Maher: No more Abe Lincolns. The Tube Rules!

[Raya]

What are we to make of it?

From 1 evening of pundits, 3 say that John Kerry is the most qualified candidate for President, but “has no chance.” In fact, I can remember a single pundit diss Kerry’s qualifications in the last 3 months that I have been checking it.

Bill Maher was on HardBall and seems to be with Mathews in a Clark boost fest. But, said Maher, Kerry is the most like a great founding father, like Abe Lincoln: “He is Lincolnesque” said Maher, “but Lincoln won the Presidency before there was TV.”

So what gives? Am I going to have to vote for Clark in the primaries. And, God forbid “Dean” in Nov. –- that what the pundits say (not to mention 4 more years of *). Are we never again going to get a President who is like a great founding father?

[mopinko]

1. uh, lincoln was not a founding father.

he came along about 100 years later. but, i dunno. i think it has more to do with greed than tv.

[hellhathnofury]

9. Shhh. Don't let facts rain on his parade! ;-)

[Jack_Dawson]

2. Clark is a great man

You would not be betraying your principles by voting for The General.

[JI7]

3. check out kerry's speeches

check out his speeches, especially the policy specific ones such as ones on foreign policy or economy, or environment. the man is incredible. i love hearing him speak on the issues. i saw bill maher say he likes john kerry too.

[mhr]

4. Welcome To Modern America, Corporations Rule Via Corporate Owned TV

Opiate for the masses.

Better read 1984 again. This is your future.

http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/1984/23/

"He gazed up at the enormous face. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark moustache. O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother."

[adamrsilva]

5. Strange, since Maher encourage Clark to run. "My Mom

would love it," he said. And he recently defended Dean by saying his "gaffes" weren't gaffes at all, and that he was right.

[cprise]

7. Hes right about Dean

The 'gaffes' are largely a media talking point, not reality.

Dean is willing to broach subjects in a way that requires dialog.

[BootinUp]

6. I think Clark is the type

of great leader that only comes along once in a generation. I'll be very sad if we don't elect him.

[Raya]

8. Like what I see. But there is so little -- just years,and years in uniform

[Bucky]

11. Clark has the quality of "disinterestedness" the Founders desired

If you read on the political style of George Washington, you'll see a lot of parallels to Wes Clark--strong ambition that is married to a philosophical commitment to fairness, and a gut instinct for taking the high road, even if the high road does double duty as a smart political move.

Adams, Hamilton, and Madison (among others) theorized extensively on what it takes for a leader to be a great man. They all generally came to the same conclusions: greatness requires both ambition (what we would call self-actualization) and disinterestedness (what we call fairness, but more than just fairness, also meaning putting the greater needs of the country ahead of everything else and having a keen eye for exactly what those "greater needs" are.

Wes Clark has that in spades. He's attacked mostly for not being a partisan Democrat while in the army, being honest about having voted for Republicans over 15 years ago, and for being scrupulously professional and objective during his stint at CNN. Tomato, tomahto.

[zulchzulu]

10. Maher is a presstitute and a media whore

He didn't mention Dean or mentioned him in a less than good light, so yeah...uh huh...that's the ticket.

/sarcasm