Kerry To Announce The Same Day As Clark?

[DrFunkenstein]

Anyone else find this, uh, suspicious?

Clark hasn't given a definitive date, but it is within a day or two of Kerry's two-day swing. It would be a hell of a media buzz if they surprised everyone and announced a Kerry-Clark ticket. Rove would have a very, very bad day.

[molly]

1. Yep, I've been thinking the same thing

on edit - I think Kerry's running mate will either be Clark or Edwards

[newsguyatl]

3. will he choose

a running mate before or after he loses NH and Iowa? :shrug:

[ShaneGR]

2. Labor Day Weekend

Traditional time for campaign announcements

[DrFunkenstein]

5. From a Marketing Point of View

`From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August.' - Andrew Card, White House Chief of Staff

[ibegurpard]

4. That would definitely explain why all the influx of Clark "supporters"

have been so hostile towards Dean.

[Pepperbelly]

10. as a Clark supporter ,,,

I have noticed more antagonism from the Dean supporters. Odd. I guess it depends on whose ox is being gored, eh?

[juajen]

17. Pepperbelly,

what do you think about his connections to Axciom? This is driving me crazy and the only reason, besides Kucinich, that I am not supporting this man, who, I feel, is highly electable; maybe, too electable?

[Renew Deal]

20. Not an issue

It is full of innuendo and no substance.

[chaska]

11. ibegurpard, you have GOT to be kidding.

Clarkies don't bash. Clarkies are too busy defending against Dean attacks.

[Renew Deal]

19. Dean is...

I think it is because Dean supporters insist that Clark will be his VP. And Clark supporters insist that Dean is a loser. That's partly why Clark supporters want someone else.

[tjdee]

6. Kerry planned his a very long time ago...

but Clark is really the wildcard here. Unfortunately or not, he has now this whole "will he run" mystique about him and his announcement *could* trump Kerry's announcement (we already know he's running). When he announces, I predict the media automatically makes him #1.

I guess it depends on how much pressure Clark wants to put on Kerry (if he runs).

I'm exceedingly glad that my guy, Edwards, is waiting 2 weeks till it all dies down, to go to his hometown and announce. He will have the benefit of being able to hear what his major competitors (Dean, Kerry, maybe Clark) say and tailor his speech accordingly.

But, I'm fairly certain that once we get to the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th announcement, they get lost in the shuffle. So I really don't know what Gep, Graham, et. al., are thinking.

[Adjoran]

7. Kerry JUST changed the venue

to South Carolina, in front of the Yorktown at Patriot's Point, instead of the traditional home state announcement.

Clark is all speculation.

Too bad Edwards has to get the benefit of seeing what everyone else says. One would think a Presidential candidate would know his own issues and not just react to others.

[tjdee]

9. He would be stupid not to take it into account.

I didn't say he NEEDS to hear what the others say, and for all I know his speech is written and won't be touched until he gives it. But, it is beneficial and lucky for him--for style considerations.

He doesn't live in a vacuum, and being third, he has the benefit of hearing what he's up against--not in substance, but in style.

[Renew Deal]

23. Announcements mean nothing.

The announcements really mean nothing. Clark's has some extra drama, but the others will not make any kind of a difference. What is Kerry going to say or do that he hasn't said or done before? Is he going to attack Dean? Is he going to say something he hasn't already? That goes for the rest of them too. I wouldn't take much seriously until the December/January debates.

[tsipple]

8. Hoping Kerry Gets Some (Positive) Press Attention

We have the California nonsense going on, and the Dean campaign will wrap up its latest online fundraising goal just when Kerry announces, probably with another great result to announce. (I participated in this one, too. Lots of fun with the bat!) Then there's the usual dull roar of post-Labor Day announcements of all kinds, since we're in full back-to-school swing. Not to mention Clark announcing something (running, not running, advising Dean, joining Dean, whatever).

It's going to be chock full of press stuff, so I hope Kerry gets some positive attention. DailyKos has some astute observations about the risks involved in this form of announcement. I hope it works, because Kerry is one of my alternates. But I'm not having much confidence in Chris Lehane (Gore 2000, Kerry 2004). :-(

[snyttri]

12. Is Kerry really going to get attention since he's been running so long

and the announcement is basically a tecnicality? According to Donna Brazile Clark will announce he's in the race by the end of August.
Howard Fineman of Newsweek also says he's in.

"The retired general and Rhodes Scholar increasingly looks like a seer for his pre-war comments. Go back and read what he had to say in the months leading up to the invasion of Iraq. (Any of the Clark for President grassroots Web sites will do.) Clark, who was leaning toward running in any case, almost certainly can’t now resist the chance to say “I told you so.” And, more than any other possible Democratic candidate (with the exception of John Kerry), Clark could brush off the soft-on-defense rhetoric that GOP oppo experts are preparing to throw at the Democratic Party."

http://wesleyclarkweblog.com/

[disgruntella]

13. let there be media buzz!

(said in the tone of: "And God said...")

I just hope that Democrats (Kerry and/or Clark) get some sustained media attention that isn't interrupted by Arnold actually uttering a 3-syllable word, or Bush Jr. eating another pretzel at a fundraiser...

[VolcanoJen]

14. Isn't it way, way, way too early for VeepLust??

The Veep Question doesn't usually loom until the days prior to the convention. It would be fascinating to see the Democrats bunk conventional wisdom and announce a ticket this early; however, it would be historic as well.

We're just going to have to wait this one out, it seems.

GOD I love Campaign Season!!!!

:-) Jennifer

[DrFunkenstein]

22. 2004 Is An Early And Compact Primary Schedule

All the drama will play out before Iowa and New Hampshire.

Don't worry, because you won't have to wait long. Kerry's campaign has hardly spent a dime, and Kerry coasted through the summer. Expect to see some fireworks this autumn, though.

---

Kerry campaign opts to pick up pace in fall

"Senator John F. Kerry is planning a burst of campaign activity this fall, including a formal announcement speech possibly set against a backdrop of the USS Constitution, in a concerted effort to elevate his presidential candidacy among the Democratic contenders and cast himself as the party's most credible alternative to President Bush.

At the conclusion of two days of meetings with 21 top political aides, the Massachusetts Democrat pronounced himself satisfied with the state of his campaign and eager to get to the voting that begins in January.

''If someone would have told me two years ago we would be in the strong position we're in today for my first national campaign, I would not have believed it,'' Kerry said in an interview on the seaside lawn of a summer vacation home on Nantucket. ''We're ahead of schedule in terms of raising money -- we have more cash on hand than any of the other candidates -- and we have very strong ground operations in the early states like Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, South Carolina. . . .

Kerry refused to provide details about the outcome of his staff meetings, but he confirmed that he will make a public declaration of his presidential candidacy probably in September or October, possibly set against the image of the Constitution in Boston Harbor. The backdrop of ''Old Ironsides,'' the Navy's oldest commissioned warship, would not only pay tribute to the region's history, but the candidate's unique Navy combat experience.

Kerry officially became a candidate in December when he filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, but campaigns typically hold an additional public declaration to attract media attention.

In Kerry's case, the speech will not only be aimed at elevating his national profile, but also distinguishing him from the rest of field. The campaign is also planning to unveil a number of high-profile endorsements this fall, aimed at convincing voters of Kerry's credibility as a candidate. . . ."

[juajen]

15. I keep saying this, maybe, by and by, someone will believe me

Gen. Wesley Clark has no intentions of becoming vp. Look for him to wipeout a lot of dem candidates when he announces. Believe me, he will be the "chosen one". I honestly don't know yet whether I like that or not, I just see it on the horizon. I want questions answered about his connection to Axciom.

[unfrigginreal]

27. I believe you.

If Clark just wanted a VP nod he wouldn't need to keep feeding the speculation of whether he's running or not. If he announces, it's with the intent to be on the top of the ticket.

I believe that it will probably come down to Clark and Dean battling it out, because Clark will actually pull more moderate voters from the rest of the pack than he will pull from Dean's base. The interesting thing about that is that Clark is probably more Liberal than Dean.

I'm hopeful that it doesn't get too ugly between the two of them because they would make an excellent ticket in either configuration.

[Ein]

16. Clark, haha

Man seems unable to even announce his party affiliations.

[juajen]

21. Haha, my foot

Everybody knows he's a democrat, though I did hear that Garafolo speculation about him being an independent that could bring the extreme left and right together toward the middle. Don't think that one will play. Time will tell.

[Renew Deal]

28. 2 party system.

He has said repeatedly that he believes in a two party system as it has evelved. I doubt he would run against Bush in the Republican primary. That would be entertaining.

[VolcanoJen]

29. Clark has clearly stated his belief in the "two party system"

He's said it time and time again, and has challenged the conservative talk show hosts on the subject.

I think we can at least be confident he won't play a Nader-esque "spoiler" role as an independent.

His coyness about party affiliation is incredibly irritating to me, but that's only because I'm impatient. :-) At any rate, the "is he or isn't he a Dem" factor is not yet a dealbreaker for me. We'll all know soon enough.

It's going to be exciting.

[tameszu]

32. He is a Democrat

Although he will only announce it if he is running.

Considering how biased and divided the media currently is toward Democrats, I don't blame him. If Clark doesn't run, then I would rather have him scoring trenchant and non-partisan points a la Krugman than proudly have him on "our" side with half of the opportunity to unload vs. the Bush Admin.

Also, if anyone wants to bet, I will eat many, many shoes if he announces as anything other than a Democrat. Anyone want to put their money where their mouth is and bet? Message me if you do--I will lay serious odds.

[unfrigginreal]

33. You're right tameszu, he IS a Democrat.

I believe the only reason that he hasn't already identified himself that way is to get maximum impact when he announces his candidacy.

Don't fret about those that are "fed up" because he hasn't declared himself as one of us. For the most part they wouldn't support him even if he did. They're a select group (read:fringe) that believe we would be a much better country without ANY military establishment. Now, wouldn't we be in fine shape if that was the case.

The funniest part about the leftmost part of our friends attacking him, is that other than Kucinich, he appears to be the closest to their issues.

[Renew Deal]

18. Doubt it.

I think there will be a surprise from Clark. The carrier stunt of Kerry's is going to look real bad.

Clark will not be anyone's VP. At least not until like June.

[DrFunkenstein]

24. Clark Said On CNN That He Was Considering VP

And that was a few weeks ago.

[Renew Deal]

26. He also said...

That he was considering President. And that the Republicans want him to run for congress. I didn't say never, just not soon.

[mot78]

25. Kerry Will Get a Bump For Announcing

But if done right, Clark will get a bigger bump.

[DrFunkenstein]

30. Clark And Kerry Will Bring The Discussion To Credibility Over Novelty

Running a campaign over the internet is a novelty. Having a comprehensive foreign policy is about credibility.

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[tameszu]

31. C'mon Funk

You know the score: Clark said he would take VP, hypotthetically, but right now he is thinking about running for President.

[JI7]

34. max cleland

max cleland will be with kerry when he announces. i think he is supposed to introduce him.

[dean4america]

35. just think about it, though.

who is going to get the better headline the day after kerry's announcement:

1. Senator John F. Kerry officially kicked off his Presidential bid yesterday in front of a battleship in South Carolina.

OR

2. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean capped his 4-day tour at a rally with 10,000 people in New York's Bryant Park. He also raised 1.5 million over the 4-day span.

Seriously, the 35+ contingent of reporters flying with Dean (inc., I believe, Jack Tapper), is going to be all over the tour when it ends on Tuesday night.

You should hear how Kerry is getting ripped apart over at dailykos for his announcement theatrics.

BTW, on Clark -- i personally don't care what he does anymore. if he wants to run, fine. if he doesn't, fine. but this playing coy, not announcing whether he's even a damned Democrat when we all basically know that he is pisses me off. At least Dean and Kucinich are proud to BE democrats and say it out loud.