I have to go with Wesley Clark

Not that it matters to anybody but I have floated between Dean and Clark for quite a while. I couldn't put a finger on it but something has always bothered me about Dean (I still don't know what it is just a sixth sense). On the other hand I have decided that Clark is our best bet to get the shrub out of Washington short of some nasty revelation about Clark which I don't see coming.
Just an opinion from someone who has been sitting on the fence for a while.

:kick:

But I glad you are backing the General now.

This one's on me.

:toast:

The fence can get pretty uncomfortable after a while.

n/t

But the evil Publican "Dem Slayers" already have invented his image and Dean will be fighting that rather than Bush. Some say that makes him even more appealing, but in the long run the big money will grind at even Clark and test the sanity of any would-be-voter.

This is going to get ugly real fast and most of the damage will occur in stealth mode like flyers and the like that seemingly come out of nowhere at the most inconvienent time. Rove and his flying monkey minions will use any and all unethical efforts to secure their power.

Clark can play offense more than Dean, as surprising as that might sound to Dean supporters. He can play the aggrieved patriot card (this is what I get for putting my life on the line for this country while George Bush was hanging out with the champagne division of the Texas Air National Guard?) and disarm the chickenhawks in a way that none of our other candidates can. If they go too negative on Clark, who served this country for 34 years, it could well backfire on them. Not so with Dean, who has a knack for making himself appear unsympathetic. Clark can play dirty, too (he will kick the shit of them, it's on the record).

That might not read like lofty reasons to support a candidate, but BushCo doesn't play on lofty levels.

"Clark can play dirty, too (he will kick the shit of them, it's on the record)."

"He will kick the living shit out of them."

You've made a good choice - the man can win.

to eliminate him from my considerations. But to each their own....

Glad to have you with us, Oz. :)

I don't think this post was intended for you...but thanks for your feedback all the same.

:hi:

It's a pleasure to have you :)

I just think Clark has a more liberal outlook and a much better chance to beat Bush. If Cthe General doesn't win the nomination, I'll be proud to support Dean.

Wesley Clark (like all of our candidates) will make a Great President!

The Clark Convoy is on the move!

:kick:

It's just that I think the tax issue will dog him the entire campaign if he is nominated. Both Dean and Clark are appealing. Dean would probably be an excellent Sec. of HHS.

He would be excellent on coordinating a mechanism for uninsured Americans that would facilitate access to affordable insurance!

Dean is a good man in my humble opinion!

volunteering to spend the next ten months with general shelton holding a gun to your head is not something i'd sign up for.

She still hasn't explained her smear on Wes Clark. Who cares about Shelton?

do a modicum of research. There isn't a shoe to be dropped. Hell, the first comment wasn't even a shoe, it was a bullshit smear.

Which make it clearly politically motivated.

I don't have anything against Dean or the others (except Lieberman)
Just an opinion but Clark has lived a very public life and if anything he is not stupid. I have to believe that if he had a serious flaw he would not run. Not to mention the guy has balls and I am sure is ready to defend himself against any attack taken against him.
I don't think he underestimates the enemy (*) one bit.

about how people don't trust anything ANY general has to say, unless it's General Shelton smearing Clark.

A bit selective, imo.

Visualization - Imagine each candidate stepping off Air Force One, sitting down with a foreign head of state, holding a state dinner, having a press conference, consoling families of killed military or other tragedies.

These are not issue related as such, but are symbols of being "Presidential" - and Clark wins every one IMO.

These are the less tangible impressions which are silently processed by voters in the GE - less so in the primaries.

Now, imagine Bush consoling families of killed military or other tragedies.

Yeah, imagine that with Bush.
Imagination is the only way it could happen.

Just imagine that future day at the United Nations when Wesley Clark steps onto the podium to represent us to the world. The applause begins like a murmur and moves through the great hall...but as when any dam is breeched, the roar arrives quickly, as the world's representatives rush to their feet. This is not a day for diplomacy, this is a day for world rejoicing.

And happy that it is for Weslry Clark.

Wesley Clark clearly has the best chance to win, and you are evidence that he has the best chance to unite the party, and then the nation, and finally the world.

Grandiose visions for a grandiose man!

If supporters of all the other candidates would take a harder look, IMHO they will come to the same conclusion. They may not agreee with everything Clark is or does, and they may not even like him, but he is the one who can beat George Bush, but it will take a united, not a divided Democratic party to do it.

could be that much of Dean's power comes from the recent campaign, not his past record. Not that his record is bad, otherwise that would be easy to rapidly analyze. Just that, if he were running even like Clinton, a low tone, economic focus bid from gubernatorial credentials he would be where he was once afraid he would be at this time- in the second rank griping about being closed out by system favored Southerners. In fact, his strong ability to deal a Congress as an executive is part of his platform message but few are getting that perspective these days. People wrongly see his plans as firebrand rhetoric, not as they may be, a strong wise confrontational plan to enact legislation. The extra things he did, or others did for him, sometimes loom larger than his total personal strengths, some lost in the campaign heat, but once the candidate all that will disappear from focus. Even recent endorsements bear that out stronger than blatant criticisms when they go on about his campaign miracles- and not him. And we know the nation- and his grass roots supporters- will have to decide all over again when Dean tries to present perhaps a different campaign posture, closer to his original intentions. Clinton did not do that or need to.

Something deeper than doubt there. Dean's machine may be driving his candidacy. This wouldn't be a problem if the strong possibility of alienation hadn't become part of its psyche, increasing fears of what will happen once it goes national. ironically, those most nervous about the machine are the most lustful for its ground support. That is not the voters' concern.

But fear has to be dispelled, doesn't it? I say dispel it with a fair vote and fair assessment and back the winner.

At least we have a "real race" on now.

May the best person win!

Clark is the one. I too have something I can't explain that is something nagging me about Dean. (no flames or alerts puhleez)

It's WONDERFUL to have you aboard and I DO care and it DOES matter that you have chosen Clark. He won't let you down! :toast:

It matters to the whole country, the whole world.

Thank you.

General Clark will make you proud to be a supporter. He doesn't do petty shit like certain other campaigns have been doing (A LOT) lately.

I'll never understand why people would prefer to work for a typical, professional politician over someone who consistently takes the high road. I think it's willful blindness.

DTH

is the fear of Dean's "unelectability"...a myth propagated by the conservative media and the DLC. The facts don't bear it out, the polls don't substantiate it.

Glad to have you join us, Oz!

:hi:

I think that Clark will make you proud. Shelton doesn't have anything else...the Repugs shoved all the shit out early, crossed their fingers, ignored Clark for 2 months...and by golly! It didn't work!

In becoming a 4 star General, Clark was fully vetted in front of the US Senate in 1997....a Republican Senate, I might add...who would have rather had gotten a Ralston General instead....sooooo, I think that the Repugs only had things on Clark that might hurt him in the primary with a Dem crowd.....gee, they were really counting on us Dems to cut our own throats! But when you get into the General election.....Clark's votes and (slight)praise for the Repugs will be used by the Clark campaign against the Repugs....because Clark will be able to point to Bush and say, we had high hopes for a Bush admin....and they failed......we can't risk a second try.....We can do better!

Clark's run is just a sublime turn of fate for us Dems! We will kick ass come 2005!

You truly DO have a brain and a heart and courage.