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Volume CXXXIII, Number 3 |
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Wesley Clark makes it ten
ALEXANDER REED
CONTRIBUTOR
Former General Wesley Clark, for better or worse, threw himself into the Democratic presidential nomination process on Semptember 17, an action which is sure to further complicate the already frenzied and fragmented struggle to unseat President Bush in 2004. The former general, it must be said, has impressive qualifications, which no doubt make him attractive to many Democrats desperately searching for a candidate with "backbone" and credibility.
Clark, having served as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO forces in Europe during the Clinton Administration, certainly possesses credentials which ensure not only his professional integrity, but also his overseas credibility - something the Bush Administration lacks at this time.
Thus, it is easy to see why many Democrats view the former general as their knight in shining armor. In addition to his impressive professional military career, Clark also exhibits many similarities to the spiritual figurehead of the Democratic Party-- Bill Clinton.
Both men grew up in Arkansas, worked their way through school to become Rhodes Scholars, and sought careers which many people from their home would never have dreamed of pursuing. However, as ambitious and popular as Clark might be among Democrats, the question remains of whether or not he can unite the party itself in time for the election, and if he can, will he actually be able to lead the party to victory against the Republican juggernaut?
The determining factor in the question of whether or not Clark can get his own party to rally behind him, will likely be his performance in national polls. At this point, the Democratic Party cannot afford to nominate a candidate (without naming names) who may only be the elixir of alienated liberals.
Instead, the Democratic Party must nominate a candidate who appeals to everyone from union workers, immigrants, business CEOs, Missouri militiamen, to the population of San Francisco. The Democrats know very well that they cannot lose any more of their already thinning constituency, and therefore must seek a nominee who can not only satisfy the "old liberals" such as Senator Kennedy, but who can also bring back the people who the Bush administration has swayed by the war on terrorism and the promise of a tax cut.
Former General Wesley Clark may, in fact, possess this ability. He cannot be viewed as soft on terrorism because of his exemplary militray background and statement that he would have voted for the war on Iraq, but also cannot be viewed as a neo-conservative warmonger because of his close ties to former President Bill Clinton and long-standing affiliation with the Democratic Party. Thus, among Dems, Clark has even overtaken Howard Dean in popularity, winning the support of 14 percent of registered Democrats, while Howard Dean remains at 12 percent.
However, some remain doubtful of the former general's ability to gain the formal support of his party, and about his ability to lead the Democrats to victory in 2004. GOP pollster Whit Ayres, in an MSNBC interview, said Clark is "way behind in money and organization," and believes that the former general's chances of nomination depend "on how well he will perform in the Democratic caucuses in Iowa and the New Hampshire primaries." Time will tell whether or not Clark will indeed be able to unite not only his party, but enough voters to take the seat in the oval office.
Still, Americans have a great respect for the military profession, an
equally great desire to feel safe in the post 9/11 world, and an even
greater wish that America regains its former role as a bastion of democracy
and freedom. If average American voters, therefore, had to choose between
a brilliant, revered four star general, and a man who was able to help
land a plane on an aircraft carrier in the task of protecting them from
terrrorists and leading their country to its former pinnacle, then the
election might be very, very close.
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