Any chance Clinton will endorse Clark?

[ringmastery]

If he feels strongly that Dean is a loser, and from all indications he is backing Clark, why won't he come out and endorse Clark? A Clinton endorsement would give Clark the momentum to challenge Dean and make it a 2 person race.

Otherwise, I think it's inevitable Dean runs away with this.

[wndycty]

1. Can anyone say on record that. . .

. . .Clinton thinks Dean is a loser?

[ringmastery]

3. Leon Panetta and Harold Ickes, both clinton lackeys

both think Dean is a loser. Much of Clinton's old staff is working for Clark.

It doesn't take much effort to put two and two together.

[Cheswick2.0]

12. you are the one using the word loser, cut it out

we don't need that kind of attack against the front runner. We don't need that kind of attack against any of our candidates.

[Jerseycoa]

24. Well

Much of Gore's old staff is working for Clark, too, so there you go.

But I do not think Clinton will endorse anybody in the primary. He will back the nominee.


:dem:

[Justice]

4. Ouch!

Dean is not my first choice - but it is wrong for any democrat to suggest that another democrat is a loser.

Republicans are saying all the Democratic candidates are losers - please don't join in that bashing game.

Edited: spelling

[HILLARY SUPPORTER]

5. That pretty much sums it up....

That is pretty much what I've been reading. We may have a Clinton vs. Dean/Gore war. I feel Dean and Gore are out to get the Clintons and must be stopped!!

[DACT]

21. a Clinton/Clark vs. Dean/Gore vs. Lieberman/Israel

Gotta go for Lieberman!!!!

[mikehiggins]

28. Bad terminology

There is a difference between thinking Dean is a loser, and thinking Dean will lose THIS election. Actually, IMHO, the odds are very good that the Democrats will lose this election no matter who we run.

I support Clark because I beleive that of all our candidates, he has the greatest liklihood of ekeing out a victory by enabling a lot of disgruntled republicans to vote for him on the basis that he will do a better job of "providing for the common defense" than Bush and his cabal of bunglers ever could.

In an election between Bob Dole or John McCain or X-the-wonder-Republican I'd have absolutely no problem supporting Doctor Dean, and would probably scoff at the idea of electing Clark, for all that he is really a great guy and would probably be a great President.

But that situation is not this situation. In this situation what really matters is getting Bush out of office and more of the same, which is what Dean has to offer, isn't going to budge Dubya an inch.

SO, to recap: not a loser but not going to win this election.

[HILLARY SUPPORTER]

2. He should endorse Clark

I think Bill Clinton should endorse Clark plus it would take away from Dean. Dean is only out to destroy the Democrats and not to mention the Clintons and must be stopped in his tracks!!

[bearfartinthewoods]

8. there are two stars in the democratic party...my wife and Wesley Clark

i don't agree with him btw..

[bleedingheart]

29. Dean a lifelong Democrat and somone who went to Yale with

the Clintons is not out to destroy the Democratic party....

Clark just recently became a Democrat and in fact raised money for republicans... and yet Dean is being judged this way?

[mikehiggins]

30. That is pretty wacky

Dean is not trying to wreck the democrats and would happily hop into bed with the Clintons if given the chance.

There is no "war" between Clark supporters and Dean supporters, just a serious disagreement as to the best direction to go in regard to the general election.

Trying to make this a jihad is bullshit and worthy of the GOP, vis a vis their treatment of John McCain, rather than us.

You should step back and reassess your thinking, since it is so detached from reality.

[Killarney]

6. He might do it

It's not too late for endorsements. He might be waiting for the right time. I have read speculation that he plans on endorsing Clark. But last night, I watched an interview with Clark where he was asked about his friendship with Clinton and he said that he and Clinton talk, but no more than Clinton does with any of the other candidates. I don't know what that means. But, I'm sure many more endorsements are to come in the new year.

[ringmastery]

10. yeah

he might want to wait until after New Hampshire's primary. If Clark places second, that might be the perfect time to do it. The week before South Carolina and all the Feb 3 states. That would have maximum impact and make this a strong 2 person race.

[wndycty]

7. What happens if Clinton endorses no one and supports the eventual nominee

Will that be O.K.?

[ringmastery]

13. no, it's not ok, if Dean isn't electable

When we see polls in N.H. have Dean losing to Bush by 27!!! points, after all the time he put into that state, to lose by that much.

Well, it makes you think.

[SheilaT]

22. If Dean is so far ahead of Clark in the polls,

how can Clark be beating Bush if Dean's not?

If Clark is so incredibly popular, where are his 500,000 supporters? How much money has he raised so far? How many letters have his supporters written to voters in Iowa and New Hampshire?

I'm NOT bashing Clark, but I'm puzzled by the idea that he can magically beat Bush but Dean can't.

In reality, Clark, Dean, Kerry, and Kucinich (alphabetical order here) all could beat Bush if nominated, and if all of us Dems get behind him and we don't let up on making sure everyone knows all the terrible things that have been happening since Bush was installed in the presidency.

Yes, there are real differences between them. Yes, each one's administration would be different from the others'. But any ot them would be a far better president than Bush.

[retyred]

27. Clark has been in this race how long now?

With the lead dean had before Clark came on the scene, being a dean supporter I would wonder why the closeness at all, it says a lot that while dean is ahead of Clark in money and supporters, he's not far enough ahead to be the unanimous choice.


retyred in fla
“good night paul, wherever you are”
So I read this book

[bearfartinthewoods]

34. no offense but, what's with those letters?

i just assumed it was "busy work". i can't imagine being swayed by a letter from someone i didn't even know. i don't get the purpose.

[mikehiggins]

33. Don't forget where Clinton started out

He'd be the last one to put Dean down for being where he is at this stage of the game.

I expect Clinton to pull out all the stops once a nominee is chosen, IF the nominee lets him. One of the things that killed the Gore campaign was his attempt to distance himself from one of the most popular Democratic leaders of the last quarter century.

It's possible the 2004 nominee could make the same mistake.

Let's hope not.

[JI7]

16. that's what he said he will do

he will endorse whoever ends up winning. but i remember he was somewhere once and someone came up to him to talk about the primary and candidates and asked which one was his favorite. he just smiled and said all of them are. it was really sweet. i love clinton.

[JI7]

9. he likes john kerry very much also

i wont deny he might favor clark the most. but clinton likes john kerry a lot too, and would be very happy to support him. but in the end he wont endorse to show respect for all the candidates and the process since he does have a lot of influence and doesn't want to get into it that much.

[theboss]

11. Because he respects the process

Unlike certain politicians I could name.

[Cheswick2.0]

15. want some cheese to go with that whine?

Do you have a purpose here other than whining about Gore's endorsement?

[theboss]

23. Watch the Godfather

Don't personalize things.

[dand]

14. We need the Big Dog to endorse Clark,

With minorities suspicious of Dean, and Democratic politicians saying "he will go down like the Titanic", we need to get behind Clark if we want to get rid of the war criminal in the White HOUSE.

[theboss]

17. No, you don't

Well, technically, I guess you do. It would help. But it would still be wrong for Clinton to endorse anyone.

[Skidmore]

20. I agree. I want both of the Clintons so sit down and

shut up for now. Jimmy Carter is right. This party needs to sort itself out without factionalism or the DLC. It is time for the people to speak and the leadership to listen instead of manipulate.

[Cheswick2.0]

18. only a few DLCers are saying such things

they are hacks, the kind who deserve to lose their jobs. I would feel the same if it were Clark they were saying it about.

[mikehiggins]

35. No we don't

Look at how much good the Gore endorsement has done for Dean.

A Clinton endorsement will allow this whole contest to be played as a battle between two surrogates under the thumb of a defeated Gore (I know, I know. Sheesh) and an impeached Clinton.

Dean and the others have to win the primaries on their own in order for their candidacies to be legitimate in the public eye. Rallying around the nominee and working for him (or her, for those of us who really like Carol) is a lot better position to be in than trying to choose the nominee in advance.

Gore's endorsement is tacky but surviveable. An open battle between Clinton and Gore would damage all of the candidates and the party as a whole. I can't see Clinton playing that game.

[DACT]

19. No

As per her statement. She will only endorse the nominee.

[mikehiggins]

25. media fiction

All of this "Clinton backing Clark" stuff is media fiction growing out of the very beginnings of the Clark campaign. Clinton made an off handed remark about Clark being one of the stars of the Democratic field (along with Hillary) and went on his way.

He was probably laughing to himself all the way.

The desperate for a deadline crowd picked up on it and ran for the goal lines, just like the anti-Clark folks picked up on Shelton's remark and tried to spin it into Godzilla.

Reality? What difference does it make? If Clinton endorses Clark it'll just cause more trouble, like Gore's endorsement did with Dean. How many voters did Gore bring with him? Tipper?

Not only won't Clinton endorse Clark, he should not. Wait until the primaries are started, after Dean sweeps NH and Iowa and then lets see what happens.

[NNN0LHI]

26. Only if he thinks Clark has the best shot to beat Bush n/t

[Padraig18]

31. What 'indications that he is backing Clark' are you referring to?

Have I missed something, because I can't recall any 'indications that he is backing Clark'? :eyes:

[mikehiggins]

36. Just the mumblings and grumblings of a troublemaking media

They want to cast the Clark candidacy as a surrogate for Clinton, and Gore's endorsement as a battle between the Clinton's and the Gore faction for control of the party.

Not very likely.

Clark knew Clinton as a youth, and worked for him as a general. If anyone should know how foolish it would be to rely on Clinton's backing in a political campaign it would be Clark.

He has to have some suspicions that Clinton turned a blind eye towards Cohen and Shelton's move against him that led to his premature retirement.

Fool me once, as Bush sorta kinda tried to say, shame on you.

Fool me twice...

[xultar]

32. No. Clinton will not endorse anyone. n/t

[Romberry]

37. Sure!

Just as soon as Clark wins the nomination, Clinton will endorse him.

Same goes for Edwards, Kerry, Kucinich, Lieberman or Dean.

[Blue_Roses]

38. NO, he made it very clear

a few months ago when he was on C-SPAN with Dole that he WOULD NOT endorse any candidate. He's too smart for that. He seems fair and knows that his endorsement would go a long way. I think he wants all the candidates to have a fair shot.

[TexasSissy]

39. The Clintons will endorse AFTER a nominee is...

apparent, they have said. They've said they believe the voters need to decide who the nominee will be. They'll help campaign later, after the voters have selected. That's what I've read that they have said. Smart. That way they don't embarrassingly endorse someone who doesn't win the nomination. And there's not an appearance later that they won't be fully supporting the nominee, as would be the case if they had previously supported a nominee's rival.

The Clintons are first and foremost devout Democrats, so it makes sense that they'd wait to endorse whoever ends up being the Dem. nominee.

I know people think the Clintons support Clark. I have not seen any indication of this, myself. They know each other, since they're both from Arkansas. And Clinton I think has given Clark some initial advice (like he has given to many other candidates over the years). But I've never heard Clinton say one word in support of Clark or any of the other candidates, except a general "they would all be great....etc., etc." The party line.