Hillary Clinton’s last stand is on March 4th. If she doesn’t take Texas and Ohio by large margins, there will be pressure on her to step aside and get behind Barack Obama as the party’s nominee. It is definitely too early to call this primary, but we need to be thinking ahead. If Obama does win, how does he match up against McCain? What are his strengths and weaknesses? What does he need in a running mate?
I’ve been a strong supporter of General Wes Clark for years now and I was sorely disappointed when he decided not to run. I think, after watching him for so long, that he may be exactly what Barack Obama needs to win this thing. Allow me to explain. Here are several critical reasons why Wes Clark would make a great VP pick...
Military Credibility
Barack Obama has zero military experience. John McCain was tortured in the jungles of Vietnam. Although Obama has been right on the war, John McCain’s war experience gives him a lot of commander in chief credibility. Obama has repeatedly said in interviews that he probably needs someone on the ticket who can bring some military experience to the table because it is something he admittedly lacks. People don’t need to just trust that a president has good judgment, they need to feel like he/she can handle the military and deal with the threats we face. Wesley Clark was in the military for 34 years. He was shot four times while leading American troops through the jungles of Vietnam. He was a four star general and the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. He ran the Kosovo operation successfully without losing a single soldier. Wes Clark is the epitome of military and leadership experience. His presence on the ticket would inject a serious dose of military credibility and his presence in the White House would be reassuring.
Southern Appeal
If Obama is the nominee in 2008, it seems like we may finally have a chance to eat into the base of Republican "red" states. He can win Midwest and Rocky Mountain swing states, and with the right running mate, Southern states as well. Arkansas may be up for grabs, Virginia, and Missouri also seem to be within reach. With Virginia trending blue, many feel that Jim Webb may be a good fit on the ticket with Obama. Webb, however, only has a 46% approval rating and a 44% disapproval rating in the latest Survey USA poll. John Edwards is also a southerner, but he brings no military experience and brought no Southern victories to John Kerry in 2004. Wes Clark lived most of his life in Arkansas and launched his 2004 campaign from Little Rock. He won the Oklahoma primary in 2004 and has a lot of qualities that appeal to Southerners – a twang, a fierce patriotism, a strong family, and a long record of military service. His presence on the ticket not only boosts the national security credentials, but gives Obama a chance to eat into McCain’s Southern military voters. Wes Clark is essentially the Anti-McCain in the South. He gives white southerners a reason to consider Barack Obama when they may have otherwise automatically have gone to McCain.
Clinton-ite Appeal
It’s no secret that Wesley Clark has been a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton in this race. He has campaigned for her everywhere from Nevada to New Hampshire, and it’s exactly for these reasons that he is such a great fit for Obama. He could very well win this nomination with barely over 50% of the delegates. The party has been divided and the race has at times gotten heated (remember the WalMart/Rezko debate smackdown?). In order for us to win this election and win it big, we are going to need a Democratic party that is completely UNITED and FIRED UP. We need Hillary Clinton supporters to drop their resentment for Obama (which does exist in many circles) and join in the fight with all they’ve got. If Barack Obama picks a strong supporter of Hillary as his running mate, he is essentially extending an olive branch to Hillary Clinton supporters. An Obama/Clark ticket will probably help many Clinton-ites overcome their doubts about Obama’s experience because they trust Clark’s. This would be a strong gesture for Democratic Party unity.
So there you go. He gives the ticket military cred. He appeals to John McCain's southern base. He gains the trust of Hillary supporters. Wes Clark would make one hell of a VP.