Clark Trails Dem Rivals in Crucial Iowa

Sunday October 5, 2003 7:01 PM

By MIKE GLOVER

Associated Press Writer

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - For all his high-wattage candidacy, Wesley Clark lags far behind his Democratic presidential rivals in the months of organizing and hours of handshaking that it takes to win the Iowa caucuses.

The state's Jan. 19 caucuses, the first test for Democrats in the hunt for the nomination, present a formidable challenge for any candidate, let alone a political neophyte such as Clark who entered the race only last month.

``You cannot run a credible campaign in Iowa from 30,000 feet,'' said Iowa Democratic Chairman Gordon Fischer. ``You can't throw up a couple of television commercials, drop in a couple of times.''

Between now and January, this is the candidate's task: persuade supporters to head out on a winter's night and attend a two-hour neighborhood meeting where they will argue with friends and neighbors and then publicly declare their preference for a candidate. Organization is critical as is one-on-one persuasion...."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3230332,00.html

and start in New Hampsire.

McCain did it to great effect in 2000, and IMO Iowa requires too much buck for the bang. It's not cost efficient, and it also practically demands a candidate support the inefficient Ethanol in order to do well. I'd rather have a candidate who is in favor of more efficient and appropriate alternative energy sources.

DTH

to special interest groups. The candidates who do the best, do the most pandering.

n/t

if this changes much after his Town Meeting on Monday night with Tom Harkin....

I didn't know about it. Will it be on C-Span like the others? I've really enjoyed those.

Julie

According to CSPAN's front page, it will be on at 8pm tomorrow night

www.websoapbox.com

Alllllrrrriiiggghhhttt!!

This article doesn't even say where Clark placed, but I'm assuming it's fourth, behind Dean, Gephardt and Edwards, because the stupid writer didn't even include the polls.

If that means Edwards is third in Iowa, and Clark is fourth, I'm pretty happy. Clark has only been in the race a few weeks and still beats half the crew--that's not bad.

I find all the focus on Iowa rather ridiculous, consider IL has approximately 3 times as many delegates, and is a fairly 'safe' blue state.

I'd skip IA, if I were Clark.

Monday doing a town hall meeting. It will be televised on CSPAN 5pm PDT. His NH town hall meeting was awesome.
Maybe he has written off Iowa but he isn't ignoring it completely.

MzPip
:dem:

Celebrity-driven, national media-driven politics shouldn't be the whole equation. Iowans personally interview their choice for President of the United States. I think it's great.

not tooo worried there. Great big country ahead and this opinion comes from a former Iowan

If it had been up to Iowa in 1988, Democrats might have won the White House!

On edit: I'm just making the point that a multiplicity of candidate experiences results in a stronger candidate. Some state has to go first, so why not Iowa? The eventual President has to know how to work with small groups (as the chief executive) as well as large. Iowa is an incubator.

Presidents aren't preachers or movie stars, so the interview process is a little more involved. Despite its flaws, I think it's a pretty good system we've got, and Iowans do a pretty decent job.

All this fussing over IA and NH seems a bit premature since both are months away and don't really seem to matter to much in the big picture.

MzPip
:dem:

"For all his high-wattage candidacy, Wesley Clark lags far behind his Democratic presidential rivals in the months of organizing and hours of handshaking that it takes to win the Iowa caucuses."

DUH........... Who exactly is it that doesn't know this MUST be the case since he just entered the race???? Talk about trying to fabricate a story from nothing............ :eyes:

3%.

If Iowa was truly crucial, Tom Harkin would have gotten the nomination in 1992.

:wtf: is a caucus, and what does it DO?

a history, including reform of the system and why Iowa is chosen to go first.

http://www.drake.edu/journalism/CyberCaucus2000/defined.html

"Iowa helps set the field. Candidates who do very badly here in Iowa tend to be eliminated...It is useful to have a less expensive, smaller state. If a big state like California went first, money would be even more important than it already is."

A caucus is an informal meeting with candidates and potential voters. Candidates go to all areas of a state to speak with voters in churches, schools and even private homes. A caucus vote differs from the presidential election in November because candidates compete with members of the same party to win a partyÕs nomination.

But I wouldn't totally count him out either.