Clark People: Why doesn't your guy team up with Howard Dean?

[Merlin]

It seems to me it's a no-brainer.

I love Howard. Like many Dean supporters, I am completely depressed by the idea that his energy, idealism, courage, independence, organizing skills, fund-raising ability, and inspirational leadership may be lost on this party and this nation. And worse, I'm afraid the Kerry will redound back to his old ways--his natural aloofness--and will lose to Bush.

Clark isn't exactly setting the world on fire. Yes he may win Arizona. But that will hardly make him the front runner.

Clark is the only other guy who is as independent and as smart and as courageous and as electable (albeit perhaps more so) as Dean.

So why doesn't he team up with Dean? They could make a deal that which ever of them has the most delegates at convention time gets top slot, and the other will accept the VP.

It would charge Clark's campaign like nothing else has. It would recharge the Deaniacs. It would be big, big news. And it would put the fear of God into the Rovians.

Why doesn't that work?

Clark/Dean in 2004 !

[bicentennial_baby]

1. I'm open to the idea

I think that together, Clark and Dean would be a formidable challenge. We have had a number of extremely pleasant Dean supporters over at the CCN in the past few days complimenting us on our civility and on our candidate. I think that it could work.

[HereSince1628]

2. I just can't imagine Dean as a vice president.

Can you, really?

[MoonRiver]

3. That's the problem I'm having.

I can see the advantage politically, but Howard seems to be a guy who needs to feel like he's #1. But I really don't know, so I guess we'll have to wait and see. :shrug:

[KaraokeKarlton]

12. A Dean and Clark team could work under these conditions...

Dean is the one with the executive experience and he'd need to be at the top of the ticket. Clark is really brilliant on the military stuff, and Dean should let him deal with those things in a more active role than most VPs would take. Dean has the right ideas and the right qualities to handle the military stuff on his own, I'm certain of that...and the only real problem is the caution of the voters on that issue. Clark has everyone's confidence on dealing with Iraq, but none of their confidence on everything else. Clark could eventually be a great president, but he needs some domestic experience under his belt before he is really going to be viewed as credible on domestic issues. If Clark were to join up with Dean and the two of them run against the establishment's propping up of Kerry that way, they will beat the tar out of Kerry and the establishment. Clark would have 8 years of learning executive leadership under one of the best out there, Howard Dean. Then, in 2012 he would be the one to prevent Jeb Bush from ever becoming president.

I know there are plenty of Clark supporters who just plain hate Howard Dean (or just some Dean supporters), however, the surest way for BOTH of our candidates to beat Bush is if we team up during the primaries to keep the nomination from going to Kerry and the establishment. Look at the polls and add the numbers together for our candidates.

Dean is going to be staying in all the way to the convention. If Clark should drop out at any point, his supporters should ask him to come out and endorse Dean and then offer to be Dean's VP.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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[KaraokeKarlton]

16. Know what

I have full confidence that Dean is going to be the nominee and that he doesn't need Clark to do it. I also don't think Clark is going to make it on his own. Since Kerry has broken out, the national security vote is going to go to him due to the "bandwagon" factor of people wanting to be on the winning team. I honestly don't think Clark is going to be able to beat that. Clark is competing too much with Kerry for the same voters. Dean has temporarily lost some of the bandwagoners, but he will get them back as soon as Kerry starts getting massacred by the media. I suggested what I did because I don't believe that Clark is going to go anywhere unless it's by teaming up with someone else. Because Kerry is the establishment and is going to get creamed in the general should he be the nominee, Dean is the best bet if Clark wants to get his foot in the door for 2012. If Kerry hadn't of caught fire, it would have come down to Clark or Dean. Now it's going to be Kerry or Dean. I'd rather it be Clark than Kerry, because I think it wouldn't be a dirty race then, so I'm not saying this to try to discourage Clark supporters. I'm saying it because it's something Clark should be thinking about if things don't turn around for him before too much longer.

[Merlin]

15. He was LT Gov of Vermont for years. Of course I can.

Imo, Howard's negatives are too high for him ever to win the nomination let alone the general election.

But his positives are so high, and so solid, that he would bring a great deal to any ticket. And I don't want to see his idealism, vision, energy and courage lost.

To make this work, they'd have to agree now that the one with fewer delegates at convention time would support the other for top of the ticket.

[henslee]

4. Why doesn't that work? Are you serious?

[dsewell]

5. Only problem is

Clark has firmly said he didn't want the vice-presidential slot. Sure, I know "everybody" says that, and that a career politician will cheerfully forget he said it if he actually gets tapped for the position. But Clark could hurt his credibility by turning around on this. The other thing is that if Clark is not the nominee I'd see him being more effective in a Democratic administration in the Cabinet, probably as Secretary of State.

[Dark Star]

6. I have no idea what Clark,

or for that matter, Dean, would think about this.

Personally, I don't like Dean. If they team up, I'll vote for them; I'm ABB; but I never liked Dean.

Rather than believe the hype, I looked at his record in VT; he cut healthcare, raised taxes. He's too conservative for me.

[KaraokeKarlton]

13. Chances are you got your info from the Vermont Progressive Party

The vast majority of the criticism I've seen used against Dean on here comes from election rhetoric used by a political party in Vermont who opposed not only Dean, but the whole Democratic Party. That's kind of like buying into rhetoric from the RNC against Democrats. Dean isn't a liberal, but he's certainly not conservative either...he's a great, fair leader.

[WiseMen]

7. Dean could make a good V.P. for clark, esp cus grass roots org.

You guys should try it if Clark and Dean feel that would work.

Only problem is that I know that many of the Clinton Folk around
Clark are very sceptical of Dean as a national political figure given
the Iowa miss-understanding (or whatever you want to call it).

I believe they were inclined to choose a moderate like Dean to
pair up with Clark, but without the baggage.

[gardenista]

8. The Iowa thing can easily be neutralized.

Have you seen the apologies now from ABC, etc?

And, I think that Dean would synergize perfectly with Clark.

I think a Clark/Dean ticket is a real possibility.

Dean was a second-in-command in VT. Despite his charismatic campaign, I think he would fall in line.

Many Dean supporters I know are in favor of some permutation of this combo.

[KaraokeKarlton]

17. Governors don't really handle the no 2 spot well

Governors make better presidents than VPs.

[freetempe]

9. I'm all for it...

But could we make it Dean/Clark? :)

Seriously, if one of these two men stumble, the Dean and Clark forces need to merge to take on either Kerry or Edwards, for the good of the party. We can't let a Kerry ticket send us into oblivion in November.

[MoonRiver]

10. The first slot is up to the voters.

Of course, I think Clark's the best man for the job! :pals:

[caledesi]

11. Very good idea.

Dean supporter, but I like Clark and Edwards....Kerry is not appealing to me.

[Nicholas_J]

18. Never happen

Denas nature would not allow hims to sit in the second seat as VP (Differnt position form his LT Govenror Position) and Clark is to smart to put a loose cannon like Dean anywhere. Dena has attacked Clark so many times that Clark isnt about to let it go. He is too smart for that.

Den has dug himself a hole that none of the other candidates are going to help lift him out of. They are going to leave him safely in it until the nomination is over.

[slinkerwink]

19. let me correct your mispellings of Dean's name---it's D-E-A-N

[Bonobo]

20. Let me correct you: 'Mispelling' does not require a plural.

[maddezmom]

21. but it does require another "s"

just not at the end, right next to the first one. ;) Misspelling is one of my biggest faults. I love the new spell check, but forget to use it most of the time.