MORE ESSENCE OF WES CLARK

[xkenx]

Even though I had been a Clark supporter by the time he announced his candidacy, if I had to single out the defining or clinching moment which got me inspired like no one since Bobby Kennedy, it was Clark's town hall meeting in Heniker,NH right after the first Dem. candidates' debate in which he participated. I was amazed by his presence and his willingness to straightforwardly and knowledgeably answer any question, no matter how hostile or trivial. What really blew me away was his response to a question from a woman who had been in the armed forces for 25 years. She was visibly shaking and hostile, saying that she was a victim of abuse without any resolution, even though she went through the system in an attempt to have her abuser brought to justice. She asked Clark what he would do about that kind of situation if he were president. He looked her in the eye and apologized for the military because he was a commander in that military, even though, in his commands, nothing like that was tolerated but he could understand her frustration with the system. He said he is all about equal opportunity, non-descrimination, that if he were president, he would be working hard to make sure that all the military worked even harder toward those goals. He also sensed her discomfort and told her that he would be happy to speak with her privately, to learn more so that he might be able to help more in the future. He was so sincere and empathetic, the woman virtually dissolved by the end. I found out the next day that it was a rape that she was talking about and that Clark did spend 20 minutes with her privately after the town hall. It was at that point that I decided that I had to actively campaign for this man, that if he asked me to walk through walls in his support, I'd only have to ask, "When" and "How big a wall."

The video of that town hall may still be in C-SPAN's archives-- search videos for Wesley Clark. The town hall is well over an hour, and this woman is around 30-32 min.

Ken

[NYCGirl]

1. Essence of Clark? He's starting a perfume line?

Note: that's a joke.

[Donna Zen]

2. WaveCrest

WaveCrest: developer of hydrogen engines

Note: a job Clark gave up because we asked him run.

Setting and some of the participants participants: Allen Andersson-MIT math; Boris Maslov-Moscow Institute, PH. D. electronics engineering; Joe Perry-Duquesne U, physicist; Wes Clark. lab at WaveCrest.

Subject: electromagnetic cores, battery chemistries, algorithms, power-to-energy ratios, and electric drivelines

The first meeting of the minds between Clark and WaveCrest was informal but intense. “I remember that day very clearly,” said Perry. “Our company was very small, we had this dream, and Wes said, ‘I’d like to just come out and the engineers and have you guys explain what you’re doing.’ So people sat around on the floor and we had pizza and a couple of beers and did equations on the whiteboard. And Wes was at home. He immediately connected with the science and the engineers.”

Allen Andersson, the principal investor and cofounder of WaveCrest, was astonished at the mathematical prowess and quick grasp of the new technology that Clark exhibited during that first meeting. “When it came to explaining what our company was doing, he understood it a lot better than I did,” Andersson said. “He thought that I was just being modest; but no, he understood it and I didn’t . I felt embarrassed because he went to West Point and learned how to march while I went to MIT and learned mathematics. He’s a guy that does all the practical things, he knows how to move vehicles from one place to another and make sure they have good drivers and fuel and the right number of rest stops; but he’s also right there on the theoretical science end of it.”

...Perry remarked that Clark had a down-to-earth relationship with everyone at the company. “He would walk around building and talk to the janitor and people running the switchboard; everybody was equally important to him. He has that genuine connection that only a few people could make.” ...According to Perry and other officers of the company, Clark had the ability to rally everyone and make morale soar. “Wes was really, in many respects, an inspirational leader,” said Perry.

...”Towards the end he was becoming really distracted,” said Joe Perry. “It was one thing to read in the papers about the rumors of him entering the race, but it was another thing to sit in the next office to him see what was going on. You could just see that it was tearing him up; he just thought that what we were doing was bad for the country.” To his coworkers, Clark’s ambition was not about politics but about problem solving. In their day-to-day talks with him about the war on terrorism and the bush administration’s environmental policies, they witnessed a genuine concern that was personal. “You read that he’s just another politician,” said Perry. “He’s kind of everything but.”

(excerpts from: Wes Clark, A. Felix, 177-88)

Note: it is snowing here, and had decided to take the time type this for the Wes-jobs thread. Since this text is not available on line, there is no link.

“We need a vision of how we’re going to move humanity ahead, and then we need to harness science to do it.” ~Wesley Clark

[gcole]

3. I remember it well

If every voter could have seen that town hall meeting, it would have been Clark in a landslide.

[Nashyra]

4. I had already decided to support Clark

when I went with my dad to NH to volunteer. When we met General Clark for the first time my dad introduced himself to the General as a Korean War Vet from California, mind you we were in NH. Even as his "handlers" were urging him to hurry he listened to, conversed with and made it very apparent that what my dad had to say was important. My dad could not even vote for him in this primary because we were from out of state. The time he gave to my dad was the final stamp of approval.. The next day we met his son Wes Jr. and he made the comment after my dad introduced himself "that my dad must be the man that they were talking about last night". The fact that General Clark found my dad's story compelling had an effect on my dad like none I've ever seen. He was an infantry, front-line soldier in Korea who had the unfortunate experience of sometime checking bodies to make sure they were actually dead. Anyway for what it was worth that "old soldier" has been a permanent supporter since and helped raise funds for Clark and continued to help raise funds for wesPac and helped me on my campaign. Thanks to General Clark I got to spend the most unique and special year with my 76 year old dad. He was disappointed we could not go to an inauguaral but promises to stay healthy so we can go in 2009.

[xkenx]

5. That's the sad part.

Wes Clark got so little play in the media. To know Wes Clark is to be forever committed.

[no name no slogan]

14. Clark? "little play in the media"?

Wes Clark got PLENTY of play in the media, given that he had never held political office before, and didn't even HAVE a campaign organization in Iowa. And considering his platform was nearly interchangable with Kerry's, Dean's and Edwards', he got more coverage than he deserved.

Of course, I'm speaking as a Kucinich supporter; if anybody has a right to bitch about non-coverage of their candidate, it would be us.

But once again, that was last year. You can't rewrite the past. Only avoid the mistakes.

[dogman]

21. Dennis got an early start and I saw plenty of publicity about him early.

He was not able to do anything with it. I love Dennis and if I hadn't voted for Clark in the Primary he might easily have been my second choice. Unfortunately he can't preach beyond the choir.

[earth mom]

6. Why is every other thread about Clark? I'm feeling like all these threads

are a carefully orchestrated campaign move. I'm not digging it or in reference to the thread title-it's getting rather smelly around here. Let people make up their own minds.

[dogman]

7. How do you make up your mind without knowledge?

You can read the title and take a pass if you have no interest, that's what I do if I don't care for the subject.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ClarkUSA]

10. Just stating the facts about Message Rules, m'dear

Again, this thread is about talking about General Clark in a nice, personal manner.
If you are not going to do so, I have no idea why you are posting here except to be unpleasant. You haven't targeted other candidate's threads with your accusations.

Unlike you, I have nothing against other people posting as many threads as they want about their favorite candidates. I practice The Golden Rule when it comes to posting at DU.

It is not against the Message Rules to post about one's candidate of choice.
Perhaps you should be aware of that. If you'd like to take it up with the administrator or moderators for further clarification, please do so.

Have a nice day.

[Mz Pip]

11. There is a hide function

Use it if you don't want to see the threads.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[ClarkUSA]

12. You have your facts wrong

and there is nothing wrong with such a nice thread. If you're "not digging it" then
skip the thread instead of making silly accusations.

[no name no slogan]

13. Gotta agree with that

Since when did this place turn into Clarkie Underground? :wtf:

Cripes, I almost miss the Dean vs. Kerry wars of twelve months ago.

[ClarkUSA]

15. Of course you would -- read #10 and #12...

and use your "Hide"function.

Let's see how many more "certain" people come here to attack Clark supporters about posting a nice thread about Wes Clark.

[Auntie Bush]

19. Isn't that one of the purposes of DU?

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. ME TOO! The NH town hall meeting reeled me in!

It was that very night I decided THAT was the man who should be our president and switched my support from Dean to Wes. I remember it like it was yesterday.

[Donna Zen]

17. The NH townhall

I've never seen anything like that by any politician. Not even Clinton.

The depth of the response...and Wes Clark said things that I have often thought but have waited my whole life to hear.

Amazing

I couldn't move.

[car54whereareyou]

18. Thanks, Ken!

Clark's decency and compassion are a great antidote to the corruption and cynicism in politics today. There are better days ahead!

[xkenx]

20. It Seems That

the "defining moment" for many Clarkies came at the Heniker NH town hall meeting. Of course no one saw it unless you were watching for campaign programs on CSPAN.

[xkenx]

22. To piggyback

my earlier comments, it was that town hall and similar exposures that made me inspired by Wes Clark like no other public figure since Bobby Kennedy who was probably the ultimate in Progressive inspriation. I see the same caring and "essential goodness" in Wes Clark.

[Donna Zen]

23. Whoa! The thread's back!

Someone up thread posted that we must have all watched Heniker on C-SPAN. And it is true for that one. I did make Pembrooke with Michael Moore and the Portsmouth Church townhall. Everyone a gem.

Elizabeth Drew wrote in her article "True Colors" a worthy read, that at Pembrooke she experienced an energy in the room that she had not known since Bobby Kennedy's stump days. She also said that of all of the candidates, Clark was the most authentic. That was the "True Values" speech--you know the one all of the pundits faulted the Democrats for never giving.

"And when it comes to education, george bush is all mouth and no money."

I'll stop now before whatsits comes and warns me about the violins.