WP: Clark's Bid Makes Dean Supporters Reconsider

[DrFunkenstein]

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DOVER, N.H., Sept. 27 -- New Hampshire Democrat Larry Taylor was leaning toward supporting former Vermont governor Howard Dean for president until he turned out on a damp Friday night at New England College in Henniker, N.H., to see retired Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark. By the time Clark had finished his town hall meeting, Taylor was ready to change his allegiance.

"I think Clark can win," Taylor said. "I don't think Dean can win. I think Dean's going to be pegged as too liberal. He doesn't have the kind of military background and some of the strength that Clark seems to have."

Whatever else Clark's late entry into the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination has done, it has forced the issue of electability back to the top of the agenda for many Democratic and independent voters.

Peter Lehmen and his wife, Theresa, of Keene, N.H., attended Clark's town hall meeting late Friday. Lehmen has given money to Dean and credits the scrappy Vermonter with having the courage to take on Bush and start a dialogue among the Democrats that has shaped both the tone and the substance of the debate. "He was talking about things that other people were afraid to talk about," Lehmen said.

Lately, however, both Lehmens have begun to question whether Dean is the best Democrat to beat Bush. Peter said he finds Dean inconsistent in some of his views. Theresa said Dean is "coming across as a little more abrasive" and appears to let his ego get in his way. Clark, she said, impressed her as someone who could successfully negotiate with foreign leaders. "He certainly presented himself in a very diplomatic but forceful way that I would call presidential," she said.

Lesley Gaita of Melrose, Mass., joined a big group of New England veterans of the Draft Clark movement in Dover today at a rally for Clark. Asked to compare Dean and Clark, she said, "Clark puts a positive spin on things. Dean is very forceful, he's very dramatic and I agree with what he says. But sometimes he's trying to find a negative too much. I think this gentleman thinks more intently than Dean does. Dean tends to shoot from the hip a bit much."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10547-2003Sep27.html

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[CMT]

1. I love the way the media is trying to make this a Dean/Clark

race or slugfest. More than Dean supporters have reconsidered. From polls I've seen Dean's support is pretty consistent it is actually from undecideds and to a lesser extent Lieberman supporters that I've seen erosion. For instance the last couple of Gallup polls have Dean's support at 12% nationally the same as before the General got in.

[DrFunkenstein]

2. National Doesn't Mean Much At This Point

So few people are even paying attention. Which makes it that much more significant that two candidates are actually polling ahead of Bush! He's screwed!

[CMT]

4. but of course the Clark people have made such

a big thing about Clark leading in national polls. So I thought it did count. But I happen to agree with you and am pleased with the four polls taken in NH since Clark got in which have Dean leading by 9-13 points and the General around 10%.

[Speck Tater]

6. What's really telling however...

... is that a double poll where Clark was identified as "General Wesley Clark" showed him leading Dean while a poll that identified him as "Wesley Clark" without the "General" showed him trailing Dean. At this stage, in non-early primary states, it's due more to vague impressions than any solid knowledge of the candidates and their positions. In the places where people are paying closer attention (NH IA) Dean leads the pack by a comfortable margin.

[Kahuna]

13. "Trailing?" What poll was that? Can you share it with us?

Thanks in advance.

[Upfront]

15. Hey Doc

Why don't you get off Dean's case for a while? Somebody will win, and I will support who ever that is. I would prefer to hear why your guy is good not why the other guy is bad. Your kind of effort just makes me more determined to back Dean all the way to the Whitehouse. Any Dean backer can see through your bull in a glance.

[stickdog]

3. But 4 out of 5 dentists surveyed are sticking with Dean. (NT)

[Kahuna]

14. Goody! That means 20% is up for grabs!

I'll take that 20%! :bounce:

[mistertrickster]

5. It made me reconsider . . . reconsider what a piece of shit article

this is in an increasingly piece of shit newspaper.

"There's something happening here, and you don't know what it is . . . do you, Mrs. Jones?"

It's a real grassroots movement that Washington politicos and Washington papers just don't get--there're real people out here who want real representation instead of bullshit and porkbarrel.

And by God and Greyhound, we're gonna get representation.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[DannyRed]

10. Bingo...

I think DJCairo can be safely ignored.

I would hope that true supporters of Kerry, who is a fine man and a fine candidate that I would vote for in a hot minute...if he gets the nomination (I support Dean for the Nom)...would distance themselves from a "contributor" who is an obvious plant.

[stickdog]

9. You're projecting here.

You're backing the appointed one.

We're using grassroots democracy to take our Party back and then take our country back.

And damn right we're angry. We're furious. At both Bush and Bush enabling Wimpocrats.

[Fabio]

17. Re-read your post.

Press pause on your Matrix Reloaded DVD. Listen to yourself -- You sound cliche.

[stickdog]

19. I never saw either "Matrix."

Looks like I have a new career as a screenwriter in the wings ...

[Larkspur]

11. The purpose of this piece is to try to halt Dean's momentum

by spreading puff piece about Clark and some supposed former Dean supporters going over to Clark. INMO, those Dean supporters were not really Dean supporters but contrivances by the reporter.

Clark is not qualified to be president and his candidacy is about taking power away from the people, not enhancing it. His campaign is going the way of the traditional top-down struture. The Dem Party hierarchy, like the Repuke Party hierarchy, don't want the people empowered because it will take power away from them. Clark's campaign is a chimera to fool people into thinking that someone who helped raise lots of funds for Republicans in 2001, voted for Nixon and Reagon, is a Democrat and has Democratic ideals in mind when running for President.

Clark has no Democratic record to run on. All we have is his word and his word is no good in light of his 2001 fundraising stint for Repukes.

[9119495]

18. Whoa!

As a Dean steering committee member I have to say I disagree with the characterization of Clark's campaign as "taking power from the people." I haven't seen evidence of that and after all, he might be a name on my sign come 2004 (with Dean above it hopefully). There is no need make claims like this as it will eventually end in a less unified and thus less capable party when going head to head with bush. Will dems disagree? Yes. But that is where our party is kind of neat. We actually allow it--but keep it to what can be substantiated.

[Larkspur]

20. I don't trust Clark enough to ever support him

He's got no Democratic record to run on and statements he made about supporting the Iraq War and the fact he helped raise funds for Republicans in 2001, definitely make me too distrustful to ever support him.

Generals make poor presidents and I wouldn't trust him as VP. I don't think that I'd ever trust him as Sec. of Defense either.

[KaraokeKarlton]

12. Misleading subject line

The guy talked about wasn't a Dean supporter. He was "leaning towards" Dean. Thinking about supporting someone is a far cry from actually supporting them. Very few actual Dean supporters will switch to Clark or anyone else.

[w4rma]

16. Clark's Bid Prompts Some Dean Supporters to Reconsider

DrFunkenstein could write headlines for Faux News, IMHO.