Wesley Clark to enter race

theski · Post by **theski** » 2003-09-16 11:30am

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAJ6WJ1OKD.html

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Wesley Clark, the retired general with a four-star military resume but no political experience, decided Tuesday to become the 10th Democratic presidential candidate, officials close to him said.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2003-09-16 11:33am

Lets get ready to rumble....

I mean, cool. Not that I really like the guy but he will create ripples in the water sort of speak. Sucking the air out of Kerry's military prestige, putting the moderate brakes on Dean, and generally delluting the pool yet again.

Damn, this election cycle will be fun to watch.

Yes, I like watching politics, I'm a boring guy

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-09-16 11:59am

I hope he does run. I'm hoping he'll manage to make himself a real alternative to both Dean and Bush. I'd rather be able to pick a candidate that I like rather than just the lesser of two evils.

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2003-09-16 12:01pm

Stormbringer wrote:I hope he does run. I'm hoping he'll manage to make himself a real alternative to both Dean and Bush. I'd rather be able to pick a candidate that I like rather than just the lesser of two evils.

He will probably end up as a vice-presidential candidate at the most.

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2003-09-16 12:03pm

*shrug* Clark enters as a weak trailer, weakened further by the fact that he waffled for so long on entering the race, and he missed the first two Democratic debates.

It's interesting, I'll grant, but I question his real impact on the race overall.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-09-16 12:06pm

Alex Moon wrote:
Stormbringer wrote:I hope he does run. I'm hoping he'll manage to make himself a real alternative to both Dean and Bush. I'd rather be able to pick a candidate that I like rather than just the lesser of two evils.
He will probably end up as a vice-presidential candidate at the most.

Which is unfortunate really. In my book he'd have been the better choice.

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2003-09-16 12:12pm

Stormbringer wrote:
Alex Moon wrote:
Stormbringer wrote:I hope he does run. I'm hoping he'll manage to make himself a real alternative to both Dean and Bush. I'd rather be able to pick a candidate that I like rather than just the lesser of two evils.
He will probably end up as a vice-presidential candidate at the most.
Which is unfortunate really. In my book he'd have been the better choice.

As Iceberg said, he really is entering too late to pull off a victory. However, an ex-general would help bolster a democratic ticket, especially of someone like Howard Dean, who is seen as weak on national security.

Grand Admiral Thrawn · Post by **Grand Admiral Thrawn** » 2003-09-16 12:16pm

Alex Moon wrote:
Stormbringer wrote:I hope he does run. I'm hoping he'll manage to make himself a real alternative to both Dean and Bush. I'd rather be able to pick a candidate that I like rather than just the lesser of two evils.
He will probably end up as a vice-presidential candidate at the most.

Do you REALLY want someone named Vice-President CLARK?

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2003-09-16 12:22pm

Grand Admiral Thrawn wrote:
Alex Moon wrote:
Stormbringer wrote:I hope he does run. I'm hoping he'll manage to make himself a real alternative to both Dean and Bush. I'd rather be able to pick a candidate that I like rather than just the lesser of two evils.
He will probably end up as a vice-presidential candidate at the most.

Do you REALLY want someone named Vice-President CLARK?

OF course! Why wouldn't we? *narrows eyes* You're not one of them 'alien sympathizers' are you?

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-09-16 12:23pm

Iceberg wrote:*shrug* Clark enters as a weak trailer, weakened further by the fact that he waffled for so long on entering the race, and he missed the first two Democratic debates.

It's interesting, I'll grant, but I question his real impact on the race overall.

Bill Clinton didn't throw his hat into the ring until mid October. I'd say a late enrty is no yard stick to final numbers.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-09-16 12:52pm

in the Northeast he could pass as a republican.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-09-16 01:34pm

Hey cool, a guy who almost started WW3 when he ordered British troops
to fire on russian troops entering Kosovo ahead of NATO troops! Of course,
the British commander told him to fuck off

BoredShirtless · Post by **BoredShirtless** » 2003-09-16 01:38pm

MKSheppard wrote:Hey cool, a guy who almost started WW3 when he ordered British troops
to fire on russian troops entering Kosovo ahead of NATO troops! Of course,
the British commander told him to fuck off

Not that I don't believe you, but do you have a source for this? Sounds like some gooooooood reading!

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2003-09-16 02:51pm

Stravo wrote:
Iceberg wrote:*shrug* Clark enters as a weak trailer, weakened further by the fact that he waffled for so long on entering the race, and he missed the first two Democratic debates.

It's interesting, I'll grant, but I question his real impact on the race overall.
Bill Clinton didn't throw his hat into the ring until mid October. I'd say a late enrty is no yard stick to final numbers.

Clinton wasn't facing a 22+ million dollar fundraising gap (Q2 2003, Dean raised $7.6 million; estimates for Q3 put Dean's fundraising at $15-16 million, which eradicates Clinton's Q3 1995 fundraising record of $10 million), either. Dean's in a much stronger position now than the front-runners were in Q3 1991.

Jason von Evil · Post by **Jason von Evil** » 2003-09-16 04:04pm

Alex Moon wrote:Do you REALLY want someone named Vice-President CLARK?

OF course! Why wouldn't we? *narrows eyes* You're not one of them 'alien sympathizers' are you?

[/quote]

If he becomes a VP, let's just hope the President stays away from Air Force One for as long as he can.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-09-16 04:29pm

MKSheppard wrote:Hey cool, a guy who almost started WW3 when he ordered British troops
to fire on russian troops entering Kosovo ahead of NATO troops! Of course,
the British commander told him to fuck off

Yup. Clarks not a bad general, but I've never heard much that speaks highly of him as SACEUR, seems he lacked the key political skills for the job which at that level are just if no more important then military skill.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-09-16 05:05pm

Alex Moon wrote:As Iceberg said, he really is entering too late to pull off a victory. However, an ex-general would help bolster a democratic ticket, especially of someone like Howard Dean, who is seen as weak on national security.

All, well and good. But I don't want Dean as president no matter who his Vice President is.

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2003-09-16 06:30pm

Stormbringer wrote:
Alex Moon wrote:As Iceberg said, he really is entering too late to pull off a victory. However, an ex-general would help bolster a democratic ticket, especially of someone like Howard Dean, who is seen as weak on national security.
All, well and good. But I don't want Dean as president no matter who his Vice President is.

At the rate the rest of the field is going (including President Bush), Dean would practically have to stand up on a desk and sing the Internationale for that not to happen.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-09-16 06:32pm

Iceberg wrote: At the rate the rest of the field is going (including President Bush), Dean would practically have to stand up on a desk and sing the Internationale for that not to happen.

It's still a year away. Plenty of time for Dean to crash N Burn ala Dukakis

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-09-16 06:36pm

Iceberg wrote:At the rate the rest of the field is going (including President Bush), Dean would practically have to stand up on a desk and sing the Internationale for that not to happen.

It's still a year away. And Bush has come back so many times now that you'd think he was a slasher movie villian.

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2003-09-16 06:48pm

Bush has come back twice - a huge spike right after 9/11, and one during the runup to the Iraq War. The present military situation isn't going to gift him with an opportunity to play hero a third time - not with half the army tied down in Iraq and Afghanistan and half the fleet in dock for the next nine months.

No, Bush is now going to have to stand or fail on his domestic and foreign policy now, and if you think he's going to get any help or a bye on either of those from the Democrats, you can't be serious.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-09-16 07:01pm

Iceberg wrote: No, Bush is now going to have to stand or fail on his domestic and foreign policy now, and if you think he's going to get any help or a bye on either of those from the Democrats, you can't be serious.

I think the nut in North Korea might have something to say about that...

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2003-09-16 07:12pm

It may be too late for Clark to pick up the the Presidental bid, but he can practically write his ticket for VP if he chooses. He's like the Democratic version of Colin Powell; he's what the party wants people to falsely think of them as.

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2003-09-16 07:14pm

MKSheppard wrote:
Iceberg wrote: No, Bush is now going to have to stand or fail on his domestic and foreign policy now, and if you think he's going to get any help or a bye on either of those from the Democrats, you can't be serious.
I think the nut in North Korea might have something to say about that...

Where's Bush going to get the manpower and firepower from? The remaining half of the army that's not in Iraq and Afghanistan is spread out all over the world, and half of the Navy, including 2/3 of the carrier fleet, is in port being overhauld, including USS Eisenhower, which is undergoing a three-year RCOH.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-09-16 07:16pm

Bush has come back twice - a huge spike right after 9/11, and one during the runup to the Iraq War. The present military situation isn't going to gift him with an opportunity to play hero a third time - not with half the army tied down in Iraq and Afghanistan and half the fleet in dock for the next nine months.

If he manages to palm the job off on the UN or the situation stabalizes then expect those numbers to turn around. Now that a serious efforts being made towards keeping the peace the situation can be turned around.

And of course the liberal attempts to cut off all funding their aren't going to help in the long run either. That could easily be turned on those that oppossed it. Cutting off support for our soldiers and for the rebuilding isn't going to look to good.

No, Bush is now going to have to stand or fail on his domestic and foreign policy now, and if you think he's going to get any help or a bye on either of those from the Democrats, you can't be serious.

No, I expect the Democrats to do what they've proven so good at doing since Bush got into office. Mindlessly oppose his initiatives and second guess his calls with out ever once taking the on the leadership

Bush for better or worse is some one who gets out in front and leads. His best numbers came when he was doing just that. He can beat the Democrats easily if he takes the initiative.