Clark likely to run, says Democratic panel chief (Terry McAuliffe)

[Freddie Stubbs]

Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe told Gov. Tom Vilsack on Wednesday that he expects Gen. Wesley Clark to run for the party's 2004 presidential nomination.

The speculation came as the former NATO commander hinted that he would decide in the next three weeks.

"Chairman McAuliffe indicated he thought General Clark would get into the race," Vilsack press secretary Matt Paul said of Vilsack's conversation with McAuliffe.

Their talks centered on recent Democratic victories in special legislative elections, outreach efforts by Iowa Democrats, and President Bush's political vulnerabilities. The comments about Clark were in passing as the conversation ended, Paul said.

more: http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/22108708.html

[jiacinto]

1. Interesting

I think he'd make a great candidate.

[meegbear]

2. YES!!!

ABD! ABD!

[larryepke]

3. Question

What's "ABD"?

[CWebster]

4. probably

Anybody but Dean. meeg has a bug up his arse.

[Stuckinthebush]

5. All But Dissertation

But I don't think that is what the poster is referencing.

:shrug:

[CWebster]

6. I hope he doesn't.

.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. Why not?

[NickDanger]

14. Clark is the only one who can win

eom

[BJ]

7. Dup

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=108&topic_id=27620

I posted this same story earlier in the Politics and Campaigns board.

[robbedvoter]

8. Here's a similar story complete with Kerry's whining:

Clark to decide candidacy before Iowa visit
http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/22098774.html

[JI7]

10. "whining" ?

all he said he clark has the ability to take away votes on many things.

[Freddie Stubbs]

12. Doesn't sound like whining to me either

[Pepperbelly]

17. no whining ...

actually a pretty objective analysis.

[DemNoir]

11. Big Deal

He has to get out there and work just the the other candidates. If hes good enough he will succeed, if not, back to cable TV Wes. I think this guy is so used to unquestioned authority, he won't be able to deal with anykind of questioning.

The first debate with him and Kerry will be fun, dueling war stories.

[markus]

13. Why is Terry McAuliffe trying to destroy the Democratic Party?

I my view, their scramble for Anybody But Dean is not much different from the left's defection to Nader. It refelcts an unwillingness to accept the will of the majority of the Democratic base if it strays from their particular ideology.

It is the same recipe for defeat, just with new ingredients.

Dean is lighting a fire with Democrats because 1) he walks and talks like a Democrat, which means he 2) largely talks about the issues that people care about, and usually vote on (economic issues).

The only reason to dislike Dean is if you fear that hiss War Was Wrong stance is going to hurt him in the general election. With Bush et al foundering in Iraq, how can our Strong Wartime Leader play that card?

The Busistas are like the dog that acutally caught the car, uncertain what do actually do with it, and in grave danger of getting run over.

Absent some huge sea change in the middle east, I don't see how Bush gets to remain the hero of Iraq. There's no terrorists, no WMD, and no democracy. The Iraqis hate us and our guys keep dying.

ABBB is going to be a very popular position in about a year from now, and not just in the Democratic core.

[NickDanger]

15. We can't depose Bush with just the Dem base

that's why we need a centrist, like Clinton.

[markus]

16. But Dean is a centrist

He's not a progressive in any sense of the word. He's a practical centrist. He's not much different from the corporate ho-hahs who've added Partner Benefits and who are fed up with the health care system.

He is a populist, in an idealogy-free sense of the word. And that scares the hell out of the McAuliffe's and National CommitteePeople of the world.

Please see my longer posts under this same topic in GD.

[Pepperbelly]

18. why is everything about Dean?

Holy moly, if I were a Dean supporter, my concern would be that he doesn't pull a Tsongas from '92 who peaked in '91.

That should be what they're watching for. If he is already at his natural base of support within the party, the only way to go is down. If he can garner additional support, then his momentum will continue but the adddition of another moderate candidate shouldn't change that IF he can expand outside his natural base.

What you should worry about is that Wesley might turn out to be far more liberal than Dean. That could happen.