The Latest Star on the Hollywood Circuit: Clark

[DoveTurnedHawk]

The hottest star in Hollywood at this moment is not Nicole or Julia or the two Toms, Cruise and Hanks. It is a 58-year-old retired four-star general who seems to have Hollywood's Democratic Party loyalists — which means the bulk of the town — in a fever.

<...>

Whatever the case, General Clark is, in a word sometimes used by Variety about a film or a star, a luminary. He is in town on Wednesday and Thursday for a series of fund-raisers and meetings given by some of the most vocal and affluent Democrats in town. They include Norman Lear, the producer; Peter Morton, chairman of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino; Larry David, creator of "Seinfeld"; and Mr. Tisch, a member of the wealthy Tisch family in New York.

The couple Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson, longtime friends and supporters of former President Bill Clinton, are also holding an event for General Clark. Richard Donner, the producer-director, and Jerry Moss, the music executive, are planning a fund-raising breakfast. The other week, General Clark had lunch with Steven Spielberg.

<...>

Mr. Morton, recently host to a dinner with Jordan Kerner, a producer, for General Clark, said: "Simply put, I was blown away by the man. He's pro-choice, pro-affirmative action. He's fiscally responsible. He wants to repeal the Bush tax cuts for the rich, which I have no problem with and every affluent person I spoke to has no problem with.

<...>

At a recent dinner here, General Clark was given a kind of third-degree about his environmental views by a music executive. By the account of one participant, the general passed with flying colors.

<...>

Mr. Kerner, the producer, said he was especially dazzled by General Clark after calling him several weeks ago on a cellphone in Little Rock and having a 45-minute conversation while the Clark family had a backyard barbecue.

<...>

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/01/politics/campaigns/01HOLL.html

DTH

[wyldwolf]

1. DoveTurnedHawk, did you get your invitation to Danson's party?

:)

[bicentennial_baby]

2. Thanks DTH!

This gives me good thoughts before I go to bed! :toast:

[Kahuna]

3. Ditto..

:7

[madmax]

4. Good - hope they pony up some money.

I sent in another donation today. I can't afford to and I think I can't afford not to. Know what I mean?

[Julien Sorel]

5. I hate to sound like a fawning fanboy,

but this thing is likely over with. Dean has returned to insurgent campaign mode, which is tacit acknowledgement that he is no longer the frontrunner, and now these folks -- historically a big part of Dem fundraising -- seem to be in Clark's corner. I've also noticed the tone of the reporting coming out of Clark's camp is much more Clark-friendly than it started out, which suggests he's winning his reporters over -- and they can be a tough sell. Unless he falls flat on his face, or some of this torrent of mud that's being slung sticks, it's time to pick a VP candidate and get it on with the chimp.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

8. I Think Dean Is Still Pretty Formidable

He's got a ton of money, after all, and if he starts using his war chest to go after Clark, he might have a significant impact. It would be a disgusting move if he did that, of course, but it still might injure Clark enough to make a difference, either in the primary or in the general.

DTH

[Julien Sorel]

9. The only thing Dean has going for him at this point is money.

His message is ordinary, his resume doesn't match up against Clark's, and the party is definitely not in Dean's corner, so the nominal advantages of Dean's 'grassroots' movement could be overcome by party organization. If Clark can even keep close to Dean in money, Dean will have no advantages. He has to hope the right wing smear machine helps him out, as it's trying to do -- kind of slimy, but that's where I think he is at this point. He's run a good-but-not-great campaign to date, but I think he started out with too many negatives to overcome.

The big kick is going to come when other candidates start dropping out, and their supporters look for new homes. I don't think Dean's unique campaign appeals much to those folks, otherwise they would be in his camp already.

I've actually thought this would happen since that first poll came out, by the way, and been holding back since, but I figured I might as well go out on a limb now and say it. ;-)

[DoveTurnedHawk]

10. My Fear Is a $20MM Smear Campaign Against Clark

Imagine how much damage that would do, both to Clark and to Dean. It would be incredibly destructive. I hope he doesn't resort to it...but my fear is that he will. He's already shown his tendency to attack.

DTH

[paulk]

24. Oh, come on...

we had too listen to months of this from the Deanites, now we get it from the Clarkites? He's been running for a week and you're annointing him already?

He's the flavor of the month right now - give it some time.

[Julien Sorel]

25. Two weeks.

And this isn't an ice cream shop where people change flavors on a whim or to try something new.

Just out of curiosity, I've made my arguments for why I believe what I do; besides being the 'flavor of the month,' which is merely opinion, what counter-arguments do you have?

By the way, believe me when I say I know what you mean about the Deanies, but this really is analysis of present circumstances. I believe Dean would have been close to a lock for the nomination had Clark not entered, by the way, and I dislike Dean for being a manipulative liar, so it isn't just the fact that I'm a Clark fan talking.

[paulk]

26. I don't have counter arguments - I'm undecided about Clark

But your enthusiasm is off-putting. And you seem awfully thin-skinned about even a percieved attack on your candidate.

There are several candidates with a chance of winning this nomination whom you discount- Edwards, Kerry, Gephardt, even Lieberman. The meme that it's now between just Dean and Clark doesn't fly with me. The primaries are a long way off - especially for a candidate who's only been running for two weeks.

Your "analysis" borders on cheerleading.

[LizW]

6. Wow

"Mr. Kerner, the producer, said he was especially dazzled by General Clark after calling him several weeks ago on a cellphone in Little Rock and having a 45-minute conversation while the Clark family had a backyard barbecue."

I wonder how much that kind of access costs.

[catforclark2004]

7. I am just excited.

The guy has got it going on!

[dolstein]

11. That statement about Mary Steenburgen & Ted Danson is true but misleading

<<The couple Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson, longtime friends and supporters of former President Bill Clinton, are also holding an event for General Clark.>>

I suppose the Times just couldn't resist putting in that line about how they're Clinton supporters, since it only fuels rumors that Clark is some puppet of the Clintons.

Yes, Steenburgen and Danson were Clinton supporters. But it's also true that Steenburgen hails from Arkansas, which just so happens to be the home state of both Clinton AND Wes Clark.

So why couldn't the Times have written the following sentence:

"Mary Steenburgen, a fellow Arkansan, and husband Ted Danson are also holding an event from General Clark."

[tjdee]

22. Steenburgen *is* a longtime friend...of Wesley Clark's!

I agree with you that the Times screwed the sentence for the reason you gave, but Steenburgen's mom and Wesley Clark's mom were friends, and I believe Clark and she went to school together for a while.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

23. More Outstanding American Journalism

People don't realize just how little homework our so-called "journalists" do. You are right. Mary Steenburgen grew up with Clark in
Little Rock. They are 8 years apart in age. Steenburgen's mother and Clark's mother were best friends and worked in the same bank. When Wesley Clark's mother died, Steenburgen's mother became something like his second mom. Steenburgen is not supporting Clark because Clinton told her to do it. She's doing it because she grew up knowing Wesley Clark and she says Clark is one of the greatest people she has ever known. I heard her give a very dramatic talk in Los Angeles a few weeks ago where she nearly broke down in tears in describing how Wesley Clark is a highly decent man of integrity and of moral character, who continues to believe in the values on which America was founded. When I see this type of journalism, telling only some of the facts but not all of the facts, therefore creating a false light on the subject (lately it's called "spin"), I take every story I hear about Clark and the other candidates with a grain of salt.

[DemCam]

12. Luminary....

That's a good word to describe Clark. He stays with you long after he's gone...even when you didn't even think you were interested in him.

Who knows if he can stay the course...but it certainly is looking like it so far.

[bobthedrummer]

13. I can't shake the feeling that Clark is a mole project designed to hurt

the Democratic Party, I speak as an independent voter, no political affliation outside of anti-fascism-there are agents and colleagues of Karl Rove deep-covered moles in Party--for that reason I reject militarist leader out of neo-conservative dominated military think-tank background, thank you anyway.

I'm for Kucinich, the vanguard of the old traditional populist Democratic Party, the people's party. I also like Dean as a second choice.

[dolstein]

14. Your tin foil hat is probably on too tight

Sorry, but I fail to see how Rove & Co. could expect to gain from having a four star general travel around the country attacking Bush and his policies. Your view simply doesn't withdstand rational scrutiny.

[bobthedrummer]

19. I beg your pardon?

What my opinion is is my opinion shared by other progressives here, there and everywhere!
:smoke:

[Pastiche423]

17. You can't shake the feeling

because it's true.

clark's "star" is going to burn out when the old traditional populist Democrats realize he isn't a real member of their party.

Btw, you and I share our top two, only reversed.

[javadu]

18. I Also Can't Fight This Feeling Any Longer

And yet, I'm still afraid to let it go. What started out as interest has grown stronger, I only wish I could donate a lot of dough.

Sorry --- I couldn't resist.

Go General Clark!!!!

[dArKeR]

27. I just thought he was the latest Street Tramp on the Hollywood Circuit.

Your thinking is much deeper than mine!

[Donna Zen]

15. Wes and Mary

Re:The couple Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson, longtime friends and supporters of former President Bill Clinton,

In a speech Mary S. gave at a Meetup, she spoke of how her mother and Clark's single mother, were tellers at the same bank. That is long before bad Billy....

If only we could make it through a 24 hour period without this crap...nothing but crap!

[LeftIsBest]

16. i'm sorry

i got nothing against the guy. Clark is good but he's a DLC democrat with no experience in public office. I don't care if he looks good we all know you could put a Chimp up against Bush and he'll win in 04'. So let's not vote for a guy cause he looks good. I think it's about time that someone with more liberal values(keep in mind Dean isn't even a true liberal) goes to the white house. I'm sick of this Washingtonion Centrist bullshit. Can we please have someone in office that knows what they're doing and has the gumption to at least attempt to make sweeping changes. Where the hell is Clark's policies? Don't vote for someone because he looks good, if that's all we're going on then Pierce Brosnan for President!

[Julien Sorel]

20. No, we don't know that.

Just anyone isn;t going to beat Bush, and poll data bear that out.

[ozone_man]

21. Well said and you're right about Dean, he is not a true liberal.

The DLC tries to paint him as a left wing Democrat, but he is really a centrist. He is a true Democrat, however, and probably liberal, when you compare him to a DLC candidate like Clark. I would vote for Kucinich, if he could make it the the top few candidates.

As I've said before, any of the top five candidates can beat Bush easily, since the economy will continue to sag and be much worse by election time. There really aren't any more props left. I know it still doesn't seem that way after this Iraq war induced, flag waving hysteria. To some, it might even seem that a 4 star general would be required to beat Bush. But, it really will be the economy that will be the focus and an experienced governor like Dean will look very good.

[Norton]

28. Cold hard facts...

"Elect-ability" is the number one concern here. Clark is the most electable candidate we have so far. Even disillusioned Republicans could close their eyes and vote for Clark because he is "pure American". No conservative could stomach a vote for
a true liberal. WE NEED AS MANY VOTES AS POSSIBLE!!!! There's a chance the 04' election will be rigged... if it's close, they'll get away with it. If our man is a landslide in the exit polls etc., they won't be able to steal the election without a huge controversy. I can't stand another Dukakis. Clark could never be "Dukakisized"... Dean or Kuchinich could be. CLARK/KERRY in 04'!!!!! Besides I wanna see Clark rip Bush's heart out in the debates!