Centerfield

Clark Will Run If...

The NY Times reports General Is Said to Want to Join '04 Race

Wesley K. Clark, the retired four-star general who has been contemplating a run for president, has told close friends that he wants to join the Democratic race and is delaying a final decision only until he feels he has a legitimate chance of winning the nomination.

It's safe to say he wants to run," said a longtime friend who has had frequent political conversations with General Clark. "But he approaches this like a military man. He wants to know, Can I win the battle? He doesn't want to have a situation where he could embarrass himself, but I'm absolutely certain he wants to run."

Here are reasons why Clark has a legitimate shot.

1. Some liberal activists, inspired by the way conservatives laid the groundwork for the 1980 Reagan victory in the 1964 Goldwater campaign, are looking for victory by the year 2020. Most Democrats, however, don't want to wait that long.

2. Several of the Democratic candidates know little more about national security than the average person in the street. The world is too dangerous now to have a President (like the incumbent) who needs on-the-job training in national security.

3. The rise of Howard Dean reflects poorly on the other declared candidates in the race. There may soon be a need for an ABD (Anyone But Dean) candidate to jump into the race.

4. Having no positions on domestic issues is a terrific asset. Just figure out what's popular and commit to it (maintaining some degree of internal consistency). Actually, Clark could even be up-front about this, focusing his own attention on national security while running a "national unity" government of Democrats and Republicans on the domestic side.

5. Clark is better-looking than a lot of the Democrats now running. That counts for a lot.

Posted by rickheller at August 29, 2003 12:48 AM