Whats up with the sudden Clark surge

[59millionmorons]

I don't see other than his new tax plan to explain it, can anyone else?

[Zech Marquis]

1. here in the Hampton Roads area

there's been a whole lot of Clark 04 tv ads airing lately, and he had quite a reception when he visited VA Beach not too long ago as well. Don't forget, VA Beach is freeperland, yet Clark was welcomed like a hero!

[liberalnurse]

2. He has familiarity with people, name from CNN

and military. He has not yet been challenged as all the focus has been Dean. He did not show up in the last 2 debates and is not an issue in Iowa. This looks like it was taken out of Arnolds playbook. Thing may change after Monday.

[thedudeingeorgia]

6. Clark's absence from debates

The reason Clark has not attended the debates in Iowa boils down to two:

1> He is not running in the Iowa caucuses, so why try to convince Iowans that he is a good candidate. It is amazing, though, that he has 3% support, which is not terribly bad considering he isn't even running....

2> Why subject yourself to constant name calling?...People are tired of bickering politicians. Do I think Dean is unfairly being targeted? As the front-runner, he should be able to explain his positions without being held to task. Like Sharpton said in the last debate, you shouldn't need co-signers if your credit is good...

[9119495]

9. The debates were national debates--they were not just about Iowa

issues. Had the focus been exclusively on ag, education, state budget issues caused by the federal government, and ethanol, it would have been an Iowa debate. However, in a state with 10% minority population, the Brown-Black debate was clearly for a national audience. He should have been there.

[bearfartinthewoods]

12. you forgot one

the format provided an opportunity for participants to question each other. i understand why he ducked.

[KittyWampus]

13. You Forgot He Was In Four Other Debates

And did quite well.

[9119495]

30. I thought he did well, but he should have been in the national ones

anyway.

[elixir]

18. Look how well it worked for Lieberman.

Clark didn't participate because he's dedicating his entire monies and staff to NH right now. Yes, I would have like to have seen him in the NPR debate and even the Iowa debates but it doesn't change what he stands for. The last two debates were anemic slap fests and as far as I've seen, Clark can handle those beautifully w/out lobbing an insult or pumping "buckshot" into someone's behind.

He's in NH, he's rising in the polls and now he has to get ready because after 1/19 they're all returning to NH to beat him.

[thedudeingeorgia]

3. Clark's surge in support

I believe that Clark's surge in the polls is the result of several things, including, but not limited to:

1> I believe Democrats nationwide are starting to realize, slowly but surely, that Dean has no chance, whatsoever, of beating George W. Bush, and I concur

2> Clark is the only candidate who can match Bush's foreign policy experience, given his 34 years of service to his country. He has seen it all from Vietnam to Kosovo....

[BootinUp]

15. Hey dude

welcome to DU!

nice to see more folks from Georgia around here.

:hi:

[Anaxamander]

26. It sure is!

Native Georgia Democrat, at your service! :hi:

[Clark Can WIN]

16. WELOCME TO DU !

and welcome aboard :hug:

[elixir]

19. Welcome to DU

[Bush loves Jiang]

20. lol @ 2

I hope you mean in perception. :-)

[CTLawGuy]

24. I don't agree

1. He's a military man from the south, and military men from the south don't ever lose... (cough) Max Cleland (cough)

2. he has zero domestic policy experience, and has never even been an alderman. So of course he would do wonderfully well in running the US and dealing with Congress :eyes:

3. he voted for reagan, so he'll get all those Reagan DINOs

[NicRic]

4. Newbie Clark supporter !

Iam still making myself knowledgable on all of his stands on the issuses .However I decided to back General Clark ,for what I think for us Dems the most important issuse ,winning in 2004 ! I believe out of all the nominees that once its all said and done ,he is the one with the best chance at getting bush out of the White House in 04 ! I also find it refreshing that he is not a proffessional politician and never held an elected position . He is a former General ,a roadscholar , from the south ! I really believe he is the outsider ,that he will command respect , and give everyone a feeling of security, something bushes is going to use alot during the election !
I dont want to get flamed by all the Dean supportes ,however I feel he just wont win ! I also believe none of the others would unseat bush either ! No matter who the Dem nominee is I will vote for them ,however I would be much more excited by a Clark nomination ,then any of the others !
Take Care NicRic

[DrBB]

5. As a Clark supporter, I don't see it as mysterious

...Just a case of him getting his ads out, people seeing who he is and liking it. Same thing seems to have worked for a lot of DUers as well.

Necessary disclaimer: The above not to be taken as disparaging any other candidate, including Dean, okay? I like Dean. I like Clark better, but I like Dean.

[9119495]

7. He

has not been tageted in debates, is not competing in Iowa, and seems to be the emerging (emerged?) "stop-Dean" candidate. He will continue to surge in NH if heis the only Democrat campaigning there. (Note: Lib is not really a Dem in this race).

[JanMichael]

8. Wrong forum.

It needs to be here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=132

[11cents]

10. The explanation for the NH surge is simple

Once people see Clark, they like him. The New Hampshire campaigning environment is ideal for him, and he's had the state virtually to himself for a couple of weeks.

[John_H]

11. Easiest Question in America

This is the time when people are start to pay attention--and always has been. As they do, Clark goes up. Dean goes down.

Undeniable. Unspinnable. Just a fact.

[Clark Can WIN]

14. Well his new tax plan is revolutionary

and it didn't get near the press I believe it deserved. I think the surge of support is coming from the undecideds who are starting to understand that Clark is our best choice for defeating GWB in the general election.

Dean is making people wary with his demeanor and his gaffes and flip-flops. The other candidates have had a year or more of campaigning and they've not really caught fire for the most part.

Plus this seems to be the year of the non-politician and ALL of the other candidates are politicians. What many of the other candidates perceive as Wes Clark's weakness is actually a key strength for many. Wes Clark spent most of his adult life in service to his country rather than grandstanding on political platforms.

[Dookus]

17. Because he's clearly the best candidate to beat Bush

and the best candidate to govern as President.

It's taken him only 4 months to get to close to Dean, who's been campaigning for 2 years.

[Tom Rinaldo]

21. Many good answers already

Clark has prooven himself a viable candidate after being given up for dead by major media pundits two months ago. That Clark is a very viable candidate can no longer be obscured or dismissed, hence a broader range of Democrats are now taking him seriously and considering him. Clark's fund raising abilities are now obvious, and he has ample cash to compete in the larger states. That makes him a survivor.

But really I echo what has already been said. Clark is moving up in New Hampshire and nationally because for the last two months he has run an excellent, smart and sharp campaign. He has learned the art of political campaigning, which is a remarkable accomplishment given that he has not done so previously. Clark needed about 6 or 7 weeks of on the job training, and now he is fully up to speed. New Hampshire is a perfect forum for him, with multiple Town Hall meetings. Like Clinton, he excels in that format. He doesn't need notes, he doesn't have to resort to canned slogans. He gives substantiative and clear answers to the full range of questions asked him, and people like him.

That of course, and the fact that he is well qualified to be President, and best suited to defeat Bush, in my opinion of course

[PAMod]

22. Well he's had NH practically to himself the last week or so.

But nationally, his numbers have always been relatively strong.

Remember he had a HUGE, unprecedented announcement bounce in September. I don't believe the numbers really dipped after that.

[cally]

23. Fundraising

The media took notice when he released his 4th quarter fundraising totals. Once Clark gained some publicity, voters learned about him and started to support him.

[RandomUser]

25. Exposure

I think he's had a chance to get more exposure recently. And when people actually see him and what he's about, they find something they like.

This increased exposure comes from a combination of factors. But I think some of the recent success can be attributed to the amazingly well put together "American Son" biopic being aired on local stations in NH and at fundraisers. If you haven't seen it yet, I encourage you to. Every undecided voter should see it before making a decision on Clark, IMO.

http://clark04.com/americanson/

[stickdog]

27. Americans like candidates who skip debates & have no record to defend.

[LuminousX]

28. Coordination from his campaign website

to get people to post their support on discussion boards. Not really a 'surge' just an influx.

[markus]

29. In North Dakota, he is clearly the "Stop Dean" candidate of the party HQ

This is from second hand reports (I couldn't get to Bismark this past Saturday, but I trust the source implicitly):

All of the registration tables, etc. for the state party meeting and JJ dinner were covered with Clark material. When attendees from the Dean campaign complained that all candidates material should be out, it was initially removed.

When everyone returned for dinner, all of the parties put out by the state party organization contained exclusively Clark material.

While the JJ dinner was in progress, all of the Dean signs outside of the poll-side Dean hospitality room had been removed and replaced with Clark signs.

At the dinner, the state party chair endorsed Clark.

Yes, Clark was the featured speaker, but there's hospitality and then there's using the facilities of the state party to advance one candidate before the primary, which is flat out wrong.

Whoever your candidate is, if you disapprove of this sort of thing, go to your caucuses (even in primary states, there are likely organization caucuses for the state convention) and make sure your chair and second reps to your state central committee are not of the sort we apparently have here here in North Dakota.

I gave up my chair of my District to encourage new blood and take a break, but I will likely stand for chair or second rep again with the clear intent of making sure things like this never happen again.

[robbedvoter]

31. Good candidate, grassroots movement? Cutting rather than raising taxes?

Rallying rather than antagonizing voters? :shrug:
Nah! It must be a conspiracy.
And as for your signature tah: not gonna happen, make a choice.