Gen. Wesley Clark Joins Clinton: Don’t vote against Lincoln in anger

[babylonsister]

Sorry, guys. I don't agree. But why do you?

Clinton: Don’t vote against Lincoln in anger
Posted on 28 May 2010


LITTLE ROCK — At a rally here today for U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, former President Bill Clinton urged Arkansans not to vote against the embattled Democratic incumbent out of anger.

“All of Blanche Lincoln’s opponents, from the Republican opponent on the right to her Democratic opponent, are really telling you, ‘Stay mad. Don’t think, go in there and vote your anger,’” Clinton told several hundred Lincoln supporters at Philander Smith College.

“Well, if you want somebody to channel your anger, you shouldn’t vote for her,” Clinton said. “But if you want somebody to get up and go to work and change your life for the better, you should vote for her.”

Clinton told the crowd he understands why people are angry in a time of high unemployment, but he said the election “is not about channeling your anger. It’s about what’s best for your community and your children and your grandchildren and the future.”

The rally marked the kickoff of Lincoln’s “Countdown to Victory” state tour in advance of her June 8 Democratic runoff with Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark and several Democratic state legislators joined Clinton and Lincoln for the rally in Philander Smith’s gym.

more...

http://arkansasnews.com/2010/05/28/clinton-don%E2%80%99t-vote-against-lincoln-in-anger/

[Cleobulus]

1. Why not, what's the point of using primaries except to get the candidates you want...

if the incumbent pisses you off, you have a right and obligation to NOT vote for them if a better alternative is presented.

[Dinger]

56. Is It Me, Or Does It Seem Like Both Parties Have A Distaste For Primaries?

[Hippo_Tron]

61. Primaries mean that candidates have less money to spend in the general

Plus parties are controlled largely by incumbent elected officials. So yea both parties have a distaste for primaries.

[ShortnFiery]

2. The Democratic Establishment still thinks that they can force us to do exactly what they say.

Silly men. :evilgrin:

[dflprincess]

10. Apparently Bill thinks everyone has "battered voter syndrome"

and if the voters just forgive Blanche (and her type) one more time she promises she will represent the voters and not corporate interests. No, really, this time she means it, things will be different she'll never sell her constiuents out again. :sarcasm:

[Sebastian Doyle]

62. Sexist!!1!!

There are some silly women in that Democratic Establishment too ya know :evilgrin:

Though hopefully some of them will be leaving soon, Blanche Lincoln being one of them. Jane Harman being another.

[Salviati]

3. I agree, don't vote against her in anger...

Vote against her with a cool, collected mind. She's not serving our interests, she's not the best candidate in the general election, there's no logical reason to vote for her. Anger's got nothing to do with it.

[KeepItReal]

5. Effin right.

(eom)

[BR_Parkway]

17. Absolutely right - vote against her for all the right reasons - namely

to get someone in the seat that isn't beholden to every right wing, corporate against the people idea that comes along

[Canuckistanian]

21. Egg-zactly

Emotions really have nothing to do with it. Lincoln is an obstructionist, a destroyer of progressive ideals.

It's only logical to remove an impediment to progress.

[socialist_n_TN]

34. BINGO! This is the reason(s) NOT to vote for Lincoln

and probably the MOST important one of them is that Halter is the best candidate in the general election.

Clinton and Clark are using 90s Democratic strategies in the new century. Bill and Wesley the country and ESPECIALLY the Democratic Party is NOT there anymore. Get used to it.

[Zavulon]

53. Applause, applause.

I hate seeing Clinton and Clark support garbage.

[RandomThoughts]

4. So he is now saying that it is anger that would get people to vote against Lincoln?

What are the reasons some people are angry? Maybe that is why they might vote against her?

I am not anger, anger gives someone else control over how you feel, but to say everyone that is for progressive changes, and not status quo is angry, is disingenuous.

Might it be that people do not like her votes on some issues?

Why would it have to be about anger, and on the subject of anger.

[Jack Rabbit]

6. OK, don't vote against her out of anger

Just calmly remember how she was instrumental in watering down health reform and vote against her.

[The Magistrate]

8. Hear Hear, My Friend!

[saltpoint]

64. I hope Halter has the momentum going into that primary in Arkansas.

Blanche's numbers are terrible for a general election. There's a better chance of retaining a blue seat, IMO, if Halter is the nominee.

[elleng]

7. Why Wes Clark in the 'headline' here?

The rally marked the kickoff of Lincoln’s “Countdown to Victory” state tour in advance of her June 8 Democratic runoff with Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark and several Democratic state legislators joined Clinton and Lincoln for the rally in Philander Smith’s gym.

[Drunken Irishman]

12. I think it's because we already know Clinton is supporting Lincoln.

[babylonsister]

18. Because, as DI said, this is news I hadn't read before. nt

[Dinger]

22. I Was Wondering That Too

Why not pick any person who was there and put them in the headline? Maybe I was there. Please edit and out my name in. I'm asking nicely.:)

[tabatha]

9. I am surprised and shocked.

Who is paying whom, and how much?

[Bryn]

11. I can hardly wait until June 8th!

Dear Bill and Wesley, you can talk all you want until your faces turn blue I am VOTING for Bill Halter!!

Yay! Go, Halter, Go :)

I have a huge problem with the corporations controlling America these days and don't want to vote for anyone who bends over for them like a whore because of their greed for bribe money and against best interests of people. No thank you very much.

Kicking her to the curb -----> :kick: Blanche Lincoln MUST go!

[tularetom]

13. That comment about channeling your anger plays right into Halter's hands

Because I'd guess there are a lot of voters who are reallllly pissed off at Lincoln right now for her stand on health care. And they'd be more than happy to vote against her on that basis alone.

And I'm not really sure Clinton has much star power left. A lot of the luster has worn off and he looks more and more like just what he was - business as usual disguised as an agent of change.

Gen. Clark? I'm disappointed but not really surprised.

[karynnj]

23. You're right it kind of justifies the anger

As in "I know you are mad, but ...."

[still_one]

14. It is not about anger, it is about voting for someone progressive, and lincoln is not progressive

[ProgressOnTheMove]

15. I don't see anyone really mad with her they just want a reasonably progressive agenda to ..

pass.

[Divine Discontent]

16. I really wish Clark wouldn't have muddied his rep with support of her.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

19. Me too. nt

[IndianaGreen]

25. Clark is DLC. Lincoln is DLC. Big Dog is DLC.

They all want DLC government, not what used to be liberal Democratic programs and ideas.

They love Herbert Hoover and loath FDR.

[elleng]

27. It appears you know little of Wes Clark.

In fact, he's one of the most liberal/progressive, certainly not dlc. He IS pragmatic,

[IndianaGreen]

28. The former head of the torture and assassination school at Fort Benning

And the fool is proud of having led SOA/WHINSEC!

On edit:

Thanks to elleng for catching my error (not enough coffee this morning). SOA/WHINSEC is at Benning, not Bragg.

[elleng]

29. Fort Bragg what?

[IndianaGreen]

31. I should have said Fort Benning, not Fort Bragg

Good catch!

[elleng]

33. Fort Benning, what? Still don't know what you're referring to.

[boppers]

60. Clickies:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Hemisphere_Institute_for_Security_Cooperation

[socialist_n_TN]

36. If he's that pragmatic.............

then why is he supporting the candidate that has the LESSER chance of winning the general election?

I'm all for pragmatism. I'M pragmatic. It's pragmatic to support the candidate that has the best chance at winning the general. That's seems to be, by ALL the polls, Halter.

[elleng]

37. I don't see 'supporting' a candidate as in betting, in a gambling event,

but rather 'supporting' because he wants her to succeed; he thinks she's done good things in the past.

[socialist_n_TN]

39. Well that's not what I consider pragmatism

That's backing your principles. And there's nothing wrong with that either. It's even admirable. But by the same token, if he's supporting Lincoln because of his principles, he's obviously not as progressive as a LOT of folks, including at least half of the Democratic primary voters in AR.

Pragmatism is voting or backing the most probable successful candidate for an office THAT CONFLICTS THE LEAST WITH YOUR VIEWS. I'm a red state voter too and if I have the choice in the primary, I'm voting left, as far left as I can go. As a socialist, I'd vote for the Trotskyite in the primary, if there was that choice. In AR. the most left candidate is apparently Halter. However, if Lincoln wins the runoff, I would hold my nose and vote for her because, in a red state (remember I live in a red state also), she's going to be better than ANY Republican running for the same office. That's pragmatism.

[awoke_in_2003]

54. "He IS pragmatic"

ah, the dreaded buzzword "pragmatic".

[wyldwolf]

59. Wes Clark has been advising the DLC in matters of foreign policy for over a decade

He was a staple in their offices for most of the 2000s.

[NCarolinawoman]

40. IndianaGreen, Clark's father was a delegate to the 1932 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The Convention that nominated FDR. I really don't believe that he would think all that well of Herbert Hoover :). Although I do wonder about Blanche. :eyes:

Clark has stated out loud that he is a "Liberal". ( most of them are afraid to use the "L" word). One reason I liked him back in 2004 was because he wanted to go after the pentagon and take a whole lot of their money to support a better health care system.

Having said that, I wish that Clark, Obama, Bill Clinton, and Joe Biden would not take sides in these Senatorial primaries. People do not appreciate it. It irritates and baffles me why they do this; particularly when time after time, it does not seem to turn out well for their chosen candidates.

They are supporting the status quo, but a sense of rebellion is in the air, :) and I like it.

[elleng]

44. Hey, 'woman!'

:fistbump:

[NCarolinawoman]

49. Hi Ellen! I have been in a kind of self-imposed cyber-blogging- hibernation for the past year.

until the oil catastrophe...:( Kind of got my adrenalin going again....:(

Good to "see" you.:hi:

[elleng]

51. Good for you! Been here MUCH TOO MUCH!

And our ears perk up, when Wes is 'named,' eh?

[JNelson6563]

20. Reminds me of an interesting theory

Back in the 04 primaries there was some chatter on TeeVee about Clark. Comments about how the Clintons bring him out when needed and then put him back into storage when they don't. How disappointing this development is but it does keep with the pattern.

Julie

[elleng]

30. Wes grew up in Arkansas, and has ties there; nothing surprising.

He is more his own person than any other public figure I know, and it was foolish then and is foolish now to suggest he's a clinton puppet. IMO, hillary's fundraising caused Wes to flounder.

Looks like they're supporting an 'old' Arkansas hand, one who has represented them decently in the past, and not as focused on health care as most of us are/have been.

[blm]

46. The Jackson Stephens/Clinton loyalist wing of the Dem party.

Poor Wes always gets dragged back there at some point. I am inclined to think he isn't exactly happy about it, but, shows up anyway.

[CTLawGuy]

24. Bill's right

vote against her not in anger but because she threatened to derail the health care bill over the public option.

[Enrique]

26. well Blanche has at least two votes

good for her. And a good thing everyone gets to decide who they want to vote for.

[IndianaGreen]

32. I forgot that Bill now resides in New York

otherwise Blanche would have 4 votes (Wes, Bill, Hillary, and her own).

[Clintonista2]

35. Sorry Bill/Wesley, you're both wrong on this

The reason people are angry is because Lincoln is a corrupt RW sack of shit. And corrupt sacks of shit need to be voted out.

[AzDar]

38. Buck Flanche Lincoln.

[Dinger]

41. I'm Curious Why You Cherry-Picked Wesley Clark

The article was about Clinton, right?

[Odin2005]

42. Ugh, you're a fucking BACKSTABBER now, Wes. SHAME ON YOU!!!

:grr:

[elleng]

45. NEVER!

'Backstabbing' WHOM???

[Radical Activist]

43. I'm angry that Lincoln fights for corporate interests over the people.

I think I'll channel my anger by supporting Halter because that's the only sensible thing to do.

[elleng]

47. Lincoln to the rescue: Shaking up the derivative business

Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln wants to force banks to put their derivatives into separate entities that aren’t subsidized by the general public. Considering such a change would cut dramatically into big banks’ profits, does she stand a chance?

Robert Reich blog

http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/Robert-Reich-s-Blog/2010/0512/Lincoln-to-the-rescue-Shaking-up-the-derivative-business

[Radical Activist]

50. Two terms of a consistent record v. obvious pandering during a primary.

She would be a good Senator if we could only keep her in a non-stop primary against a real Democrat for the next six years. Is she still threatening the future of humanity on behalf of her corporate masters by opposing effective climate change legislation?

[FrenchieCat]

48. Whomever "supports" Lincoln doesn't speak for me, even if I like them a lot.

Gen. Wes Clark supported Hillary and I didn't during the Prez Primaries.

And I still respect him.

[Crunchy Frog]

57. Word.

:hi:

[Dinger]

58. I remember That

I first came to "know" you as a Clarkie. Seems like a long time ago.

[BootinUp]

52. Clark's support for Lincoln is lukewarm at best.

I haven't got any emails from Clark about Lincoln since June 2009. His driving interest is keeping a Dem in the Senate.

[elleng]

55. You may be correct;

don't recall seeing anything direct from him about her. He IS active, however, for particular Dems in the House. For example, he was a strong supporter of Joe Sestak and Patrick Murphy. And Cal Cunningham in NC.

[ShadowLiberal]

63. They really should have done this BEFORE the first primary vote if they wanted to help her

An incumbent who has to face a runoff in a primary usually loses (unless perhaps they get very close to the 50% mark), as the people who voted for someone else the first time are likely to vote against them again in the runoff.

I don't see why Clark and Clinton waited till now to campaign for her. Now Lincoln's message is all screwed up, with her moving sharply to the left for the runoff, while people like Clinton are saying "don't let those radical liberals make an example out of her of what happens to those who don't vote like liberals". I mean, seriously, playing both tactics at once just makes you look inconsistent and desperate.

[ellie]

65. Jesus, what a bunch of shit.

Lincoln is a fucking disaster.