Why He's for Clark: Andrew Sabl on Open Source Politics

[Jerseycoa]

My support for Clark has not come naturally. I'm a partisan and liberal Democrat, no great lover of old Clinton staffers and smug New Democrats. I'm prone to value experience in democratic politics over the hierarchical values of military service. And when I heard that Clark had voted for Reagan, praised Bush, spoken at a Lincoln Day dinner, and said that he'd have been a Republican had Karl Rove returned his calls (no, I don't believe that he was joking -- though he may have been trying for sarcasm), I judged him an amoral opportunist and borderline con artist. In angry e-mails to a pro-Clark friend, I called the general an "ambipartisan" and summarized the Lincoln Day revelation as "Game Over."

Andrew Sabl on Open Source Politics

Bottom line: Clark is a throwback, a Rip Van Winkle, a pluralistic, optimistic, Greatest Generation-style politician lost, like Howard the Duck, in a world he never made. He's further outside the mainstream political culture than can possibly be imagined. This is what makes him so striking, so hard to parse, and so clearly the best candidate.

[democratreformed]

1. Very good article

It mirrors some of the opinions I have had for many months.

[michaelbmoore]

2. And. . .

capable of real change when he gets there. . .

[girl gone mad]

3. Interesting article..

though I don't agree with everything he's written. I do find Clark's honesty appealing, and I do think he is honest and actually thinks about the things he says. He probably isn't a true partisan, though he probably is a true liberal from what I've heard and read.

In my view, Clark is exactly the person most people think Bush is - a sincere and straightforward outsider, a man of the people . Sure, Bush pretends to be a regular guy trying to do good and the media lets him get away with it, but everyone here knows underneath the image he's a cynical, mean-spirited extremist.

[Jerseycoa]

6. He's not easy

I keep thinking about this statement:

"He's further outside the mainstream political culture than can possibly be imagined. This is what makes him so striking, so hard to parse, and so clearly the best candidate."

[FrenchieCat]

10. Yea,

I thought that was much more insightful that those media whores will ever be able to figure out.

[KittyWampus]

4. Beautiful Article- Thanks

[Bucky]

5. HOWARD THE DUCK!!! Yee-haw! I loved that movie!

Howard the Clark. Yeah, that's got some mojo to it.

[Rowdyboy]

7. "Clark is a throwback, A Rip Van Winkle, a pluralistic, optimistic,

Greatest Generation style politician lost, like Howard the Duck, in a world he never made..."

This guy sees Clark in the same light I do. It completely explains his appeal.

[FrenchieCat]

8. Yea, I thought that was

Excellent. That first paragraph really hits home with many Dems....that's for sure!

I hope they will read Clark's book. I guess with the election that we have coming, a few bucks and the time to read the book is a reasonably good investment!

[Cogito]

9. tremendous article

I think the references to Kennedy...JFK rather than RFK are on the money. This is an "ask what you can do for your country not what can your country do for you" kind of guy.