving the possibility open that he may join the current lineup of 2008 candidates.

He's been echoing this statement for months, and he said it again tonight--

Although he has not announced his candidacy for the 2008 presidential race, Clark said, I haven't said that I won't run."

http://www.themorningsun.com/stories/040307/loc_coldwar.shtml




While it may or may not be too late.. if you take a look at the Republic Party, the following 5 people are still "considering" joining their party's already crowded field:

-Fred Thompson
-Newt Gingrich
-Michael Weiner
-Chuck Hagel
-George Pataki

Factoid: Did you know that if General Clark entered the race on April 17, 2007 -- that it would be FIVE months sooner than he jumped in last time?


I think if the General is going to do it.. he needs to get in within the next 30 days or less.


He's obviously still considering it.. But is it too late?

[Texas_Kat]

1. Nope, not too late

Though I'd like to see him jump in tomorrow, that's more about me than it is about necessity. I guess this is a lesson for all of us in patience.

He said in New York at the Democracy Now forum that he "thinks about it every day" and that he has a plan. I wouldn't underestimate one of the best strategists of our generation - ever.

He's got a while yet.

:):)

[bobbie]

2. He said on Democracy Now "I think of it every day"

Said it to Amy Goodman.
He clearly wants to, plans to... I hope he's just being strategic and waiting until Obama and Clinton cancel each other out. He is the best candidate by far, in fact one of the best candidates of all time.

[loudsue]

4. I think he'd go down in history as one of the greatest all time presidents.

He has the makings of it, anyway!

:applause: Do it, Clark! Do it!!! :woohoo:

[bobbie]

7. He actually invites favorable comparisons to President Kennedy

Which is my highest praise.

[xkenx]

9. Deleted

[xkenx]

11. Not since Bobby Kennedy have I been so inspired as I have been inspired by Wes Clark.

For me, Bobby was more "Of the people" than Jack. But I'm fine with those comparisons. Even Ted, who grew out of a "Frat Boy" youth to become the revered lion of the Senate.

[bobbie]

20. Yes, General Clark is the most inspirational leader since the sixties

The Kennedys and Dr King and Malcolm X...

I love your description of Ted Kennedy. He's a strong man... He's really been put through hell, yet he keeps slugging away. Amazing person.

I do think that President Kennedy was the one with the common touch though, and Bobby only attained it after the bitter experience of seeing his brother murdered. Here's an example, as fresh as yesterday's headlines:
"http://www.lcsun-news.com/news/ci_5573470
"On June 5, 1963, President John F. Kennedy visited White Sands Missile Range to watch a series of missile firings. The event was called Project MEWS, which stood for "Missile Exercise White Sands."
One of the speakers that day was a young Army captain named Dan Duggan. He eventually came back to White Sands as the deputy commander and retired to Las Cruces.
...
For Kennedy's visit the range launched seven missiles against a variety of targets including another missile, a hillside and several remotely controlled jet aircraft.
...
After the demonstrations, representative soldiers from the various missile crews presented the president with a model of the Sergeant missile and the vice president with a Pershing plaque.
The last thing on the agenda was a 20-minute briefing for just the presidential party on the Nike Zeus system. Dan Duggan gave the briefing on the Nike Zeus firing and then participated in the longer classified briefing about the system.

About the experience, Duggan said, "As a young project officer, I can tell you I was impressed." He added, "Having never had the opportunity before to speak directly to a president in person, not to mention a detailed technical conversation, I was very impressed how disarming President Kennedy was. He put you at ease and after only a few words, you felt that you had known him for years and talked with him every day."

[xkenx]

23. Abraham, Martin, John, & Bobby......

[Old and In the Way]

3. I'm thinking he'd make someone a great VP candidate.

None of our candidates have strong bona fides in dealing with the Pentagon and MIC. He understands the folly of Iraq and the mess our military will be in when we finally sober up and extricate ourselves from that disaster. There's going to be a serious need to houseclean/reorganize our military....we really are going to have to re-evaluate the entire budget in terms of what we can and can't do militarily. His expertise and leadership on this part of our government would free up the next President to focus on the domestic agenda and international relations. If I were any of the declared candidates, I'd be pitching the VP slot to Wesley bigtime.

As much as I respect him, I don't think he's got the organizational/institutional horsepower to run for President this time around. But he'd be perfect compliment for any of the Democrats running now. In fact, I really don't know why one of the candidates doesn't get him on the ticket with them now. I know it's traditional to choose at the conventions, but I think it'd make a lot of sense for running mates to get paired up during the primary.

[Texas_Kat]

5. A ham sandwich can promote the Democratic domestic agenda

with a Democraticly-controlled Congress.

You just outlined 2 reasons Clark should be President.

1) Anyone who cannot deal with the complex foreign policy problems facing this nation the day they take office shouldn't be elected. No OJT -- there's just no time for that. We need a President with no foreign-policy training wheels.


2) Which of the prospective candidates have coattails? I count none -- except Clark. As the most requested surrogate speaker for Congressional and Senatorial candidates in red states in 06, he HAS coattails the others could only dream of. The leader of the party (the Presidential nominee) MUST be someone that HELPS the Democratic slate, not just someone who can campaign in a few states. If we're going to maintain a majority in the House and gain a larger majority in the Senate, we have to have a candidate that other candidates want to run WITH, not AWAY FROM.

Okay that's 3 reasons.

[snowbear]

6. Plus... how many times has Clark said....

....I will never be anyone's Dick Cheney.

Sounds to me like he does not want to be a lapdog VP.. It's the top spot or nothing.



Unless he's changed his mind since the last time he said that?

[xkenx]

8. OMYGOD! YOU CAN'T PUT DICK CHENEY'S FACE ON A BICHON

Oh, barf! We have a Bichon. She is a sweet and adorable little fluffball. Please put Cheney where he belongs, on the most hideous creature on the planet. But be careful to not demean any noble animals. How about morphing him with W?

[Eurobabe]

22. now THAT is hysterical!!

But it is an afront to Bichons everywhere. :rofl:

[xkenx]

24. Larissa PLEASE fix the picture.

[Old and In the Way]

16. I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you.

We're going to need 2 industrial strength Presidents to deal with the domestic/international messes that we'll be left with. The military problems straddle both sphere's....I really think Wes is the only one who can drive real reform and purge the military of the neo-con/corporate mentality that has taken over the Pentagon. I'd prefer that he be the nuts and bolts guy who can do his job in the background without the ceremonial trappings and distractions required of the Presidency. Any of the other front runners can be the new face of the USA to the world and drive the new domestic Democratic agenda required to address decades of Republican mismanagement and misplaced priorities.

Honestly, I think Wes is absolutely essential in the Executive Branch in 2008...I just believe he could be more effective as the VP, getting the real reform done without the distractions and dilution of being the President.

[salin]

12. I'd be behind him in a fast hoosier minute.

Though his supporters should rein me back, as in eras of open primaries I almost always am behind a candidate who doesn't make it very far. (Hart 84; Hart/Biden/Babbit 88; Tsongas 92....)

[Cameron27]

10. My opinion...

Campaign fatigue's going to set in fairly soon, and people will be looking for alternatives to the current front runners. It's a good decoy strategy to let your opponents battle each other for awhile.

[Clark2008]

13. That picture was taken at a friend of mine's house.

:)

[Sparkly]

18. It's a beautiful picture! nt

[xkenx]

14. Those last paragraphs are those of a candidate IMO

The foundations of a new economy include preschool for every child and college for every child, even those who cannot afford it.

He continued to detail his strategy for American national security which included affordable healthcare insurance for every citizen, a better business environment created through stimulus packages and investing in new ideas, an energy policy with 20 percent sustainable sources by 2020, and investments in technology and the environment.

We must be more than the America of the Broad Shoulders, he said, quoting Carl Sandburgs poem Chicago. We must be the America of the Big Heart.

Although he has not announced his candidacy for the 2008 presidential race, Clark said, I havent said that I wont run.

[Czolgosz]

15. It's not too late to have an effect on the debate, but it is getting too late to have any realistic

chance at winning the nomination.

I like the General and I hope he runs, but I hope he makes a decision one way or the other before Memorial Day.

[Jai4WKC08]

19. Oh, I don't think so at all

In fact, I was a little surprised at how little money our front runners have raised, considering how much they're having to spend this early. From what I hear, Clinton has a huge staff, and I know she's been paying some big bucks for endorsements.

I also hear her contributions are mostly from the big-money donors. If they have already maxed out, she can't hit them up again next quarter. But someone like Wes Clark can. And if last time is any indication, he'll raise even more from small donors like me. I don't see Clinton doing as well at this level.

Obama's a different story, and I'll be interested to see how much he has collected. But however much it is, my gut feeling is he's not ready for the top spot and that it will become obvious as the campaign season wears on. I could be wrong of course, but he's certainly not out of reach. Again, regardless of the money. Money isn't everything.

[Czolgosz]

25. Money isn't the only issue. There is also ground organization of identified volunteers, campaign

staff and infrastructure, position papers to craft, etc., etc., etc. To run a viable campaign (one that stands any fighting chance of winning) is not simple task that can be accomplished overnight.

I want the General to run. I just want him to decide whether he will or will not run before Memorial Day so that if he does decide to run, he will be ready to join the race at the most competitive level.

[Jai4WKC08]

39. That's all true

But I think you underestimate the General if you think he isn't working all of that already.

[Sparkly]

17. Oh pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease, General!!!!!!!!!

Surely he knows he's got grassroots/netroots that'll help him raise funds!! (And that for the wrong candidate, no amount of funds guarantees a win!)

:patriot:

[bobbie]

21. General, you know and we know you're the ONLY man for the job

So......... how about it?

[The Count]

26. If people are serious about ending/not starting other wars - this is the guy

Quite brilliant on other things - like education, economy and others too...

[venable]

27. how come you're so generous toward one early hawk on Iraq

and so rude and dismissive and holier-than-thou on any others?

which is it, Count? Is it ok for one's ideas to evolve, or not?

[Adelante]

29. Venable, you seem to have a misperception

of Clark's stand on the war in 2002. I understand it was a complicated issue. But please don't refer to General Clark as an "early hawk" on the war in Iraq. He was no such thing.

[venable]

35. WesDem, I don't mean to pick a fight, certainly not with you

as you have always been very civil and open.

If I have a misperception, I apologize.

Probably 'hawk' is too strong. I also consider Wes Clark to be one of the most eloquent anti-war voices in the country today.

If there did exist some early tentativeness, IF there was some, then that is what I refer to, mainly because Count is pretty savage toward Edwards IWR vote, so much so that he treats him like a war criminal.

Edwards, too, is an eloquent anti-war voice now, and I think that should be, at least, acknowleged.

I did not mean to hijack this thread. I send you respect.

[The Count]

32. Clark testified to the congress in 2002 opposing the war. Opposed it during Clinton

administration when the PNAC'ers were pushing for it. Inform yourself! Clark blew the whistle on PNAC and their plans of invading 7 countries just about when W took power. he also revealed the bait and switch on 9.11. No generosity needed - this is THE GUY!

[Clarkie1]

33. Clark has been consistent on Iraq since 2001. nt

[TheModernTerrorist]

28. Anyone go to that?

I missed it, but my friend was the one that asked him when he'd run, and at my request. :)

[roseBudd]

30. Go Wes! Clark will have the GOP sweating bullets, they won't be able to turn

Wes into a p***y. He's not from the East Coast. He's not feelthy rich. He's no trial lawyer striking it rich on "frivolous lawsuits". He's never even smoked pot. Wes is a man's man, and a Southern man at that.

[Clarkie1]

31. And you come up with your "he needs to do it within 30 days or less" how?

What did you do, spin a spinner and have it land on 30 days?

[Gloria]

34. Frankly, I think the train has left the station.....

[ConsAreLiars]

37. Clark is unmatched in his ability to see the forces at work and where and when to act.

In his interview with Amy Goodman he said that certain preconditions needed to be achieved before he could decide to enter the race. It was said in a slightly humorous way, recognizing it as a bit of a cop out, but as I read him, he was also telling the simple truth. I'd love to know what those preconditions might be, and it is quite possible that they might not happen, but I strongly suspect that one factor will be a bit of dissatisfaction among Democrats with the Big Money Backed alternatives that are in place the time.

Time will tell, but I would guess he would be most successful by being a dark horse, late arrival, like Bobby Kennedy in 1968, who offered a real chance for change without exhibiting the weaknesses of the other candidates.

[Colobo]

36. Obama/Clark sounds excellent.

[Norrin Radd]

38. Antici...

...pation!

Maddening, but it's worth the wait.

[jenmito]

40. I don't think it's too late...

It seems as though Hillary is old news and Obama MAY be too inexperienced, especially when compared to Wes Clark, so if he enters the race, we'll suddenly have a brilliant, experienced anti-unnecessary war GENERAL. Chris Matthews would no longer be able to call the Dem. party the "Mommy party" with CLARK in charge!! And nobody would be able to criticize him for any of the things they currently criticize the other candidates about! :D