For Clark, Late Start Means Unusual Approach
By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 9, 2003; Page A07
FORT DODGE, Iowa -- Wesley K. Clark, trying to portray himself as the Democrats' best hope of defeating President Bush, is taking an unorthodox approach to winning his party's presidential nomination.
Clark, the newest presidential candidate, is calculating that it is too late to focus the bulk of his resources in Iowa and in New Hampshire, the two key early testing grounds where his rivals have been camped out for nearly a year, according to a top strategist. Historically, the Democratic nominee usually wins by chalking up a big victory or strong showings in one of both of those states, feeding off the momentum and rolling through the stack of primaries from there.
Instead, Clark has adopted a more national campaign for the nomination, focusing on a variety of other states, including Oklahoma and New Mexico, that will vote in February. Clark's advisers think it would be hard, if not impossible, to win in Iowa or New Hampshire, but they predict he will fare better in the South and other states, such as Florida, that remain wide open.
While his rivals fight over who is the real Democrat in the race, Clark is playing to the party's palpable desire to pick a candidate who can oust Bush -- even if the nominee does not share their views or Democratic roots. Clark's plan is to position himself as the alternative to former Vermont governor Howard Dean, who has locked up the most money and support from party liberals, according to a top adviser.
This unorthodox strategy reflects an unorthodox candidate. Clark, in his first run for political office, registered as a Democrat just this week and announced a campaign staff yesterday.
After early stumbles, Clark is growing as a national candidate, sharpening his stump speech, slowly filling in the details of his political views and showing a natural ability to connect with voters one-on-one and in town hall settings. In two stops here this week, Clark talked in much greater depth than he did a few weeks ago about the health system, energy problems and education. He frequently grabs shoulders, holds hands and focuses intently on voters he is courting.
Clark continues to talk more about problems than how he would solve them, but his understanding of the issues has impressed audiences that he is a quick study. Clark, first in his class at West Point, said he recently read the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, the Americans with Disabilities Act and tried several times to plow through the 1,200-page USA Patriot Act. His advisers know the trick is to translate this book knowledge into a winning campaign playbook.
Clark won mixed reviews this week, but several Democratic activists sounded as if they were willing to buy into the Clark way -- if he can prove it works. These voters stressed their desire to pick a winner, not an ideological soul mate, and many said the retired Army general could emerge as the strongest national candidate in the field.
"I am about as far left as they come," said Kim Jones, 49, Iowa political director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. "But this isn't about ideology this year, it's about beating Bush." Jones said that "there a depth that needs to be developed" with Clark, but thinks he might have the best profile to knock off Bush: retired general, southerner and able to attract independents and some Republicans. Jones had just finished listening to Clark field questions here Monday night at a forum hosted by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).
AFSCME, one of the nation's most powerful labor unions, is basing its endorsement on electability, and Clark is in the running for the union's backing.
After the forum, Mickey Shaker, a local resident who voted for Bush but feels the president has "failed us," said Clark was the kind of Democrat who could appeal to him and other Republicans or independent-minded voters. "He does have vision, and he is a leader," Shaker said.
On Tuesday, at Coneys 'N' More diner, Clark leaned toward a self-identified proud Republican and told him: "I like Republicans, too."
Troy Brandt, 41, an independent, said after talking to Clark about family issues, he was "impressed" with him and would consider his candidacy.
Indeed, in a national campaign, Clark's Republican past could be a big asset. He supported GOP presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard M. Nixon and, in 2001, headlined a GOP fundraiser and praised the Bush administration. Clark, who says being in the military kept him out of a political party, could potentially peel away some support from Bush in a head-to-head matchup, strategists said.
But this is causing tension for Clark on the campaign trail, serving as constant distraction when he is meeting with voters. Clark opens many his speeches with a testimonial to his Democratic feelings. He tells crowds that after much thought he came to the conclusion that his views on education, abortion, affirmative action and other issues were incompatible with today's Republican Party. "I was either going to be the loneliest Republican in America, or I was going to be a happy Democrat," he said Monday night.
Some don't buy it. Neven Mulholland, 50, an attorney here, said the "timing" of Clark's conversion seems politically motivated. "All of a sudden he had an epiphany?"
Clark's focus on winning nationally is causing tension, too, within his campaign. Donnie Fowler, the campaign manager, resigned Tuesday after telling friends the candidate is repeating the same mistakes he felt Al Gore made in 2000, including focusing too much on Washington and policy experts there.
Fowler wanted Clark to focus more on key early voting states and grass-roots activism, his friends said. They would be better off doing two or three states well instead of all 50 "half-heartedly," said Democratic strategist Jeff Link, who ran Gore's campaign in Iowa in 2000.
In Iowa, voters are accustomed to seeing a candidate several times in person and expect their nominee to build a strong political operation. Dean, Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.) and Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) are leading in Iowa polls after spending weeks and hundreds of thousands of dollars wooing voters.
Yet, in more than a dozen interviews here this week, most voters said they were open to backing Clark, even if they were leaning toward one of his opponents. Link, a top political organizer here, said nearly three-quarters of caucus-goers remain uncommitted.
Republicans, who privately thought Clark could seriously challenge Bush when he jumped in, said the Arkansas Democrat is no longer seen as much of a national threat because they do not think he can win the nomination. "A lot of [Republicans] were concerned about Clark after he announced," said Scott Reed, a GOP strategist. But his failure to register as a Democrat and his focus on running nationally "shows a lack of understanding of the process and priorities." |
