Why Wes Clark hasn't declared yet

[Jai4WKC08]

I keep reading speculation in multiple DU threads about whether Clark will run, and if he's planning to, why hasn't he formed an exploratory committee. In some cases, it comes from people who seem to want to discourage Clarkies and get us thinking about supporting someone else.... inevitably these folks talk about how late Clark was entering the race in 2003, and saying he's making the same mistake again. Others have claimed he won't run against Hillary Clinton. And a few are just anxious to get involved right away and are not interested

Well, I happened upon this blog from the Stanford Democrats. The blogger is someone who was at the breakfast Clark attended last week with supporters from the northern California area. I thought it explained where Clark is at pretty well, and wanted to share it with anyone who's interested.

...If you hadn't noticed, Wes Clark has been pretty busy talking to Congress, military personnel, diplomats and many others involved in setting policy on Iraq. He has been a prominent advisor and spokesman for Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid--God, it's nice to be able to say that. He's been frantically working to push a reasonable, responsible and workable Iraq strategy that encompasses a much broader Middle Eastern strategy. A "Surge in Diplomacy", to use his words.

While the rest of the Dem presidential field is engaging in, to be frank, childish and irresponsible one-upmanship on dueling Iraq proposals, behind the scenes, Wes is very much involved in discussions with top Democrats (essentially on call for Pelosi). What he wants to avoid, as he mentioned previously, is the view that his work on Iraq is a political calculation. He stated that he does not want political ambition to be a factor in his advice and help on Iraq....

http://stanforddemocrats.blogspot.com/2007/01/whats-with-wes.html

'Course, none of this is all that different from what Clark has said more publicly. With Mark Green on Air America radio a couple weeks ago, right after Bush announced his plan to escalate, Clark said:

I haven't said I'm not going to run. I, I haven't taken the steps of forming an exploratory committee. I'm very interested right now in trying to help the Democratic Party pick the right policy as it moves forward, and then we'll have to see as the weeks go by as to whether there's more to be done or not... mostly I'm worried about the policy... Once a person becomes a candidate, then everything they say becomes viewed through a political lens. I don't want this viewed through a political lens.
Transcript at http://securingamerica.com/node/2121 or audio at http://www.mediamax.com/securingamerica/Hosted/public/Green_AA070111.mp3

I also remember hearing Clark on Stephanie Miller's show, about the same time frame. She asked him about running, twice if I recall, and both times he said the policy is too important to him.

Does this mean Clark will run at all? I don't know anymore than the rest of you. But I do think he sees this as probably a short window of opportunity for Democrats to influence what Bush does vis-a-vis Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan over the next two years. He may also feel (and this is my own speculation, based on my own fears) that if Congressional Democrats get it wrong, they may find themselves out of the majority in 2008.

Bottom line is Clark is putting what's good for the nation over his own personal ambitions. We'll just have to wait and see how it all works out. But I sure as hell wouldn't write him off yet.

[Adelante]

1. He should announce when he's damned good & ready

Ths is insanity that a candidate has to announce in fucking January now.

[Olney Blue]

2. Our country needs Wes Clark in any capacity he is willing to serve!

Thank you for caring, General Clark. :patriot:

[Edith Ann]

11. Gen. Clark

AMEN!!!How about Sec. of State?

[Dinger]

3. I'll Vote For Wes In The Primary No Matter What

And if he doesn't win the primary, I guarantee I will vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is.

[Edith Ann]

12. Primary

Me too.

[FrenchieCat]

4. Why be a Beauty Queen when you can be an Action Hero?

Is running for the Presidency really supposed to be a horserace.....

or is it supposed to be about what is doing what's best for this nation? :patriot:

Wes Clark declaring on the heel clicks of both Hillary and Richardson would only make sense in the terms of the horserace.

In terms of doing what is best for the nation, it is better to be deliberate and thoughtful in a really life altering decision.

I say, Clark has a few weeks left to determine what course of his action is best for this country.

Serious decisions need serious thought.......cause this ain't no game....although more and more treat it as such.

Kudos to the General for once again not succumbing to the "herd" mentality of "now or never".

[tblue]

5. Clark has America's best interests at heart, over the party and over himself

He is patriotic to the bone. I believe he is exactly who we need to be president in this day and age. But the big fundraisers are making commitments already now and it's gonna get tougher for Clark to jump in the race as time goes on. I wish he would announce, but I understand what he's saying and I believe he is 100% sincere about why he's not announcing now. I just don't want to see him come in late with a handicap, and have the media disappear him like it did in '04. The media silence on Clark was deafening.

[roguevalley]

16. integrity. that's what he has. what a refreshing thing to see in a

person involved in politics. :)

[Tom Rinaldo]

20. It's why he didn't camp out half the summer and fall in Iowa...

...and New Hampshire when there were Democrats all over the country who needed help getting elected so that we could take back Congress. That was Clark's focus before the mid terms, not routing himself as often as possible through the early primary states to lay the groundwork for a Presidential run, not stockpiling millions of dollars for a future Presidential run when Clark knew (and said so strongly - I heard him) that money was needed to help Democrats win now, so it was no time for Presidential candidates to be sucking up funds that local candidates needed.

[tblue]

21. He really is a treasure. He IS the real deal.

[The Wizard]

28. Do you mean the corporate media silence?

We are the new media. We control the horizontal. We control the vertical.
Howard Dean opened the door for the net roots. Let's hope Wes walks through it for the good of all Americans.

[Clark2008]

6. Thanks, Jai.

My thread, fwiw, regarding who I would support if Clark doesn't run was made because, other than Gore - who also has not announced either - it's difficult to find just the right candidate to replace him. He's nearly irreplaceable!

[Jai4WKC08]

13. Believe it or not

I hadn't even read your thread when I first decided to post the excerpt from the Stanford Dem blog. And for what it's worth, I agree with what you said there, altho I don't know that I care about finding someone else as much. I think my time might be better spent working for local or state candidates than wasting time for a presidential nominee who I don't believe can win.

But let's face it, the anxiety level about what Clark will do has been building probably since the end of December when other people started jumping in. And there are definitely supporters of other folk who are trying to exploit it.

This is only January. There's still plenty of time. I don't want him to wait too much longer, but he's said himself he'll announce one way or the other by the first of March, and maybe sooner. He knows the clock is ticking. I think that's fine.

[Clark2008]

15. There is always this:

I think my time might be better spent working for local or state candidates than wasting time for a presidential nominee who I don't believe can win.

I guess someone will challenge Lamar Alexander here, but I don't know if we even have too many Dems in Tennessee that could beat him. Sigh.

I guess that's why I throw my hat into the presidential election so much. Our Reich-wing media is so dominant in this state, it's hard to get Democrats elected to dog catcher on a national level. Locally, Dems are about even to Republicans and always have been.

[LittleClarkie]

7. I thought WesPac was the first step

Leadership PACs for fundraising and such.

[Jai4WKC08]

9. You can't use leadership PAC money to campaign on

You're correct that a leadership PAC is usually the first step. But the funds you raise for one have to go for expenses not directly related to campaigning for yourself. The PAC can contribute to the campaign on the same basis as any other PAC -- if I remember correctly, it's a max of $5K.

In any case, it takes an exploratory committee to actually raise funds for the campaign.

Not really related, but I find it intersting... senators and reps can transfer funds from their congressional campaigns to a presidential bid. Governors cannot. Isn't that interesting? Hey, if I were a senator, that's the way I'd write the law. LOL

[capi888]

10. WesPac was set up to help 2006 elections and a place for supporters

General Clark has a BIG following of troops. When and If he declares, then the Pac no longer will function in the capacity it is now. Many others that are running, have websites. Wes developed a PAC to help get Congress changed. That is his stategy, to help candidates, not himself. He used the funds to travel, help others win their seat. Did a darn good job and flew all over this country and oversea's also.
Think of the relationships he has developed in the past 2 years. For the GOOD of the COUNTRY!

He is a MAN of don't just listen to what i say , do as I do! We have a right to debate, we have a right to disagree, and now we need to take action! He is a Leader!

[CarolNYC]

8. A true patriot...

Yep, that's Wes...Country and the future of the world before his own personal interests....

Sadly, that attitude apparently is near non-existent in politics today...And it looks like it totally freaks some people out too....As for me, I'd love a President who cares more for the country than his own political aspirations but then what do I know about politics.

[smoogatz]

14. He'd better hurry

before they run out of space on the ballot.

[Clark2008]

17. LOL.

I did find that funny, despite the fact that I'm a Clark supporter.

It does seem like everyone and their Aunt Milly is running on both tickets, doesn't it? :)

[smoogatz]

18. It does. They are.

You have to wonder what makes somebody like Biden or Tancredo think they have a chance in hell. Running for VP, I guess.

[FrenchieCat]

19. Can't have Biden as Veep........

if he was, he'd have to go in an undisclosed location....and Sunday TeeVee doesn't really fit that bill! :P

[Jai4WKC08]

24. I can't imagine why Biden is running

I don't sense that he's looking to be VP. Could be wrong -- maybe he thinks he'd give foreign policy expertise to an Obama or Edwards. Or maybe he's been in the Senate so long, he wants to try anything different, even if it's just VP.

More likely, I think, he feels it's his last chance so what the hell, why not? And ya know, he's a personable persuasive guy who is good in front of an audience. Maybe he thinks he can catch fire (I have to chuckle at that last, but hey, it's possible). Maybe he just enjoys the attention.

Tancredo is the Republican Kucinich. He knows he can't win and won't be anyone's VP. He just wants his issue (immigration) to remain part of the debate. And it gives him a national platform he'd never get otherwise.

One problem you have with career politicians is that they don't mind spending other people's money on their own ambition. They spend their whole adult lives asking people for money so they can run for office and they come to think of it as their right to spend as much as they can rake in with zero responsibility to actually deliver anything. So it's too easy for a Biden or Tancredo to jump in. It costs them nothing personally.

[jen4clark]

22. It's almost unheard of

to find someone who honestly puts Duty, Honor, Country before everything else. As Wes, Jr. said in American Son

When I think of everything he's done in his life the thing that always strikes me is that he's a true believer in this country in a way that's almost like a Mr. Smith goes to washington kinda aw shucks gee whiz way. But that's really who he is and how he thinks and so he runs understanding the vaule of every single person. He's an optimist -- he belives people are ultimately good and want to do the right thing. He leads by example...

[renate]

23. "what's best for the nation"

Ditto what FrenchieCat said earlier... Clark has always been about what's best for the country. That's the #1 reason I trust him--his whole life has been about service to the United States, long before there was ANY question about the presidency or any other office.

And then what tblue said... "He is patriotic to the bone"....

I miss feeling patriotic. Well, that's not quite accurate--I am patriotic, especially now that so many of the freedoms we took for granted have been taken away or are at risk, I treasure them more than ever. The ideal of America is so beautiful; I think liberals and progressives really are the true patriots because we value what America stands for. (Not to denigrate the people who are more motivated by their religious or whatever beliefs... I respect their right to their opinions but there are religious values and there are American values, and although they have a lot in common, they are not the same thing.) Anyway, I feel that Wes Clark really is patriotic to the bone--he and his family have not only talked the talk, they've walked the walk--and I will be so proud to be a patriotic Wes Clark '08 supporter once he announces. He really does lead by example.

[halobeam]

25. If the bottom line is Clark is putting whats good for the nation

over his own ambitions, (which I believe to be true, btw..), then unless Gore runs, I bet he's IN.

[Tom Rinaldo]

26. I think you nailed it here.

That is why he will be in. Clark's immediate concerns for the nation are effecting the micro management of his Presidential run. They have contributed to why he did not announce earlier in my opinion, which is the point of the OP. But Wes Clark keeps an eye on the timeline. He'll be there for the earliest debates, exactly for the reason that you state.

[ripple]

27. I hope Wes gets in, but

I think the article works from a flawed premise. The implication is that the candidates that have already announced are to busy giving photo-ops to work on changing our Iraq policy. It's impossible to ignore the fact that four potential contenders are US Senators and that these Senators have also spent a great deal of time talking to the very people General Clark has, in addition to serving on committees that have the potential (especially now) to directly impact what happens in Iraq.

I have a great deal of respect for general Clark, I appreciate and welcome his expertise and judgment, and I would like to see him on the ticket. As far as I'm concerned, he can announce his intentions whenever he sees fit. One needn't assign dubious motives to those who have already announced in order to defend Clark's decision to delay an announcement, IMHO.

[The Wizard]

29. Senators can't be President

They have voting records that can be twisted and spun by the enemy. The repubes are good at framing an issue and leaving out certain facts that explain certain votes. A candidate will have to spent too much in resources defending a voting record.

[ripple]

31. We may very well see two Senators facing off in the general

Senators aren't elected President very often, for precisely the reason you stated.

Still, it's certainly possible (if not probable) this time, especially given the number of Senators running from both parties.

[Bucky]

34. Republicans will twist & smear whatever damn record a candidate has.

I have no reason to think a general's record is less vulnerable to twistage. I know for a fact they've got a case to make to smear Clark--we've already seen it.

[crispini]

30. Good for him. I admire him for that.

K&R

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

32. Thanks, I was wondering this AM why he hadn't

thrown his hat into the ring yet.

[Bucky]

33. Stoopid damn wonk. Why is he putting the national interest ahead of his career again?

This is such a military mindset, separating government work from politics. At the policy level, which is where Wes is, there's really not a difference between government and politics. He should work with Pelosi, but her his own personal ideas need to be put out there. If he's a candidate, he needs to get out there during candidate season. What he's doing now is an excellent strategy if he's only running for vice president.