Wes Clark in New Hampshire

[CarolNYC]

Wes being greeted by hostess Jeannette Hopkins and her dog Star:



Short story from the Portsmouth Herald, Warning on Iran, includes these tidbits:

Iran:
"This administration's foreign policy, in my mind, has not been adept," Clark said. "I've been saying for years now that the Iraq war was one we did not have to fight, and with Iran the military option should be the last resort, after this country uses diplomacy and economic leverage."

China:
On the subject of China's recent anti-satellite missile launch, Clark said he saw the move as both a test of technology and a show of power. He said the best course of action for the U.S. would be to maintain a friendly relationship with the growing world power.

"We should consider a global environment in which it is no longer larger powers and smaller powers fighting. It's important for the world to rebuild an international consensus behind the United Nations, so force is not proscribed for every situation," Clark said.

Energy efficiency:
He also asserted that energy efficiency was critical for the environment. Clark said he would favor the creation of a national energy policy that would restrict carbon usage to the lowest possible level and help make citizens more aware of the problem.

Global warming:
"It's easy to say (that there's no global warming) when it's March and there's snow on the ground in New Hampshire," he said. "A lot of people say it's a cycle, and yes, that's partly true, but the majority of that impact is in greenhouse gases."

Carol Shea-Porter:
"(Shea-Porter) has an incredible grasp of the issues. I think she's a wonderful representative, and maybe that's just the start of it," Clark said.

And more here: http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/03032007/nhnews-ph-p-clark.html

[tblue]

1. Clark should be drafted and forced to serve as president

That's how bad we need him.

[Clark2008]

7. LOL!!

[tblue]

12. Yeah, but I'm serious!

[Clark2008]

15. I know!

And I agree.

Your wording made me laugh, though. :hi:

[Auntie Bush]

10. That's my favorite picture of Clark. What more could anyone want? n/t

[Eurobabe]

2. Clark is so prescient, it scares me

Go WES!

[KT2000]

4. Yes - but

where the RW uses the future to scare everyone, Clark is able to use it to formulate solutions.
Is america ready for such intelligence - man, I hope so.

[tblue]

13. I remember in NH during the January '04 primaries, we were scared

for him if he got too close to winning. We didn't want him flying in small planes.

[windbreeze]

45. I remember that well...

a lot of us were afraid for him, as he traveled around, making town hall appearances in VFW's and small venues....while appearing to be w/o security services...how people were being allowed to get oh so close to him...yeah...and I worry even more so now...
wb

[FrenchieCat]

14. Yes......Clark is that!

His prediction made in September of 2002 as he testified before Congress:

"The war is unpredictable and could be difficult and costly. And what is at risk in the aftermath is an open-ended American ground commitment in Iraq and an even deeper sense of humiliation in the Arab world, which could intensify our problems in the region and elsewhere."

"we're going to have chaos in that region. We may not get control of all the weapons of mass destruction, technicians, plans, capabilities; in fact, what may happen is that we'll remove a repressive regime and have it replaced with a fundamentalist regime which contributes to the strategic problem rather than helping to solve it."

"Then we're dealing with the longer mid term, the mid term problems. Will Iraq be able to establish a government that holds it together or will it fragment? There are strong factionary forces at work in Iraq and they will continue to be exacerbated by regional tensions in the area. The Shia in the south will be pulled by the Iranians.

The Kurds want their own organization. The Kurds will be hemmed in by the Turks. The Iraqis also, the Iranians also are nervous of the Kurds. But nevertheless, the Kurds have a certain mass and momentum that they've built up. They will have to work to establish their participation in the government or their own identity."

"We've encouraged Saddam Hussein and supported him as he attacked against Iran in an effort to prevent Iranian destabilization of the Gulf. That came back and bit us when Saddam Hussein then moved against Kuwait. We encouraged the Saudis and the Pakistanis to work with the Afghans and build an army of God, the mujahaddin, to oppose the Soviets in Afghanistan. Now we have released tens of thousands of these Holy warriors, some of whom have turned against us and formed Al Qaida.

My French friends constantly remind me that these are problems that we had a hand in creating. So when it comes to creating another strategy, which is built around the intrusion into the region by U.S. forces, all the warning signs should be flashing. There are unintended consequences when force is used. Use it as a last resort."
http://www.rapidfire-silverbullets.com/2007/01/mining_and_finding_prescient_g.html

[dogman]

3. The winner of Dixville Notch returns.

I hope the rest of the state does as well next time.

[Clarkie1]

5. Indeed. nt

[Adelante]

6. I have such a soft spot for Dixville Notch

:D

[Auntie Bush]

8. I remember how excited I was that night...and mad because the MSM

hardly mentioned it. Made me sick.

[Clark2008]

9. It made me more sick the way they ignored his win in Oklahoma

Most people believe, to this day, that John Edwards won. He didn't.

Sigh.

[incapsulated]

11. Meh...

They also put Edwards ahead of Wes in NH, when he came out behind, fourth place. It was by a hair but I will not concede it, we were up half the night, remember?

[tblue]

17. I remember the moment that result came in. Somebody told the MSM not to give Clark his props

I wonder who.

[Clark2008]

18. Yep.

The question is, how do we inform people about how well Clark actually DID in the primaries with the news media constantly either ignoring him or downplaying him?

Sticks in my craw, I tell ya.

[Tom Rinaldo]

23. We wipe the slate clean with something new to write about

Clark was already written off by November of 2003 after the Right Wing Noise Machine went full bore at him. Remember how Clark lost his voice for almost two weeks back in that period? They were pounding away at him and there was literally little he could say about it.

But Wes Clark went to New Hampshire and proved himself in the snows of winter there, surging back to contention. He would have been our nominee had he entered early enough to campaign in Iowa also, or had both Dean and Gephardt not completely and unexpectantly collapsed in Iowa.

So if Clark runs again this time he will be hosting town hall meetings in Iowa and New Hampshire all throughout the Spring and Summer of 2007. Since Clark actually has something of value to say, people will come and listen. Maybe not the celebrity chasers at first, but they will come around later also.

[FrenchieCat]

19. Yes, and then I read this article.....

After his Oklahoma win, but before the Virginia/Tennessee primaries:

"AND THEN THERE WERE TWO"
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/02/04/primaries/index.html
Kerry breaks into the open field, with Edwards still in pursuit -- while the Dean meteor continues to burn out.

February 4, 2004 | After a month of surprise, confusion and tumult, the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is, suddenly, much more clear: The nomination is John Kerry's to lose.

article which was written unbelievably BEFORE the Virginia and Tennessee races and after Oklahoma and shows how Edwards was treated by media....while Clark was barely mentioned, although at the time that the article was published, Clark had actually beaten Edwards more places than Edwards had beaten Clark (Clark had beaten Edwards in New Hampshire, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Arizona, and New Mexico - While Edwards had only beaten Clark in South Carolina, Delaware and Missouri - Clark was not in Iowa)

By the time Virginia and Tennessee voters went to vote on February 11th, Edwards media had inudated those two states, while Clark only got media for a speeding ticket his caravan was stopped for!

And folks try to figure out why Clarkies say that it is the media that decides....and why Clarkies question the true strength of candidates vs. the spin.

Wes Clark with normal reporting would be a formidable force for Democrats. Which begs the question why is it that the media doesn't "do" Clark? There's a reason, and it ain't because he's a "bad" campaigner or has no charisma. No....it's something else. Suggestions?

[Boo Boo]

32. One thing that might have turned off the powers that be

is that Clark proposed some domestic plans including tax cuts for families below a certain income, and other things, and when asked how he would pay for it he said he would roll back Bush's tax cuts for the rich and get the rest from the military budget. I'm just sayin...

Another place to look would be media consolidation. Did Clark have a position? Getting on the "wrong side" of that issue would definitely get the attention of the MSM. They wouldn't like you very much.

[Clark2008]

33. He was on the "wrong" side of that issue - meaning he

was on the correct side for the average person.

He was in favor of re-instating the Fairness Doctrine and was firmly against the consoldation of the news media.

[Boo Boo]

34. Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

Let's see...

1) Tax cuts for rich people
2) Military Industrial Complex
3) Media Consolidation

Strikes one, two, and three. I'm guessing that #2 and #3 are much bigger problems than #1, and that #3 is the biggest problem of all. Being on the "wrong" side of #3 sort of guarantees that all big media corps will want to see you fail.

Thanks for the info. I sort of had a vague recollection of him saying something about the fairness doctrine, but I couldn't really remember.

[FrenchieCat]

39. Here was some of the reportage on his anti media consolidation statement!

WESLEY CLARK SLAMS MEDIA CONSOLIDATION
"I don't think it is in the American public interest to further consolidate the media." Answering this reporter's question, the candidate said media consolidation "is damaging to putting out diverse opinions and fostering public dialogue. ... We need to distribute the ownership in media. We need to have the fairness in broadcasting rules put back in place."
http://www.fradical.com/Presidential_candidate_slams_media_violence.htm

[windbreeze]

46. Why Frenchie...it's because

the powers that be, are just fucking scared to death of him...that's why...
windbreeze

[Dinger]

47. I Don't Really Have Any Suggestions, But This Country Ignores Him At Their Own Peril

No, the whole country doesn't ignore him, we are proof of that. But again.if this country or media casts him aside, it'll brtoo late for them to be sorry.

[tblue]

16. There was almost a media blackout on Clark right after Iowa

Then it became Kerry 24/7. That, and the Howard Dean Scream, which was beyond unfair. The media has a lot to answer for.

Clark came in 3rd in NH, after Kerry and Dean. And both of them were from that neck of the woods, so the results shouldn't been unexpected. I will never forget how, in the run-up to that primary, media stories would cover Kerry, Edwards, Dean (with the scream of course), Sharpton, Kucinich, Mosely-Braun, and leave out Clark. I saw that with my own eyes over and over again, and it was devastating to our campaign. Clark would've done so much better if the media had just effin covered him!

[FrenchieCat]

20. Media studies after the fact showed exactly what you are saying....

And showed that Edwards was reported on 100% favorably by the media BEFORE Iowa.

NETWORKS ANOINTED KERRY, EDWARDS BEFORE IOWA DID
Study: Iowa Caucus Victors Received 98 Percent Positive Coverage

WASHINGTON, DC—Prior to their surprising Iowa caucus performances, 98 percent of the network evening news coverage of Democratic Presidential candidates John Kerry and John Edwards was positive, according to research conducted by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA). The study also found Howard Dean received more critical coverage over the same time period, at 58 percent positive.

This is CMPA’s second ElectionWatch report of Campaign 2004. ElectionWatch will provide regular updates of how the broadcast networks are covering the candidates, the issues and the campaign. This report examines the 91 stories broadcast on the ABC, CBS and NBC evening news from January 1st through January 18th, the night before the Iowa caucus.

OTHER MAJOR FINDINGS:

Golden Boys Get Midas Touch-Not one person quoted by the networks had anything critical to say about North Carolina Senator John Edwards (100 percent favorable coverage) in the two and half weeks leading up to the Iowa caucus, while 96 percent of the evaluations of Massachusetts Senator John Kerry were positive.

* No other individual candidate received enough evaluations for a statistically reliable comparison.

http://www.cmpa.com/pressReleases/NetworksAnointedKerryEdwards.htm

Why did some receive such preferential treatment? Was it an accident, or was it by design?

[tblue]

21. And Terry Damn McAullifffe let them!

HE could have called the media on this. He could have helped get Clark and Dean, and all the rest of the contenders, the media attention they deserved. I will NEVER forget how, during the final NH debate, when Peter Effin Jennings dug into Clark so harshly about how his endorsement from Michael Moore undermined the 'War on Terror.' And how McAuliffe said afterward on the tv that he would like to see John Kerry 'with all his medals' respond to that. What about Wes Clark's damn medals, Terry? The attack was on Wes Clark, so why respond bragging about John Kerry's medals?

I was never happier than when we got ourselves Howard Dean as party chair. The best thing McAuliffe ever did for the Democratic Party was resign.

[lyonn]

22. The Iowa/New Hampshire media hype and weird voting

scene was jaw dropping. At the time I was sure Dean was the right choice and should have done well in both States. While watching the Iowa Caucus return on c-span I was totally confused. How did Kerry become the great leader? It seemed all others were "also ran". There was no doubt about how popular Dean was. He had endorsements from the best and yet, he sank like a rock????

After Dean became a has been, I put my sights on Clark. Those were the only two talking real issues. All the others were pandering. And they are to this day. I voted for Clark here in Okla. since Dean didn't have a prayer here. That just tell you that Clark has appeal in all areas of the country. So far he is the one to have the knowledge to attempt to get us out of this quagmire we are in.

Does Clark know the deck is stacked against him like it was for Dean and him last time? Scary huh?

[FrenchieCat]

24. Yes, he knows.....

He knows that its an insider game much more than election based on what voters want.

And folks need to understand that during the primaries it is the Democratic insiders that make the calls as to whom will be smeared and such.....as opposed to it being just the Republicans.

In the end, they are timid and unoriginal in their thinking and believe that they know what's best for all of us. So thus far the Democratic insiders most likely have rationalized to themselves that the Clinton coattails are the best bet in 2008, hence Hillary strength (hell, they have been talking her up since 2002)!

I think the avent of netroots strength has shaken things up a bit....enough so that the primary has to start way early to establish the "proper" CW that the insiders need in order to make things happen as they want.

Here is the Insider poll. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-adna-timespoll4mar04,0,1270897.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Observe the order that the Dem candidates come in. You have your lead, and your alternate in case things don't go right. Then you have the ones that are needed to stay in the game long enough to attract certain types of voters to register and get involved (prepping footsoldiers for the GE sorta speak), but who in the end will not have insider support.

Clark is like a wrench in the whole thing....he's not even figured upon by the holy ones.

[Clark2008]

26. I constantly tell Democratic voters to pick someone the

media ISN'T telling them about and point out why who the media wants probably isn't in their best interest.

It sounds corny and tinfoil hattish at first, until I point out that the media is owned by big corporations who want to keep certain contracts within their subsidiaries - and then the light comes on in folks' eyes and you can just see they can't wait to go home and Google stuff.

What's really fun is when I tell them something and week or two - maybe even a month - later, the thing I told them about happens. Gains trust with them and they start listening to what I have to say about such matters.

Now - if I just had a bigger bully pulpit. LOL!

[lyonn]

27. L.A. Times quote:

"The DNC and RNC members are not just delegates" to the national nominating conventions, said Charlie Cook, a nonpartisan campaign analyst in Washington. "They are key organizers and opinion leaders. They can help build or kill a groundswell, make a candidate's challenge in a state easier or much harder. They matter a lot."

Cook pretty well describes how it works. At least we don't have a Terry McAuliff (sp?) running the Democratic show, only Hillary's! ha

Hopefully Dean is in a position to make a difference in the next election. It appears he did "good" in the last one in spite of all the Dem opposition. He has been there and had it all happen to him.

[FrenchieCat]

28. Let us pray.....

that Dean will be a counterforce from the promotion of the usual suspects.

Amen!

[tblue]

30. You think the deck is staked against Wes Clark??? Why?

[lyonn]

35. Only because he doesn't seem to fit into the corp. structure

of the campaign process. He is an outsider. Dean was an outsider. It reminds me of high school clicks, you are either in or out. Clark doesn't seem to get the in crowds attention. Hope I'm wrong. Hey, I really like Feingold and wish he would give it a real try. There are others!

Course the media does factor in big time. At this point the media is having a great time making a big deal out of the obvious players in both parties. Cheaper that way. It feels like they are choosing for us. The sound bites they choose from each candidate seem so canned.

[Eurobabe]

43. I was there, at primary HQ

[Tom Rinaldo]

25. "I think she's a wonderful representative, and maybe that's just the start of it,"

This didn't jump out at me the first time I read it, but it just did :)

When Janet and I saw Carol speak for the first time in New Hampshire, she turned to me and said "She shoud be the first woman President".

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

29. One old lady and a yippy dog at a time!

:woohoo:

[Tom Rinaldo]

31. Don't underestimate the Democrats who gather for Carol Shea-Porter

The Republicans already made that mistake. You do realize that this was a private house meeting fundraiser for Shea-Porter don't you. You do know who she is, don't you?

[lyonn]

36. No. Please tell. nt

[Tom Rinaldo]

37. She's a newly elected Congresswoman from NH

She backed Clark in 2004 and Clark backed her in 2006. This is a great story about how Shea-Porter ran a true grassroots campaign to win:

Anti-War Voters Strong In Iowa, New Hampshire As 2008 Looms
BY JED GRAHAM

INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

Posted 3/2/2007

When President Bush visited New Hampshire in 2005, Carol Shea-Porter wore a T-shirt saying "Turn your back on Bush" and was booted from the event.

A year later, when the anti-war activist decided to run for Congress, the Democratic establishment in Washington opted to put its money on the safer, better-known choice: State House Minority Leader Jim Craig.

But Democratic primary voters threw caution to the wind and propelled Shea-Porter to a stunning 54%-35% upset over an opponent with a 10-to-1 financial advantage.

...Although the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent $1 million in the weeks before the election to help Paul Hodes oust Republican Rep. Charles Bass in New Hampshire's only other district, Shea-Porter was viewed as too much of a long shot to merit support. But on a shoestring campaign budget in a district that had twice voted for Bush, Shea-Porter won 52% of the vote to become the first Democrat sent to Congress by her district since 1982.

http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=16&issue=20070302

[lyonn]

38. I like those kind of stories, thanks.

It is looking more and more like people want candidates that have something to say and are not afraid to speak out and buck the media's idea of who their candidate should be.

[FrenchieCat]

40. THe thing about it is that Carol won her seat without hardly spending

any money.

They just never saw her coming....

Democrat Carol Shea-Porter, a political newcomer whose anti-war campaign was shunned at one time by her own party's leaders, upset two-term Rep. Jeb Bradley in the 1st District race yesterday.

Shea-Porter, a social worker from Rochester, becomes the first woman elected to Congress from New Hampshire and the first Democrat to represent the 1st District since Norm D'Amours in 1984. She edged Bradley 51 to 49 percent.

Shea-Porter, who worked in Gen. Wesley Clark's presidential campaign but had never held elected office, beat the odds just to win her party's nomination. In the September primary, she defeated Jim Craig, a leader in the Legislature who had received the endorsement of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and had six times the campaign money....

She also did not receive any money from national Democrats or political action committees, instead relying on volunteers and family members.

Manchester voter Diane Raymond, a college admissions officer, voted for Shea-Porter after voting for Bradley two years ago. "They're both great candidates, but I just liked her campaign and what she stood for," Raymond said. "She's very authentic."
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061108/REPOSITORY/611080363

[CarolNYC]

41. Yes, FrostedRummy can laugh....

...at the fact that Wes would deign to visit the humble abode belonging to this 'old lady and her yippy dog' in support of Carol but, as Tom says, he would be wise not to underestimate this political neophyte....She’s a powerhouse.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

50. Why...no I don't...tell me more!

:)

[Tom Rinaldo]

51. See my post #37 above Rummy...

It has a link to a good story about Carol Shea Porter. She's about as grassroots as it comes, and impressive as hell. There are good reasons why she was able to come out of nowhere and beat the mainstream Democratic Party candidate in a primary and then beat an incumbant Republican Congressman, all with very little funding. The first reason is herself, expect to be very impressed by her in Congress. The other reasons were all of her grassroots supporters who out organized the opposition on a shoestring.

By the time I heard Carol Shea-Porter speak in October, many of the Democrats who had been supporting her primary opponents were in the audiance, and more than one told me they were now glad that Carol had won the primary because they were so impressed by all of the new energy she was bringing into the local Democratic party.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

52. Heard Clark on the west coast today (AAR)

When he takes off his epaulets he sounds reasonable.

[CarolNYC]

42. From Bernie Quigley, who attended....

He said he admired Carol’s voice in Congress and called her “one in a hundred” in bringing issues to focus. He encouraged those present to give generously to her reelection.

Clark recalled incidents in Estonia leading up to the Kosovo conflict, bringing up some interesting and enlightening behind-the-scenes episodes which brought home the extended influence of the Cold War in tragic detail. He advised the crowd on the possibilities of advanced warfare with Iran behind the hubris of a Commander-in-Chief who refuses diplomacy. This evening was a detailed and advanced seminar on the specifics of conflict in the Middle East which would complement his recent talk at the Y in New York. If was a private affair and I’d feel it inappropriate to pass along some of his most interesting anecdotes and private observations.

I’ve been dragged unwilling to Democratic events in Boston politics since I was a child and Jack Kennedy was a Senator here. But this event brought a distinct sense of awakening. As I said to Susan Putney, a key supporter of Carol Shea-Porter, Wes Clark brings a new direction to the Democrats. He is to the Democrats what Tedy Bruschi is to the New England Patriots: He provides a vital bull-dog heartbeat to a new generation and he embodies what we mean by duty, honor and responsibility to family, country, and world.

We have seen this same spark recently with Jim Webb in Virginia and elsewhere. But here in New Hampshire and I would claim in all of New England, this new direction was no better crystallized than by the new voice in Congress of Carol Shea-Porter. In Portsmouth last night you could feel this new political life force begin to coalesce in this beautiful New England house in its quiet light in the snow. Other New Hampshire Democrats present who support Carol, like Dick Swett and Katrina Swett, are sure to encourage and feed this light, institutionalize it and bring it forward to new levels and new offices.

more here: http://quigleyblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/carol-shea-porter-wesley-clark-lights.html

[FrenchieCat]

44. And so in other words, there were more folks there than the

little lady and her dog?

Gettaoutoftown! :wow:

[CarolNYC]

48. and another report from someone who was there....and not the "old lady or the yippy dog"

I went to see Wes on Friday here in NH where he hosted a fundraiser for Carol Shea-Porter in Portsmouth. Carol was on a factfinding mission overseas so Wes stood in for her and was magnificent. The event was held at a gorgeous mansion in the old part of Portsmouth. Most of the activists in this area were present. After working the rooms thoroughly, Wes was introduced and proceeded to talk about the state of the world, Iran, nuclear threats, global warming, alternative energy, the pros and cons of withdrawing troops quickly from Iraq, etc. He was brillant. He was the old Wes that I had heard on CNN and instantly I knew why I had worked my butt off encouraging him to run and then on his campaign. And those in the room, many who supported Kerry or Edwards in 04, were dazzled by his knowledge and the ease with which he discussed world issues. He got everybody's attention there.

Just before he concluded his talk, he said, "I'm not a candidate for President, but I haven't said I won't run". He asked for questions and I couldn't help but be the first to ask, "Wes, is there any chance during the next 3 months you will declare your candidacy?" Everybody chuckled knowing I had supported Wes in 2004. He said no. He told the room that when you're a candidate, they discount your views on everything. He was very happy to discuss policy with high level people because they took him seriously. He knew that would change the minute he declared. I believe he wants his views to be heard loud and clear pertaining to Iran and Iraq NOW and for him to declare would remove him from the lists of those respected individuals whom the Democratics continually call upon for their policy views and opinions. And this is too critical a time to not hear his opinions. I honestly believe he can help effect policy by being in the private sector right now but speaking up on the issues that he is passionate about.

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/11301

I fear this guy will never be President...He just cares too damn much about things other his own political ambitions to succeed in the crazy world that is politics.

[lyonn]

49. This is such an interesting post that I hate for it to end

but, there will be more. The consus now is that Hillary and Obama are big news is boring. Just finished watching both speak and they impressed me. But it is Hillary's history on her votes and Obama's youth that slows me down. Who leads us after bush is CRITICAL.

[FrenchieCat]

53. Yeah.....I watched them too, right before I left for Church.....

and they were excellent....in particular Barack Obama! He has that MLK cadence to his speech, and it was a great conversational/sermon/political speech. Hillary's was good, but I imagine that it was written by someone else and the delivery was a bit too hard edge for me. She reminded me of a fire and brimstone preacher with applause lines built in. But in terms of substance, for the occasion, I found both speeches very well done and appropriate.

In his speech, Obama said he was of the Joshua Generation to the older Moses Generation that did the actual marching. That was a very well done biblical analogy.