General's on the March
But can Wesley Clark keep his momentum?
Sunday, January 18, 2004
By RENA PEDERSON / The Dallas Morning News
One of the women at the Dallas fund-raiser for retired Gen. Wesley Clark Monday night summed him up in an excited whisper: "He's a hottie !"
There had been news stories several days earlier that the general was trying to soften his image and appeal to more women voters by wearing an argyle sweater. Judging by the admiring comments in the ballroom, he need not worry.
Asked about the "sweater story," the general laughed and said, "You know why I wore that sweater? I was cold! It's cold up there in New England, so I borrowed my brother's sweater. I didn't even notice it had an argyle pattern; I was just cold."
Someone standing nearby who overheard his response pointed out after the general moved on that front-runner Howard Dean probably would have gotten testy about the stories, whereas the general found the speculation amusing.
That seemed to be the tenor of the evening, as Texas Democrats shopped for a candidate other than the hotheaded Mr. Dean.
The ballroom was packed with Democratic heavyweights from the century when most Texans were Democrats: former Gov. Dolph Briscoe; former Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby; the "Godfather" of fund-raisers, Jess Hay; and former Land Commissioner Garry Mauro.
"These are the people who were for Carter in 1976 or Clinton in 1992," marveled Rep. Martin Frost. "This is like a reunion."
The state's highest-profile Democrat, former Gov. Ann Richards, was noticeably absent – that's because she is endorsing Mr. Dean.
The buzz between the tables was that Gen. Clark might have a better chance of uniting Democrats than Mr. Dean because tell-it-like-it-is Howard keeps dinging the Democratic "establishment" while seeking the party blessing. In contrast, Gen. Clark, who has been an active Democrat for only a brief while, is starting at the top by running for president.
Since he hasn't had to work his way up through the party ranks, he hasn't ticked off as many factions. He is like the attractive new girl in the pink sweater that everyone in high school wants to check out.
Monday night's audience discovered:
Gen. Clark is a quick study. His stump speech was polished and impassioned, a great improvement, some said, over his first speech in Dallas just a few months ago. "I am not here to bash George Bush – although there is plenty to talk about – I am here to replace him," the general said. Then, he proceeded to bash George Bush over and over again.
"I don't think it is patriotic to dress up in a flight suit and prance around on a flight deck," he said to loud cheers. In another jab, he complained that nobody's income has gone up in the United States during the Bush administration – "unless you are associated with Halliburton."
He has recruited some of the best talent from the Clinton campaigns. His campaign video, "American Son," was produced by the same folks who produced "The Man From Hope," and it punches plenty of emotional buttons. The photos of West Point cadets parading in slow motion while patriotic music plays is powerful.
Gen. Clark's national campaign manager, Eli Segal, who earned his battle stripes in the Clinton campaigns, was beaming like a proud papa as Gen. Clark worked the crowd.
Mr. Segal said polls now show Gen. Clark tied with Mr. Dean nationally, second in New Hampshire and first in Arizona. Though Gen. Clark skipped the Iowa caucuses because of his late start, Mr. Segal said he has a good shot at subsequent primaries, including Texas'.
Gen. Clark is the new darling of the Hollywood set. The entertainers may have been to war only over their contracts, but they love a real war hero. Singer Madonna heard the general speak at a party hosted by Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck and was so impressed she not only endorsed Gen. Clark on her Web site, she has offered the use of her mailing list with a million names.
Asked if he actually had any of Madonna's music, the general admitted that he probably didn't but that he did have some by Cher, who also has endorsed him. As for that mailing list, he confided, "It hasn't brought in any money yet."
Gen. Clark also has drawn the endorsement of another American icon, whistleblower Sherron Watkins, who went public with the ugly truth about Enron. For a corporate bean counter, she seemed to be enjoying the political spotlight Monday, posing for photos and working the crowd for Gen. Clark.
When asked why she is supporting him, she said she heard the general speak at the Aspen Institute and thought he would be the strongest alternative to President Bush. "I can't support President Bush after he tried to weaken the Whistleblower Protection Act," she explained. "This is very important to me."
With a wall-sized American flag behind him, the four-star general plays the patriotic card big time. And it works. Americans still love to love their country. Like Bill Clinton, Gen. Clark isn't afraid to let his emotions show, and he did, getting tearful as he described how a desperately poor young man in Haiti had clung to his hand. Unlike Al Gore, he won't have to remind audiences he isn't a robot.
The general's biggest problem may be yet to come – as he rises in the polls, the scrutiny of his positions and his problems with other military leaders will grow more intense. And it should. The mistrust voiced by his fellow generals is troubling.
While Mr. Dean is being criticized for saying anything that pops into his head, Gen. Clark may be criticized for saying anything to get the nomination. He has flip-flopped on whether he approved of the war in Iraq, switching on the campaign trail to a more anti-Bush stance.
But for now, the general has demonstrated he has one thing in common with Howard Dean: He can excite people in a way that John Kerry and Dick Gephardt wish they could.
Rena Pederson is editor at large at The Dallas Morning |
