I know people don't like to hear about 2008 before the new legislative session has even started. Tough luck. I love Wesley Clark, I loved him in 2004, I loved him in my first blog post here. As I explained previously his military experience, popularity in Arkansas, and general intelligence make him a fantastic candidate in my opinion. Follow me below the fold to watch me waiting with baited breath for that wonderful announcement...
The first story, as I mentioned earlier, was Clark's post-election announcement centered on the title that it's "Time to Lead".
Follow that up with a story in the Arkansas Times from his spokesperson that Clark would announce likely by the end of the year. It also gives the interesting tidbit that would seem to back up the Clarkie theory that his work on FOX News and military experience makes him sellable in red states:
Mullen added, “All options are on the table. Gen. Clark was the [Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s] number-one requested surrogate, especially in red states and swing
states during this cycle. As we travel around, in places that other Democrats don’t go, there is a clamor and enthusiasm to see Gen. Clark serve in public again. Obviously, with the war and national security at the top of the agenda, Clark is well-suited to lead the country in a better direction than it’s going now.”
I couldn't agree more.
From the Brown Daily Herald we get the nice and simple answers:
How likely is it that you'll run for president in 2008?
I haven't said I won't run.
If you do run, how will your campaign differ from your 2004 campaign?
In virtually every respect.
He goes on to explain he thinks he got into the 2004 race far too late (a point I agree on). But today I get something on this same subject to slake my thirst for Clark news from the MSM of all places. Under the somewhat depressing but also promising title " Wesley Clark wants to avoid '04 mistake in '08" we hear:
Wesley Clark said Tuesday he wants to avoid waiting too late to make a decision on whether to run for president -- a mistake he made in his failed 2004 bid.
"I think it was clear that I got in too late last time," the retired general and former NATO commander told The Associated Press in an interview.
...
Clark is considering running again, but he said the late start was one of the mistakes he learned from his last attempt.
...
He said he hasn't set a deadline for making a decision on the presidential race.
"I don't deal with timelines," Clark said. "For me, it's talking to people and working separate related issues."
The usual no timelines for announcement jibber-jabber, but it's nice to see Clark in the news, and much much much nicer to see him having to play down rumors of his running to the media rather than fighting tooth and nail just to have his (very experienced) voice heard. And, as if you needed a piece of evidence to his foreign relations experience coupled with military experience (that we saw in his management of Kosovo):
"[Iraq's] not a matter of fiddling with troop levels," Clark said. "It's a matter of politics inside Iraq and diplomacy in the region. ... You can lose what's going on militarily inside Iraq, but you can't win it militarily, either by putting more forces in or by pulling them out."
Please check out Securing America for up to date news, and send General Clark some Feedback to get him to run!