My favorite Wesley Clark speech

[Eric J in MN]

I just created a transcript of my favorite Wesley Clark speech.

It's from January 2004, in Nashua, New Hampshire.

The speech discusses how Democrats reflect their beliefs in patriotism, faith, family, and inclusiveness.

Wesley Clark says, "Jobs, education, health care, the environment, those are Democratic values, and they are family values."

Clark also says, "There is one thing common to every religion I've ever studied about in America, and that is this: That if you're more fortunate and more favored in life, you must reach out and help your fellow man and woman, you must lift them up."

READ THE TRANSCRIPT AT MOVELEFT.COM

http://www.moveleft.com/moveleft_essay_2004_08_29_my_favorite_speech_by_general_wesley_clark.asp

[FrenchieCat]

1. I love Wes Clark....

And I love all of his speeches. Only problem, not enough were listening. Can you believe that when he was in Tacoma today with John Kerry, someone asked a Clarkie...who was that guy...he was terrific. Damn those sheeples! Everything has to come and smack them in the face before they see it. Of course the lack of any coverage for Wes didn't exactly help. Guess the media and the RNC never ever really wanted the masses to get a load of Wes.....It would have made him a winner...and not even a tight horserace.

Oh well....my spilt milk, I guess.
http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,293307,00.jpg

[Eric J in MN]

2. I don't know that it's the media's fault that Clark didn't win the

nomination.

Maybe Democratic primary voters just liked John Kerry's mix of experience.

[sadiesworld]

4. But the media made some choices.

The media chose to play and replay the clip of Rassman thanking Kerry for saving his life. The media could have chosen to play the clip of the woman thanking Clark for personally returning her husband's wedding ring after rappeling down a mountain in an attempt to save him. The media could have discussed how Clark continued to lead his troops in Vietnam after being shot several times.

I saw plently of clips of Kerry in uniform, I don't recall seeing any of Clark although he had 38 years worth. I won't even go into the ways the media alternately lied about him and ignored him. In my opinion he has been the only candidate to have been truly "Gored" this election season.

I kind of feel like I'm beating a dead horse here, but I DO think the media played a crucial role in the primaries.

[GiovanniC]

6. There Was DEFINITELY a Concerted Effort

to ignore Wes Clark. When they talked about him, they painted him as some sort of psychopath. But it was very rare that they ever talked about him.

When Clark won third place in New Hampshire, they said he "tied" with John Edwards. Now, nothing against Edwards, but Clark won 27,254 votes and Edwards got 26,416. That's NOT a tie. That's a very, very narrow win. When the cable news showed the results, they showed the name, face, and percentages of the "top three", like so:

Sen. John Kerry 38%
Former Gov. Howard Dean 26%
Sen. John Edwards 12%

No mention of Wesley Clark. None. Someone in the media made that decision, the decision to purposely mislead and deceive about New Hampshire.

[in_cog_ni_to]

7. AND, let's not forget Oklahoma.

When Wes Clark won it, the networks REFUSED to say that he actually won because Edwards kept saying it was a tie. They had to wait until the recount was over because it was just "too close"...1216 votes, too close. :eyes: YET, it was John Edwards all the time getting the attention, NOT Wes Clark and Wes Clark WAS the actual winner of OK. Then, he came in SECOND in 3 other states....they NEVER, EVER acknowledged that. They ignored him like it never happened. He didn't have a chance in hell against the DNC and media.


Oklahoma
updated: 6:18 p.m.,
March 2
Clark 90,526 30% 15 100% reporting results by county voter survey results
Edwards 89,310 30% 13
Kerry 81,073 27% 12
Lieberman 19,680 6% 0
Dean 12,734 4% 0
Sharpton 3,939 1% 0
Kucinich 2,544 1%








NH...... Kerry 84,229 39% 13 100% reporting results by county voter survey results
Dean 57,788 26% 9
Clark 27,254 13% 0
Edwards 26,416 12% 0
Lieberman 18,829 9% 0
Kucinich 3,104 1% 0
Sharpton 345 0%



NORTH DAKOTA.... Kerry 5,316 50% 9 100% reporting not available not available
Clark 2,502 24% 5
Dean 1,231 12% 0
Edwards 1,025 10% 0
Kucinich 308 3% 0
Lieberman 98 1% 0
Sharpton 28 0% 0





NEW MEXICO..... Kerry 40,964 42% 14 98% reporting results by county not available
Clark 19,838 21% 8
Dean 15,854 16% 4
Edwards 10,953 11% 0
Kucinich 5,365 6% 0
Lieberman 2,520 3% 0
Uncommitted 460 0% 0

ARIZONA...... Kerry 95,784 43% 30 100% reporting results by county voter survey results
Clark 60,109 27% 22
Dean 31,270 14% 3
Edwards 15,583 7% 0
Lieberman 15,123 7% 0
Kucinich 3,644 2% 0
Sharpton 1,113 0% 0

[Palacsinta]

3. I love Clark, too

and I'm so sorry he isn't right smack in the middle of our political discourse. We ought to hear from him every day. An aside......my sister thinks he might have done better in the primaries if he had been burlier. She thought his body build was too "slight" for a warrior...at least in our cultural perceptions. (She's an anthropologist, BTW, and knows that this is way oversimplifying.) Damn shame, at any rate.

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. <sigh> That's all I have to say. n/t

[coeur_de_lion]

8. Thanks for posting this. I needed a cheer-me-up speech from

the General just now. God love him.

[Eric J in MN]

9. You're welcome. (nt)

nt

[Nashyra]

10. I heard that speech in person

That's when I actually got to meet Clark

[coeur_de_lion]

11. so jealous!

When I saw him at the Florida Dem COnvention I was too shy to talk to him. Got a great picture though.

[coeur_de_lion]

12. The General is just the guy to cheer us up when the RNC is about to

begin. I do miss him, I miss that he is not all over the news as he once was. Once in awhile we see that he is fighting hard for the Democratic party, stumping for Kerry, but he's nowhere near as visible as he used to be.

One of the finest men in the Democratic Party.