General Wes Clark, Welcome to Barack Obama's Democratic Party

Wesley Clark, General US Army (Retired), often gets mentioned as a potential Vice Presidential candidate for Barack Obama.

Often there is a quick response about his attacks against Senator during the primary in favor of his longtime friend Senator Hillary Clinton.

His recent interview with the Huffington Post  should open a few eyes.  There is some serious healing going on in this Party.

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How much healing?

Well, General Clark made some flyby comments about Barack Obama's experience.  They were no where near as tough as the shots he just took across Senator McCain's bow.

"I know he's trying to get traction by seeking to play to what he thinks is his strong suit of national security," Clark said of McCain while speaking from his office in Little Rock, Arkansas. "The truth is that, in national security terms, he's largely untested and untried. He's never been responsible for policy formulation. He's never had leadership in a crisis, or in anything larger than his own element on an aircraft carrier or [in managing] his own congressional staff. It's not clear that this is going to be the strong suit that he thinks it is."

Followed up later with

"McCain's weakness is that he's always been for the use of force, force and more force. In my experience, the only time to use force is as a last resort. ... When he talks about throwing Russia out of the G8 and makes ditties about bombing Iran, he betrays a disrespect for the office of the presidency."

These are resounding volleys.  Blows which completely mitigate his earlier critique of President to Be Obama, as they completely level the playing field for the election.  For if John McCain can't claim the experience high ground, and certainly doesn't have the high ground in the battlefield of ideas, what exactly does he have?

Fear

But Americans aren't afraid anymore.  We live in a world where we hope for a better world.

Through the rest of the article he speaks of a Democratic Party that has become a "full service party for national security" built upon hope.  General Clark has swiftly adapted to the mode of the general election and is clearly backing Obama wholeheartedly.

He belongs on the short list for VicePresident for several reasons

- High Level Clinton Surrogate
- Distinct Military Experience
- Well Respected in Muslim World due to actions in Kosovo
- Believes in a Diplomacy First Foreign Policy
- Strong Advocate for Health Care in 2004
- Top 3 Campaigner for 2006 Congressional Races
- Southern and Veteran White Male could help in places like VA (-2.4% at 538), AR, NC (-5.8% at 538

A reminder of his 2004 performance in the Primaries that he entered late.

3rd in NH edging John Edwards
4th in South Carolina
Won Oklahoma