Gen. Wesley Clark AR

[GSC Admin]

www.clark04.com/



ANNOUNCED CANDIDATE: Starting in late 2002, retired Army General Wes Clark began flirting with a possible run for President in 2004. He made visits to NH, NC and other key states in 2002 to endorse local Democratic candidates. He followed that up with meetings with top national and Iowa party leaders. During his NH visit, Clark sharply criticized the Bush Administration and laid out a clear vision of where he thinks American foreign policy should be headed. "The United States is a 225-year rolling revolution. We are the embodiment of the Enlightenment. If we're true to those principles, then it's a foreign policy of generosity, humility, engagement, and force where needed -- but as a last resort," explained Clark. On top of his forays into early primary states, Clark was also busy in 2002-03 doing military analysis for CNN, he started a non-profit educational organization focusing on foreign policy, and wrote a second book. Clark -- a lifelong independent (who likes to note he spent his entire career "wearing 'U.S.' on both collars") -- declared himself a Democrat in August 2003. He briefly flirting with a run for Arkansas Governor in 2002, but decided against making that race. A West Point graduate and former Rhodes Scholar, Clark saw combat in the Vietnam War as commander of a mechanized infantry company. He won the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and other decorations for his heroism in combat. Clark served as Commander-in-Chief of US Southern Command ("SOUTHCOM") and NATO Supreme Allied Commander (during the NATO bombing campaign against Serbia that forced Serbia to end the genocidal military actions in Bosnia). The Washington Post wrote in 2003 that Clark: "remains highly controversial figure within the US military, disliked and mistrusted by many fellow officers. Supporters and detractors agree on this much: The retired general is immensely talented, possessed of a keen strategic sensibility and the kind of gold-plated military credentials ... Clark's intense, emotional personality and his aggressive -- some say abrasive -- command style are likely to be the focus of intense scrutiny ... While his strategic analysis is almost infallible, command solutions tended to be problematic, even 'goofy.'" He retired from the Army in 2000 -- somewhat under pressure because of an incident involving the Russians at Pristina, Bosnia -- and subsequently wrote a bestselling book on military-foreign policy entitled Waging Modern War (2001). The various "Draft Clark" groups were well organized with chapters in most states. They organized online, collecting pledges for over $1.5 million in contributions, opened a National HQ in Arkansas, and even ran TV spots in New Hampshire before Clark finally agreed to enter the race. Because of the impressive draft effort, Clark started with a grassroots base second in scale only to Howard Dean's massive organization. In entering the race, Clark also quickly began to spell out his positions on issues. He let it be known that he is pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay rights (including "taking another look" at ending the ban on gays in the military), pro-environmental protection laws, pro-affirmative action, and is harshly critical of the Bush Administration's decision to launch the Iraq War. Unlike many in the race, Clark is able to eloquently criticize the Bush foreign policy record from a position of experience and credibility. President Clinton was reportedly one of those that strongly urged Clark to enter the race -- and many of the former Clinton-Gore folks are working for Clark. Even if Clark does not win the Presidential nomination, he is already viewed as the top name on nearly everyone's short list of possible VP runningmates. According to news reports days before Clark himself entered the race, Dean has already asked Clark to be his VP runningmate. Clark's new book, Winning Modern War, hits bookstore shelves in October 2003.

[GSC Admin]

I would hope if Clark does not do well he would consider a VP spot if Gore somehow gets the nomination. God willing the draft works!

[Jeannie6]

Al Gore for president, Wesley Clark for VP is the Dream Team 2004!

[GSC Admin]

www.draftclark2004.com/news_detail.asp?nid=92

Draft Clark 2004: Is General Clark Preparing to Launch Presidential Campaign?
Draft Clark 2004 Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 8, 2003

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Dailey ([e-mail]), Michael Frisby ([e-mail])

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 /U.S. Newswire /-- Retired Gen. Wesley Clark is reportedly making preparations to launch his presidential campaign shortly after Labor Day, a move that will shake up the Democratic Presidential campaign.

The National Journal is reporting that Gen. Clark recently spoke with a close advisor and said, "Crank it up," in reference to his presidential bid. This follows a series of media interviews in which Clark has been increasingly critical of President Bush's handling of domestic and foreign policy issues.

The National Journal wrote: "Wesley Clark appears to be getting close to throwing his stars into the 2004 Democratic presidential nominating contest. Clark recently phoned one close adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity, and said, 'Crank it up.' The Clark adviser said that the former NATO chief is smart to stay out of the race until after Labor Day, but not much longer after that. He pointed to the number of debates and forums that the Democratic hopefuls have on tap and the chance that these encounters will do little to clarify the race -- as was the case in the recent AFL-CIO forum in Chicago. The Clark adviser speculated that the general will be better positioned for a run if he has a message that seems fresher for not having been part of the clutter."

Meanwhile, the Draft Clark 2004 campaign has been picking up steam, with 98 regional coordinators in 42 states, supported by more than 1,000 active volunteers across the country organizing a grassroots effort that can boost his campaign once he becomes a declared candidate.

The Draft Clark campaign is opening a national headquarters in Little Rock on Saturday, where public officials and residents are excited about the prospects of a presidential campaign for another of the state's favorite sons.

Once Gen. Clark enters the race, many political analysts believe he can become a serious contender for the Democratic nomination. His strong support of affirmative action makes him popular with African American voters, while his military background appeals to more conservative voters. While Gen. Clark is pro-choice and moderate on social issues, he is a fiscal conservative, who is already advocating a need to reduce the deficit and balance the budget.

About General Wesley Clark

Wesley Clark is one of the nation's most distinguished retired military officers. His thirty-four years of military service culminated with his role as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO where he led Operation Allied Force in Kosovo. Clark ranked first in his 1966 class at West Point. He holds a Masters Degree in Philosophy, Economics and Politics from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar. Clark is a recipient of numerous military & civilian awards, including the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He currently serves on the boards of several private corporations and non-profit organizations including "Leadership for America," a non-partisan, non-profit educational organization dedicated to fostering the national dialogue about America's future. For a more complete biography, please visit www.draftclark2004.com.

About Draft Clark 2004

The Draft Clark 2004 for President Committee, with more than 98 regional coordinators in 42 states across the country, supported by thousands of active volunteers, is mobilizing tens of thousands of Clark supporters nationwide to organize local grassroots activities on behalf of the national draft movement. In addition to its national headquarters in Clark's hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, Draft Clark 2004 operates a campaign field office in New Hampshire. Draft Clark 2004 has filed as a PAC with the Federal Election Commission, but is not associated with General Clark, who is not a candidate. For more information on General Clark and the nationwide effort to draft him into the 2004 Presidential race, please visit www.draftclark2004.com

I think Draft Gore should take note of what they do. These people have their act together!

[GSC Admin]

Why hasnt draft Gore did a recent poll. People are goign to forget Gore if they dont show them something like this:

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- DraftWesleyClark.com, the national campaign to draft former General Wesley Clark for President, has experienced an explosion in traffic and energy in the wake of its release of stunning results from a Zogby poll commissioned by the group. Using a "blind bio" approach, the poll showed General Clark defeating all current Democratic candidates, and beating President Bush 49.4 percent to 40.2 percent. (see www.DraftWesleyClark.com/poll.htm for full results)

"Clearly, these stunning poll results have unleashed an entirely new wave of enthusiasm for a Clark candidacy," said John Hlinko, co-founder of the effort. "DraftWesleyClark.com already had the second most traffic of all the Presidential candidate sites - but yesterday we had our most traffic ever. The combination of these poll results and our performance in the 'modem primary' clearly shows the depth of popular support for General Clark."

The campaign also announced that pledges to its "General Fund" - pledges of support made by supporters to a potential Clark candidacy -- had reached $800,000. It has set a goal to reach $1,000,000 by Labor Day.

DraftWesleyClark.com released the results of the poll yesterday, live on C-SPAN. They were presented as part of an overall report by political analyst and former professor, Chris Kofinis, Ph.D.

The poll was commissioned by DraftWesleyClark.com, and conducted by John Zogby, one of the nation's most prominent and respected pollsters. In an effort to best assess the potential for a Clark candidacy, given that he is not yet a declared candidate, the poll included several "blind bio" questions. For these, subjects polled were given biographical descriptions of the candidates, rather than actual names. All questions and bios were screened and approved by John Zogby for fairness and objectivity.

Among the findings:

-- "Too Late?" - 84.1 percent of likely Democratic primary voters say it is not too late for a new entrant into the race to win their support;

-- "Military/National Security" - 73.5 percent of all likely voters rate military/national security experience as "very" or "somewhat" important for a presidential candidate;

-- "Clark vs. Dems" -- Clark comes in first in a blind-bio match-up versus six key Democratic candidates (Dean, Kerry, Edwards, Lieberman, Gephardt, Edwards, and Graham);

-- "Clark vs. Bush" -- Clark wins 49.4 percent to 40.2 percent in a blind-bio match-up versus President Bush among a national poll of likely voters;

-- Even when the poll question referred solely to candidate names (no bio information), Clark jumped to 5th place (4.9 percent) nationally among likely Democratic primary voters -- despite his low name recognition, and the fact that he has not spent a dime.

"These Zogby poll results suggest that the race for the Democratic nomination is wide open, and that likely primary voters are definitely open to another candidate entering the race," said Dr. Kofinis. "Further, the poll results tell us that Clark has the qualities to compete against the elite of the Democratic field, and to challenge and potentially defeat President Bush in 2004."

See (see www.DraftWesleyClark.com/poll.htm for full results).

ABOUT THE POLL

The poll was conducted between August 16th and 19th, using 1,019 likely voters chosen nationwide. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.2 percent for the overall sample, and plus or minus 4.1 percent for the sample of likely Democratic primary voters.

[Gorezilla]

Why hasnt draft Gore did a recent poll. People are goign to forget Gore if they dont show them something like this:

Are you kidding me?? Calm down dude, nobody's going to forget Gore. If at all, Gore is in the mind of Americans just as much as Bush is. Why are you becoming paranoid?
Dennis

[GSC Admin]

Uh I am not parinoid, just worried about this silence. It seems no one is doing anything. I guess the NH rally has been canceled. I hear one thing then a few weeks later it is non existent. The people will not literaly forget Gore but they will forget him and move on when they see all these polls showing other candidates running better than Gore ever has. Dean has got 37% in NH, which Gore has never gotten. Clark is beating Bush in the BB poll, which Gore has never done. If you have not ever read, the media is the single biggest persuasion in politics. If Draft Gore wants to remain hidden, they will fail. But if they want to commission polls, get TV interviews, and other publicity things, they will succede. But I know that as a informed person that the Dean and the Clark polls are very helpful, espeacilly when it shows what no other Dem has yet to do and it shows that there is a front runner, therefore there should be no need for a draft.

[EnemyCombatant]

Chris,

It was a bio poll. That's hardly a poll to determine the winner of an election. I've never seen anyone vote based on a bio.

But I understand your feelings and they are justified.

[reelectgore2004]

Hang in there Chris. Al Gore's 8/7 speech was a sensation that got alot of good media coverage and it totally dwarfed the dwarfs including Dean. I don't think any video at C-SPAN has been #1 for 2 weeks as has Al Gore's 8/7 speech. Certainly not any of the dwarfs speeches including Dean's. I know it's really difficult but right now patience is a real virtue. This is a rollercoaster ride that can't be described.

[GSC Admin]

Clark is saying what Gore should say:

"You?ve succeeded. I?m drafted. I?m in it," Clark had told them in a Wednesday morning Webcast. "I don?t think... there?s been anything this powerful in a long, long time in American politics," the candidate said. "You guys are history," Gordon Stuber proclaimed.

He also said this again on the Morning show today.

[GoreSupporterNJ]

GSC said:

Clark is saying what Gore should say:

"You?ve succeeded. I?m drafted. I?m in it," Clark had told them in a Wednesday morning Webcast. "I don?t think... there?s been anything this powerful in a long, long time in American politics," the candidate said. "You guys are history," Gordon Stuber proclaimed.

He also said this again on the Morning show today.

>>>>>>>>>>>
Who was Clark really talking to? The DLC? And how do you know Gore won't say that down the road? I would prefer to see him accept a draft NOMINATION at the convention myself. I would prefer to see a groundswell of Americans who come out to declare their support for Al Gore. If Clark had to enter the race NOW, the Draft to me was not a success. A REAL draft pulls the voice of the people OUT AND FORWARD. I would much rather see us gain momentum and get the truth about his credentials out to the people, and then see him accept our Draft at the convention. Also, remember, their draft had much MORE money and I do not believe it was GRASSROOTS at all. They were getting help from someone with the funds. Therefore, again, who was Clark really talking to?
Jan

[alsemones]

Could it be Bill Clinton, or could it even have a tie to Gore, in order to slow the momentum of Dean and keep the field tight, so that Gore and rally blow them away later. I hope so.

[alsemones]

That should say so that Gore can really blow them away later.

[GSC Admin]

Wesley Clark's Campaign Manager Quits

By RON FOURNIER

WASHINGTON - Wesley Clark's campaign manager quit Tuesday in a dispute over the direction of the Democratic presidential bid, exposing a rift between the former general's Washington-based advisers and his 3-week-old Arkansas campaign team.

Donnie Fowler told associates he was leaving over widespread concerns that supporters who used the Internet to draft Clark into the race are not being taken seriously by top campaign advisers. Fowler also complained that the campaign's message and methods are focused too much on Washington, not key states, said two associates who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Spokesmen for the campaign declined to comment.

Fowler has been at odds with communications adviser Mark Fabiani of California and policy adviser Ron Klain of Washington. All three are veterans of Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign, part of a large group of Clinton-Gore activists hired by Clark as he entered the race Sept. 17.

From the start, there has been tension between the campaign's political professionals and the draft-Clark supporters, many of whom consider computer-savvy Fowler their ally.

Fowler has complained that while the Internet-based draft-Clark supporters have been integrated into the campaign, their views are not taken seriously by Fabiani, Klain and other top advisers, many of them based in Washington. He has warned Clark's team that the campaign is being driven from Washington, a charge leveled against Gore's campaign in 2000 even though its headquarters were in Tennessee. Clark's headquarters are in Little Rock, Ark.



Fowler, son of former Democratic Party chairman Don Fowler, was quietly installed as chairman of the campaign in the first days of the bid.

Fowler's departure is the latest blow for a campaign that has gotten off to mixed reviews.

National polls put Clark near the top of the nine-person field and he raised more than $3 million in the first two weeks of his campaign, a sum that surpassed what several rivals raised in three months. However, he has been criticized for flip-flopping on whether he would have supported the Iraq resolution, and his commitment to the Democratic Party has been questioned.

Clark voted for Presidents Reagan and Nixon, praised both Bush administrations and had not registered to vote as a Democrat in his home state of Arkansas before entering the race. The high number of Clinton-Gore officials on his campaign, including longtime Clinton advisers Eli Segal and Bruce Lindsey, has caused Clark's rivals to question whether the former president is quietly pushing Clark's campaign, a charge strongly disputed by the candidate and Clinton's associates.

[The Admiral]

Please got to the url below and scroll about a third of the way down. You will find "An Open Letter to the Clark Movement." At the bottom of that segment you will find a place called "Comments." So far 132 have commented. Three out of the last five have been favorable to Gore. Please keep this trend going by posting there! The Dean and Clark movements are filled with people who want Gore. Let's encourage them in that direction. I put my comments at the bottom of this post as you will find them on that thread.

draftclark.com/

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I have been Gore-to-the-core ever since I read Earth in the Balance in 1992. Claiming that Clark is a better candidate than Gore won't wash. No disrespect to General Clark, but Gore has finished first in every poll in which he has been mentioned. He's also the biggest Dem vote-getter in history and has *never* been beaten in any election. Any serious student of politics knows that Gore ran an excellent campaign in 2000. Being an incumbent VP is a *huge* historical disadvantage, not to mention Monica. Yet he came back from 20+ points down at the beginning of his campaign in 1999 to win. Let's go with a proven winner. Re-elect Gore in 2004! Please contact me and join our grassroots movement. We have community Liaisons in 49 communities as I write this. You can be #50!

Steve Robinson
785-843-763
[e-mail]