I just read the transcript of Wesley Clark's interview on Charlie Rose.
I haven't been so mad in a long time.
After I read the interview I went to Charlie Rose’s blog so I could avoid coming to Dailykos and hearing everyone complain over and over again that there is not enough time for Wes Clark to enter the race. I wanted to hear another perspective. So, Kossacks, here they are, please read all...
- "I wonder if it dawned on your other viewers as it did me, that this is the one who should be running for president!"
- "I am a socially conservative democrat who does not agree with several of the General’s positions, however every time I hear him speak I am TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY SAD that this man is not the president of this great nation."
- "My goodness! Why isn’t this man running for president? He’s the first person I’ve seen who speaks intelligently about the world we live in now."
- "The fact that he has preconditions to be able to run is an indication that our election process is broken and we are doomed to elect sound-byte experts rather than real leaders."
- "Why the Democratic Party is not begging this guy to run is beyond me. He has all the tools needed to lead our country at this critical time. For once, let’s get real!"
- "I have heard much of this great General and this interview clearly demonstrates his credibility...Alas, we have to deal with another Clinton. God help this country wake up to its senses!"
- "We’d be lucky to have him as president."
- "I’d be thrilled if he were to find a way to enter the presidential race."
- "This is the man who should be America’s president."
- "What a tragic state of affairs when this country’s best and brightest cannot meet the ‘preconditions’ for a presidential campaign. How often do we find a patriot of Wesley Clark’s stature who would even consider a presidential run?"
- "I pray that the conditions for Clark to run are resolved. If it becomes clear the Democratic Party is throwing up roadblocks to prevent him from running, I’m done with them."
- "Last night we listened to a man who could restore our faith in ourselves."
- "If there was a level playing field in presidential nominations, General Clark would surely be the presumptive nominee."
- "This man is a national treasure."
In all the comments on Charlie Rose’s blog, NOT ONE PERSON said "Oh well Clark is a great guy, but he is definitely too late." This is absolutely maddening to me. I have written about Wes Clark numerous times before and I’ve tried to be calm and reasoned but all of this is just absolutely disillusioning.
I am only 18 years old. I am the most politically active person I know, and I value that highly. I believe I can make a difference, I really do. But I begin to lose faith in this democratic process when candidates become judged on WHEN they enter the race. I begin to lose faith when candidates become judged on their money and organization. Why can’t we look at the quality of the people?? Or about how their experience?? Or how about their intelligence and humanity for a change?! I am so sick of turning on the news and hearing about polls, hair, and all that crap. I am so sick of coming here and hearing about money and timing and organization. When are we going to talk about ideas?
Let me talk about Wes Clark for a second. First of all let me point out the response of Charlie Rose’s viewers to Wes Clark. These don’t seem to be Dailykos types to me. A lot of them held the Democratic Party at a distance in their comments. I am looking at the latest Rassmussen Reports and I see Hillary Clinton up to 41% nationally, her highest position ever in that poll. People on here always say that the field is very strong, and that someone will beat Hillary. Well guess what? We’ve had debate after debate and Hillary Clinton has shown over and over again that unless something drastic happens, she is going to win. Obama has had chances to show his stuff and it hasn’t happened. None of the second tier candidates have emerged as serious challengers -- none of them. This primary is going to be similar to a national election because of all the frontloading and right now, Hillary Clinton is going to dominate every single candidate in the field.
I honestly feel and have felt for a long time that Wes Clark is the only one that can beat her. He’s smarter than Hillary, maybe not about the game of politics, but he is smarter. He doesn’t have the monstrous Clinton machine behind him but he does have some things that I think still matter – intelligence, vision, and leadership. He’s practical, and experienced. He’s inspirational, and charismatic. He is the perfect man to lead this country. The thing that just drives me up a wall is that he can’t run. He doesn’t have the MONEY, he doesn’t have the MEDIA, and he doesn’t have the ORGANIZATION. It is so sad that such a brilliant man cannot win because a couple fat cats sitting on Wall Street or sitting in a TV studio don’t believe in him.
I’m not going to let all of this hold me back, however. I’m not going to hop on the Clinton bandwagon, and I’m certainly not going to support someone subpar. I am going to keep supporting the best man for the job, and I hope that all of you will do the same. I am going to do everything in my power to give Wes those preconditions because if he isn’t in the White House, our democracy will be owned by the powerful and the wealthy. You know, there is a petition with I believe about 1,300 signatures asking Clark to run for president. You can email WesPac and pledge money. It seems to me that the essence of our democracy is at stake in this race. I just cannot believe how broken our system is if Wes Clark gets locked out of it.
But of course, as remains true with anything that becomes broken, there is only one thing to do...
Fix it. So get to work.