Democrats ready to welcome Clark into race
Retired general to announce today that he'll seek presidency
sfgate.com
Marc Sandalow, Washington Bureau Chief Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Washington -- A southern investment banker with a lengthy military career who did not announce his Democratic Party affiliation until age 58 is hardly a profile of a liberal's dream candidate.
But as Wesley Clark announces his candidacy for president this morning in Little Rock, Ark., Democrats from all parts of the political spectrum -- and even Republicans -- believe they've found the man to challenge the incumbent.
It helps that Clark has an impeccable resume: first in his class at West Point, a Rhodes scholar, a four-star general, recipient of a Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart, NATO supreme allied commander, and commander in chief of the United States Southern Command.
It also helps that he has nabbed lots of face time on cable television denouncing the administration's failure to build an international coalition in Iraq.
But by far his most important quality in the eyes of many Democrats is his perceived ability to defeat President Bush.
"For all the rabid Democrats who really dislike George Bush with a passion, for them the No. 1 thing is how they can beat him," said San Francisco pollster David Binder when asked whether liberals might find Clark attractive.
"If he can beat Bush, he's going to be very popular," Binder said.
Angered by Bush's conservative agenda and humbled by their inability to win majorities in Congress, state houses or among the nation's governors, Democrats are growing increasingly pragmatic when looking at the 2004 presidential race.
Many Democrats are abuzz, even before they examine Clark's positions on cutting taxes, abortion rights or gun control, at the prospect of someone who can take it to Bush and reclaim the White House for their party.
"He'll be seen by (liberals) as Bill Clinton II," said Bob Mulholland, a spokesman for the California Democratic Party. "They'll read that he's from Arkansas, a Rhodes scholar, top of his class, and socially liberal.
"Democrats smell Bush is a one-term president. Clark has been on those cable shows for months and months bashing Bush, so liberals will love him."
The buzz over Clark is in part a reflection of the unsettled nature of the current Democratic field.
Vermont Gov. Howard Dean appears to be the front-runner, though most Americans -- according to recent polls -- cannot name a single Democratic candidate. Word that Clark is expected to join the race attracted far more media coverage Tuesday than news that Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina formally announced his candidacy.
A Field Poll of California Democratic voters released today finds Dean comfortably ahead in the state, followed by Sens. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut,
John Kerry of Massachusetts, Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri and Clark.
"I think he'd do extremely well in California," said Rep. Mike Thompson, D- St. Helena, who has not yet endorsed Clark but said he is "really leaning in that direction."
"We need some passion right now, some intellectual passion to put us on the right track," Thompson said. "He may be the person we need in this country to bring us together."
Clark has never run for public office, and his positions on many issues must be pieced together through speeches and interviews.
He has been critical of Bush's Iraq policy, insisting that the administration overstated the imminence of the threat and that the United States should have more narrowly focused its attention on the al Qaeda terrorist network.
An examination of Clark's statements suggests he is a moderate on social issues, placing him in the middle of the Democratic ideological spectrum. Only two weeks ago, during a CNN interview, did he publicly state he was a Democrat.
"It's a party that stands for internationalism, it's a party that stands for ordinary men and women, it's a party that stands for fair play and equity and justice and common sense and reasonable dialogue," Clark said.
He opposes Bush's tax cuts, is pro-choice, pro-affirmative action, supports an assault weapons ban but opposes most federal gun control and opposes drilling for oil in the Alaska wilderness.
Whether Clark will be able to satisfy liberal Democrats who form the nucleus of the party's primary voters remains to be seen. Unlike Dean's fiery criticism of Bush on domestic and international matters, Clark is far more soft spoken.
Clark's views on gays in the military may provide a test case for the party's liberal voters. While Clark says he favors gays serving openly, he might not push it as aggressively as some liberals would like.
"We've got a lot of gay people in the armed forces, always have had, always will have. And I think that . . . we should welcome people that want to serve, " Clark said in June on NBC's "Meet the Press."
But asked by host Tim Russert if that meant he would open the military to gays, he said "we need to charge the men and women responsible for the armed forces to come forward with that answer."
If Clark can persuade the Democratic base that he is one of them, some believe his four-star credentials could have a magnetizing effect.
"A liberal's stereotype might be to distrust military people, that he must be opposed to us on the issues," Binder said. "But if it turns out he's with them, and people think 'he's one of us,' that might create a lot of interest."
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WESLEY KANNE CLARK
Age-birth information: 58, Dec. 23, 1944, Chicago.
Education: West Point, bachelor's degree, 1966; Oxford, masters in philosophy, politics and economics, 1968; U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, masters in military science, 1975.
Experience: Infantry officer and company commander, Vietnam, 1969-70; social science instructor and assistant professor, West Point, 1971-74; White House fellow, Office of Management and Budget, 1975-76; Army operations officer in Europe, 1976-78; assistant executive officer to the supreme allied commander, Brussels, 1978-79; battalion commander, Fort Carson, Colo., 1980-82;
chief of Army studies group, office of the chief of staff, 1983-84; commander at the National Training Center and 4th Infantry Division, 1984-88; director, battle command training program, 1988-89; commanding general, National Training Center, 1989-91; deputy chief of staff at U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, 1991-92; commanding general, 1st Cavalry Division, Ford Hood,
Texas, 1992-94; director for strategic plans and policy, Joint Staff, 1994-96;
commander, Southern Command, 1996-97; supreme allied commander, Europe, 1997- 2000; managing director of the brokerage firm Stephens Group Inc. in Little Rock, Ark., 2000-2002; military analyst, CNN, 2002; chairman and CEO, Wesley K.
Clark & Associates, 2002-present.
Family: Wife, Gertrude; son, Wesley.
Quote: "I'm concerned about the direction of the country. The policies need serious work. I just don't see the strategy. I just don't see the vision." |
