Reply #28: 56,000,000 votes [View All]

[Donna Zen]

Over the years the Democratic party has lost most of its once strong military support. Clark talks about the feelings in the Army after Vietnam, and I would suppose it started to really degrade then, and has just gone down hill from there.

Kerry tried very hard to capture part of that support, but I've not seen the numbers to see how successful he was. I think the Swiftboaters and Kerry's own protest against the VNwar stopped many who would were ready to make the move. (I approve of Kerry's protest, I just think we have to face how this plays among the military.)

Many Democrats seem unconcerned about this trend, although today I read that the DNC has appointed a new military out-reach person. Afterall, voting for republicans makes no sense if all they are going to do is use and abuse you.

The West/Southwest has many retired, active and families of the military. It is a huge vote that is concentrated in "red" states. We don't need all them, but we do need to increase the percentage that we are getting. Clark can do that and swing states that are currently close like NM and NV. Really. He is seen as a moderate, and well thought of in the Southwest.

And yes, he did receive the Native American endorsement, there and in Vermont. He also speaks Spanish and has, as already been stated above, a Columbian daughter-in-law. Oh, and then there is always Wesley Pablo--the 3.0 of the Clark family.

56,000,000 votes counting active and retired military and their families is something to think about.