Talking Points Memo to Clark , re: Your Presidential Campaign

[TacticalPeek]

snip

But that doesn't change the fact that the campaign is not organized with a clear message or an evident strategy for winning the nomination. At least that's what I see from where I'm sitting. And this is coming from a real admirer of the candidate.

Clark has only been in this race for six weeks or so. So I doubt there's any great harm done -- from an optics standpoint -- if he does some reshuffling. Campaign's are hard to put together, all the more so on the fly and quickly. All true.

But at the moment I just don't see the kind of campaign I think Clark needs to win. To paraphrase the UNCF, a great candidate is a terrible thing to waste.
-- Josh Marshal

TPM


I sorta know what he means, though I can't really put my finger on it. Victory now, dammit.

[andym]

1. A potentially strong candidate

He's not doing badly for 6 weeks. He certainly has made alot
of good points about Bush Iraq and 9/11.

But, he has been under a barrage of attacks mostly from the right trying to smear him as untrustworthy, both to the general public (Shelton) and the left (Iraq flip-flop). Lately, he seems to being doing better in countering these attacks. Probably needs to reinforce theme that he is running because he wants to serve the American Public.

From reading these boards, there seems to be a distrust of him from the left stemming from two roots: distrust of military and political
opportunism (support of their candidate by ripping Clark).

But he has to go beyond just countering attacks, he has to
reinforce his vision of the New American Patriotism (an idea I really like and can not be overdone, that dissent is at the core of American democracy)

Also, there are alot of great suggestions on his blog that should at least be thought about by his campaign. Hopefully more of this
will happen in the near future.

[Pastiche423]

8. "(support of their candidate by ripping Clark)"

This is what I believe you do not understand.

In my case, as well as many others, it has nothing to do w/the candidates we support. It has everything to do w/clark and his lack of Democratic ideological history.

Borrowing from CWebster, clark is nothing more than an 11th hour, born-again kinda sorta maybe Democrat. He registered as a Democrat on his FEC forms after he had been running for two weeks.

What the Democratic Party needs, IMHO, is a Democratic leader w/a tried and true history of leading w/Democratic ideologies. Not someone, who at the 11th hour, decides through expediency, to run on the Democratic ticket.

[KittyWampus]

9. You Mean Like Kerry, Right?

Cause you sure can't be talking about Dean!

"What the Democratic Party needs, IMHO, is a Democratic leader w/a tried and true history of leading
w/Democratic ideologies. Not someone, who at the 11th hour, decides through expediency, to run on the
Democratic ticket."

[Pastiche423]

11. No, I mean like

the seven Democratic candidates (holy joe does not count) that are running for president.

[bluefire2000]

2. And TPM's follow-up today...

snip

More on Clark...

I've had a number of people write in about the previous post. And the most frequent question has been whether I think the general's candidacy is somehow beyond repair.

My answer is: not in the least. I think he remains a very strong candidate, and quite probably the strongest contender against President Bush. I also think he's got a lot of great people working for him at the grassroots level and in Little Rock. And I think he did very well in the last debate.

But that doesn't change the fact that the campaign is not organized with a clear message or an evident strategy for winning the nomination. At least that's what I see from where I'm sitting. And this is coming from a real admirer of the candidate.

Clark has only been in this race for six weeks or so. So I doubt there's any great harm done -- from an optics standpoint -- if he does some reshuffling. Campaign's are hard to put together, all the more so on the fly and quickly. All true.

But at the moment I just don't see the kind of campaign I think Clark needs to win. To paraphrase the UNCF, a great candidate is a terrible thing to waste.

-- Josh Marshall

snip

[slinkerwink]

3. hey, you forgot to link the other syniosis on Clark by John Marshall

Wes Clark gave a great speech on Tuesday at the Center for American Progress conference in Washington. And the most recent national poll, the Quinnipiac University Poll, has him back ahead of Howard Dean, after several that showed the reverse.

But let's be honest: the air's going out of his campaign. In money, in direction, in the polls, at the grass roots.

In fact, that doesn't even quite capture it. The air's going out of his candidacy because he doesn't have a campaign. Where's the campaign, the strategy, the organization?

What's surprised me most is that he's managed to do as well as he has over the last six weeks even with the complete lack of direction and organization from Little Rock.

The operation is being run by an interlocking directorate of folks who can't be bothered to be more than absentee proprietors of the general's campaign. (We'll say more about the details on these points in a follow-on post.)

I have to imagine Clark can see this. How could he not? The question is whether he's going to really do anything about it. Getting a national campaign up and running on the quick is no mean task, especially if you're new at it. And I still think he's a very strong candidate. But even the strongest candidate can be run into the ground by a bad campaign operation. He needs to get some new heads in the operation and let some others roll.

-- Josh Marshall

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com

[TacticalPeek]

5. Actually the link's up there, its just little ("TPM").

And that speech he gave at CAP is super:

http://www.clark04.com/speeches/008/

DU thread

[slinkerwink]

6. yes, but....

By you using the recent post by John Marshall instead of the post I listed, you're trying to put a positive spin on what John Marshall said and that to me, is fraudaulent without listing the entirety of what Marshall said.

[Rowdyboy]

4. Some very interesting points...

The best candidate in the world will lose with a poorly managed campaign.

[FrenchieCat]

7. I also believe that Clark is regaining his footing.....

Despite the widely publicized "everymove he makes" step by step blow on everything done in reference to Clark and his campaign..... heavy blows given by right wing media multiple assaults to get rid of him before he catches on....the ignoring and total dismissal of his campaign by mediawhore talking spin heads.....add Dems candidates who are protecting their turf by jumping on the "let's criticize him" bandwagon, Wesley Clark is holding up surprisingly well.

Clark is still polling 1st & 2nd in many states.....up to 14% from 6% in NH, 2nd in Illinois (although some polls show him 1st), 1st in Wisconsin and via couple of polls showing that many Democratic voters have affirmatively responded that they are more interested in beating Bush than electing someone who is their ideoligical match. Couple that to the poll that shows that most voters have responded that they were not against the war, and are not interested in a "anti-war" President, and add that with the cross over voting appeal Clark exhibits with Independents, Republicans, the military and southerners, I do not subscribe to what the doomsayers are claiming.

I still believe that at the end of the day, the economy will pick up (considering that Greenspan will do what he can, reconstructing Iraq GDP will continue to increase, and the news media will play up the economy in a great big PR push), Bush will make his "I'm your leader" the theme for his election campaign. Signs that show this is the Republican convention to be held in NY....confirmed closing day of the event will be 9/11/04, at which time Bush is to make a rousing speech about how more secure we all are now that he has defended our freedom all over the world, and how the War on Terror is being fought in Iraq, blah, blah, blah.....how we can't afford to turn it over to someone with no experience in foreign policy...because we must stay the course......blah, blah, blah....

I believe that is why only someone who can countered Bush in this area can win. Although I believe that Kerry is another qualified candidate to oppose Bush, his image as an establishment "you-had-your-chance" lack of image appeal yankee will work against him in both the nomination process and the general Election. Dean has a chance in winning the nomination, but under the Bush election plan, will lose the general election......no foreign policy experience....governor of a tiny state, and who knows what else (that part is being saved).......... and that is all that the repugs will focus on.

All I can say is time will tell how badly Democrats want to beat Bush...because that is what Clark offers. Won't be long now!

[Dr Fate]

10. He is being more critical of Bush than any of the viable candidates...

...My first choice has been Kerry- but Clark has come out hitting Bush hard on the No-Bid contracts, cronyism, etc...

...the Tom Delay-chickenhawk wing of the GOP are crapping their silk britches over the thought of Clark being on the ticket...