Wes Clark: Party Builder, Nose Picker

[Bucky]

Wes Clark: Party Builder/Nose Picker (via MyDD)

...Although Howard Dean's 50-state strategy emphasizes long run party building over the short term electoral gains, its immediate success was vitally important not only to Americans hoping to derail the Bush agenda, but also to Democratic people powered movements in general. Would grassroots level party building strengthen the brand or would it be wasted on people picking their noses in "red America"?

Well, obviously we can now say that grassroots level party building has definitely strengthened the Democratic brand. So, if it entails being called a nose picker, then nose pickers we must be.

Wes Clark worked as hard or harder than any other Democrat to further the 50-state strategy and the Democratic Party. It must have taken a record setting amount of nose picking.

At the DNC convention earlier this month, Clark said:

I thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I did spend much of last year out stumping for Democratic candidates across the country. And by my count, it was I think 26 states, 86 candidates. A lot of them were the so-called red states, and I loved it. It was more fun, and I'll tell you something. I could see in those states and those candidates, I could see Governor Howard Dean's vision for a 50-state strategy is working.

No Democrat traveled and campaigned for more candidates around this country than did Wes Clark. He traveled to 76 cities and 26 states for 86 candidates. Out of the 96 candidates that he endorsed, Clark raised over $1.3 million in funds for their campaigns. Of those 96 candidates that his PAC supported, 45 won their respective races and 25 seats flipped from Republican to Democrat control.

He was the number one requested campaign surrogate through the DCCC and the only National Democrat that netroots icon, Jon Tester, would allow to campaign for him in Montana. From the beginning, Clark backed economic progressive Jim Webb in the primary when Harris Miller, party insider and lobbyist, was the sacrificial lamb for then-presidential hopeful George Allen. When national {D}emocrats shied away from supporting Ned Lamont and refused to criticize Joe Lieberman, Clark stepped up for Connecticut Democrats. Not only did he campaign and appear in television spots for Lamont, but also he publicly and vociferously lambasted Lieberman for his horrible record and Orwellian rhetoric.

Tonight I pick my nose with pride.

But dammit, Wesley, RUN already!

[tblue]

1. I love the General! And yes he sure did make a concerted effort to support the Fighting Dems

That was a brilliant move on his part, and sincere, too.

I heard from someone who met with him in a small group a couple weeks ago that he is gonna run, so hang tight.

[bonito]

13. This is good news

I'm ready when he is.

[calimary]

15. So do I! I wish he had a higher profile.

If he announced his candidacy, I'd have a really difficult time. Now that Gore's said he's out of it (assuming that holds true through the convention), I'm leaning strongly toward Obama. But Wesley Clark still has my heart, too. I think he's terrific!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

2. He deserves a warm round of applause and thanks from the entire party

And to think at one time he was accused of being a Republican. I know of few other Democrats who have proven themselves loyal to the party's core values, over-and-over-and-over again in the last several years, and doing it unselfishly and out of the media limelight for the most part.

[Bucky]

3. He may pick his nose in red states, but he's picking up blue boogers for all of us

I just love that metaphor too much. I'm changing my sig file.

[rocktivity]

4. Nose picking didn't prevent Bush from becoming president!

And if we hadn't tried to penetrate those allegedly impenetrable red states, we wouldn't have the majority in Congress that we do now. In 2008, we move on to Plan B: getting at least half of those 21 GOP seats that are up for re-election!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Cha]

5. Fucking paul begala is the nose picker..

General Wes Clark is one of the true Democrats. I love the way he sticks up for Democrats that the corporatemediawhores feel the NEED to Tear Apart.

[David Zephyr]

8. Ain't that the truth, zidzi!

Begala and Carville think their loyalty to the Clintons require them to destroy progressive Democrats every chance they get.

[Cha]

12. I know..someone told

them that was the thing to do in order to insure their powergrab and they're sticking to it no matter what the cost. Hoisted by their own Petard. Doesn't get better than that.

[mopinko]

14. yeah, try to pick a winner there boys.

just try.

[depakid]

6. Why even bother with the trash on CNN?

It's worse than worthless- it's dishonest and misleading.

"BLITZER: Very quickly, is Howard Dean in trouble?

BEGALA: No. I think Candy's report was spot on.

He -- yes, he's in trouble, in that campaign managers, candidates, are really angry with him. He has raised $74 million and spent $64 million. He says it's a long-term strategy. But what he has spent it on, apparently, is just hiring a bunch of staff people to wander around Utah and Mississippi and pick their nose. That's not how you build a party. You win elections. That's how you build a party.

BLITZER: All right, we got to leave it there, guys, because we are out of time."

...People who take this stuff even semi-seriously are suckers.

btw: With the current sorry field, I'd back Clark in a heartbeat. If he could wring the the nomination from the pandering corporate Clintonista's, or the I never earned it- but I give a speech Obama camp- or the son of a millworker- ignore my ostentatious house Edwards devotees, he'd win the general election hands down over the even sorrier crop of Republicans in the running.

Damn, I hope he runs.

[David Zephyr]

7. "I could see Governor Howard Dean's vision for a 50-state strategy is working. " -Wes Clark

That's my man!

[Bucky]

19. Are you seeing a synergy between those two, too?

There seems to be emerging a Dean-Webb-Clark-Tester wing of the party that can mediate between the Kucinich-Waters-Edwards faction and the Clinton-Schumer-Biden faction, as well as appeal to "purple" votes in critical midwestern states. I think we can see in this arrangement the possibility of a building a permanent majority, a generational realignment of voters on the scale of what happened in 1980 (except then it was going in the wrong direction).

[Benhurst]

9. We've got some really good people,

and Wes Clark is one of the best.

[Old and In the Way]

10. I'm uncommitted now, but I could really get behind a Wes candidacy.

We may well need someone who intimately understands the application of the US military in this new world Rubic's Cube created by the neo-cons. Who better than a proven commander who knows how to deal with issues of war and diplomacy on a scale that served us well in Kosovo? He may be the only choice capable of marshalling a bipartisan coalition to disengage from Iraq and redirect our focus to the true sources of ionternational terrorism, without having his motives/knowledge questioned.

[PhilipShore]

11. I agree 100%

The Repukes -- no doubt -- created a smoke and mirrors environment. Only someone that is intelligent in military matters would have the experience to shut it down. And with his liberal experience; have the added experience of being diplomatic in foreign affairs to fix Americans reputation abroad.

My guess is if General Clark gets in as Prez of Vive President under Gore -- that he will have the CIA shut down, and all spy operations transfered back to the Army.

[bonito]

16. Thanks for posting this, Bucky

:blush: :hi:

[IndyOp]

17. I thought so - Wes won more for us than Rahm did...

Wes Clark: 45 out of his 96 candidates won - 46%

Rahm Emmanuel: He did a great job raising money, no doubt. And less than 1/3 of his pet DCCC candidates won thanks to this "Don't criticize the military!" stratergy.

Bye Rahm - don't let the door hit you...

:hi:

[bleever]

18. The 50-state strategy just means that you believe in the party.

Believe in its message as true for all of America, and believe in its ability to marshal the resources and energy to reach out to everyone.

Anything else is banking on failure.

K&R.

[Bucky]

20. You're a nose picker, then

I'm a nose picker, too. I mean that literally..

[Clark2008]

21. Bleever's been a nose-picker for a good long time.`

:hi: Bucky.

:kick: this thread.

[bleever]

23. If Michael Jackson

picks his nose from a catalog, I pick mine from a deep belief in people as a greater power in American greatness than corporations.

:thumbsup:, bucky.

:hi: Clark. (I think.)

:)

[Clark2008]

25. It was a compliment (in this context).

:hi: Bleev!

[bleever]

27. .

LOL. :hi:

[Bucky]

29. As far as picking his nose goes, I'll just leave it to Bleever

(that's a joke, son!)

[Tinksrival]

22. Hear, Hear!!!

Power To The Nose Picker People!!

[Bucky]

24. Yay! If Clark becomes president, his Secret Service handle should totally be "Ralph Wiggums"

That, or "Gymkata"

[MilesColtrane]

26. Is that so unforgivable? Is that like breaking a commandment?

Did God say to Moses thou shalt not pick?

GEORGE: I guarantee you that Moses was a picker. You wander throughh the desert for forty years with that dry air. ... You telling me you're not going to have occasion to clean house a little bit.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

28. Clark, Obama, Dean ..... pick any 2

And it's a dream ticket for me.

I love all these candidates so much.

[Bucky]

30. Dean vowed not to run, but I suspect he leans Clarkward

I kinda think his last choice is also my last choice. (click on the pencil for a clue about who I want last of all)