Obama/Clark '08!

[oxbow]

Just sayin...

:patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot:

[Submariner]

1. I'm onboard for that match up

[sam kane]

7. yuck.

sorry, I've just seen one of these every 3 days and finally had to add my honest response.

[mystieus]

12. yuck yuck

[Qutzupalotl]

17. It's a winning ticket.

It's got the Republicans all worried and desperate. It takes away their candidate's one selling point.

[PoliticalAmazon]

20. ITA. Why choose a Hillary groupie when there are so many good Dems who ...

took the risk and endorsed Obama?

Besides, Obama will need someone who can really grasp the new approach he is taking to politics in D.C. Someone who supported Hillary CLEARLY isn't clear on the concept, and would most likely undermine Obama's efforts--either intentionally or at the directions of the Clintons.

Clarke has shown himself pretty willing to take marching orders from the Clintons. That makes him too big of a risk as Obama's VP.

[earthlover]

23. You can't even spell his name correctly! What do you know about him?

If you think Obama must nominate someone from his own corner, that is your opinion. However, it would be a lot smarter (as well as in keeping with Obama's themes) to reach out to someone from the Hillary camp for some unity.

I think we have to recognize that there are a hell of a lot of Democrats who supported Hillary. This was a great victory for Obama, but it took until....May....for him to wrap it up.....not exactly a shoo-in by any stretch of a hyper-active imagination.

Wes Clark has so many reasons why he would be the ideal VP. Party unity, national defense/security/foreign policy gravitas (something Obama lacks), experience in foreign policy, progressive politics (more progressive BY FAR, BY A MILE than Obama, an appeal to moderates and independents and turn-around Republicans, geographic balance, he has more age, he is a better debater than Obama, he worked tirelessly in 06 Democratic Congressional campaigns and we owe Webb to Clark's influence....just to get started.

The guy is brilliant, a Rhoades Scholar, 1st in his class at West Point, had humble economic beginnings raised by a single mother whose job was a bank secretary so he is hardly an elitist, he is an economics professor (and proposed the most progressive reform of the tax code in decades in 04). War hero, the most decorated officer since Eisenhower.

If anyone discounts the importance of not looking weak on security/defense keep in mind that this is about the only thing the Reps have left this time around. Clark shoots their advantage, and trumps it, making it a plus for us.

He would be the ideal attack dog VP. Obama seems to shy away from attacking his opponents. Clark would eviscerate McCain, speaking from an experienced, balanced and foreign policy rich background.

Clark should have been our candidate for President in 08. I love Obama. But Obama does not hold a candle to Clark, it is not even close. In spite of his support for Hillary.

Nice thing with Clark too is he is not a Senator, etc so we would not be losing a seat in Congress to gain a VP.

Clark was endorsed by Michael Moore in 04, as well as George McGovern, who called Clark a "Democrat's Democrat".

He would be the perfect VP candidate.

[oxbow]

24. Plus Clark's military record kicks John McCain's ass so bad!

I mean come on, Clark was a NATO Supreme Allied Commander. McCain spent 5 and a half years as a POW. Who's gonna have more relevant real world experience? It'll be a blowout.

[PoliticalAmazon]

39. I don't think you get it. ....

If OBama is going to do things differently, he needs someone who is NOT an attack dog as VP. That would be undermining the very foundation of an end to status-quo politics to have Clark attacking anyone.

Richardson has plenty of foreign-policy gravitas AND he isn't a Hillary Clinton groupie like Clark. Clark STILL backs Clinton. Putting Clark as VP would be like giving the Clintons an ax by which they can chop at Obama whenever the please.

I disagree that Clark should have ben our candidate for president in 2008, and I think any such claims is naive and short-sighted. UP to a few months before he miraculously became a Democrt, he was feted at conservative events where he lavishly praised the Bushes.

Clark seems to always be ten steps behind the momentum of Democrats. He was still praising the Bushes when momentum was building for Dean who came squarely out and said the Bushes were terrible leaders. He is still backing Hillary when he momentum is clearly behind Obama.

Clark wants to play it safe and for him that means being reluctant, or afraid, to move forward with new ideas. We don't need another Hillary Clinton as VP. Clark would be an anchor dragging OBama down.

As nother poster brilliantly said about the possibility of Hillary being Obama's VP, "You want to go for a swim, Barak? Here, have an anvil."

Finally, criticizing someone's spelling on a message board? That is weak.

[Johnny__Motown]

2. Not my first choice... but I wouldn't complain about it

[tokenlib]

3. Must recommend Clark threads....must recommend.....

Yeah, Clark would have one of the best resumes...It is good there are so many good choices..it will be a difficult decision.

[Adelante]

4. Good by me

:)

[roguevalley]

36. he's a good man. my nephew met him in Bosnia (Army-UN danish

detachment) I am so envious. What a great man. Michael Moore called him a gift from God. I agree. his resume and the esteem he has from the world's leaders is unmatched.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. I'd go for it.

Clark was my guy in 2004. I think he's very smart, very capable, and adds some solid military/national security/foreign policy credentials to the ticket. The fact that he endorsed Hillary and has campaigned for her might be helpful in bringing the party back together. To his credit, he has generally avoided saying negative or divisive things about the other candidates, including Obama.

I do wonder, though, how some of Hillary's more avid supporters would react if he were chosen. In 2004 the Clark campaign, like most of the others then and now, had a message board. It still exists under Clark's Securing America site, which is mainly devoted to getting Democratic vets elected. Some of the same people who were active in '04 are still posting on the linked message board, CCN (now pretty much just a fan club), and many of them, along with some new people, are absolutely rabid Clinton supporters -- they are big fans of Taylor Marsh, and I've seen some comments there that would get people tombstoned on DU. This makes me kind of sad, because I remember some of those folks from the old Clark campaign and they weren't like that then; and I have to wonder, as well, what Clark himself would think if he actually read some of that really venomous stuff. My impression of him in '04 was that he really wanted to run a clean and positive campaign, and that he'd never approve the kind of slime some of his and Hillary's supporters have been throwing at Obama.

If Obama did pick him, I wonder whether he'd wind up under the bus with Bill Richardson.

[goclark]

14. I was for Clark too

Unless I've missed something, he has been quiet while she is doing the divisive stuff.

But sometimes silence means consent. :(

?

[Arrowhead2k1]

6. Meh.

We need someone to get excited about, who's on message with Obama. Not someone to appease a few bitter Hillary supporters.

[tokenlib]

11. Actually Clark would be a good fit----

---remembering his 2004 positions--he would fit well on taxes, the environment, Social Security, and foreign policy. A lot of his supporters went with Obama this time.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. Just sayin' "nope."

His horse came in second.

[Tinksrival]

9. I love my General!

[dhill926]

10. that would be a hell of a ticket....n/t

[1776Forever]

13. I like Clark - but could he cut his chains from the Clinton's to be his own man?

Clark has long been a very good friend of both Clinton's. I like him OK but he just isn't what I feel is the best person for the VP job. I like Sen. Jim Webb of Virgina:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brent-budowsky/state-of-the-union-jim-w_b_39098.html

Brent Budowsky| BIO | I'M A FAN OF THIS BLOGGER

State Of The Union: Jim Webb For Vice President

Posted January 19, 2007 | 06:34 PM (EST)

Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi made an inspired decision to name Senator Jim Webb to offer the Democratic response to the President's State Of The Union Address.

You heard it here, first. Soon the Great Mentioner will put Jim Webb on the short list of Democratic Vice-Presidential names for 2008.

His speech will project the Democratic Party into powerful national leadership on foreign policy, defense and security. He will appeal throughout the Nation, and rally Democrats everywhere, with a commanding and strong voice based on experience and judgment.

Authentic war hero, former Navy Secretary, national security policy intellectual. A man who knows how to fight war from the front lines, how to manage war from the government, and why to avoid war with diplomacy, when possible. A man who served heroically in his youth, while his son serves heroically today.

His State Of The Union remarks will propel Jim Webb to the national stage and provide a powerful contrast to the failures the President cannot escape from in his address.

The one worry: Democratic leaders must avoid the temptation to surround Senator Webb with cautious consultants. Let Webb be Webb. Let America hear this voice of courage, passion, substance, independence, experience and integrity.

In 1920 the Democratic Party nominated a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for the Vice-Presidency. His name was Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

...............

My choice for the job! Senator Jim Webb of Virginia!

:patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

[oxbow]

15. That's my Senator! A good fit as well...

I want to see Webb hold on to his Senate seat though, for the greater good of the party and country. Clark is my choice because he's free, a good friend of the Clintons, has actual experience in foreign affairs, and his views are pretty close to Obama's. He's not a DC insider either, so he would be able to help us move toward the transformational politics that Obama's campaign embodies.

[mzmolly]

16. Yes and yes.

:toast:

[40ozDonkey]

18. There are so many good choices that I almost feel sad for Rethuggies.

What a downward spiral those treasonous douches are on, McCain's been the nominee for two months and his VP choice is still up in the airs where no one cares.

Meanwhile, choosing a good Dem to match Obama on the ticket it like choosing only one car from Jay Leno's garage. The concentrated awesome is enough to make a drill sergeant faint.

[ShortnFiery]

19. No, Clark is NOT right ... he's too much of a DLC leaner. No WAY!

If you have to have a retired General, how about Gen (Ret) Anthony Zinni (USMC) who has extensive experience as an ME envoy. All parties in that theater respect Zinni.

NO WAY for CLARK ... he's too much of the "old guard." :(

[oxbow]

25. who?

that's what GE voters will be saying. Obama will have to carry the ticket alone!

[ShortnFiery]

28. Who?!? Just one of the MOST highly respected Marine Generals in US Modern History!

Gen. Anthony Zinni, U.S. Marine Corps (retired) is the former commander in chief of the U.S. Central Command. Anthony Zinni has been in overall command of U.S. forces in a 25 country region ranging from the Horn of Africa and the Middle East through parts of the former Soviet Union. From 1994 to 1996, Zinni served as the Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. In early 1995, Anthony Zinni commanded the Combined Task Force for Operation United Shield, protecting the withdrawal of United Nations forces from Somalia. Anthony Zinni joined the U.S. Central Command in September 1996 as deputy commander in chief. Since his retirement from the United States Marine Corps in 2000, Anthony Zinni continued to serve his country as the U.S. Peace Envoy in the Middle East and as the Special Envoy to the Henri Durante Centre for Humanitarian Dialog (Indonesian conflict peace effort). Gen. Zinni has recently contributed to author Tom Clancy's Battle Ready in part of his series on military Generals. As a keynote speaker General Anthony Zinni will enlighten your audience in a dynamic and charismatic way. General Anthony Zinni can discuss topics such as public and private policy, and foreign affairs, motivation, management, leadership, team building, group dynamics, mentoring, citizenship, press and public relations. General Anthony Zinni appears in association with FWA Consultants.


p.s. General (ret) Anthony Zinni's JUDGMENT was "in sync" with Barack Obama's Re: Iraqi Invasion ... BEFORE WE INVADED!

Comments of Gen. Anthony Zinni (ret.) during a speech before the Florida Economic Club, Aug. 23, 2002:

Attacking Iraq now will cause a lot of problems. I think the debate right now that's going on is very healthy. If you ask me my opinion, Gen. Scowcroft, Gen. Powell, Gen. Schwarzkopf, Gen. Zinni, maybe all see this the same way.

It might be interesting to wonder why all the generals see it the same way, and all those that never fired a shot in anger and really hell-bent to go to war see it a different way. That's usually the way it is in history. (Crowd laughter.)

But let me tell you what the problem is now as I see it. You need to weigh this: what are your priorities in the region? That's the first issue in my mind.

The Middle East peace process, in my mind, has to be a higher priority. Winning the war on terrorism has to be a higher priority. More directly, the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Central Asia need to be resolved, making sure Al Qaeda can't rise again from the ashes that are destroyed. Taliban cannot come back. That the warlords can't regain power over Kabul and Karzai, and destroy everything that has happened so far.

[oxbow]

29. I know who Zinni is...

he's a fine man with a good brain in his head. My point was that that's not enough to give him any recognition with voters. Clark is known through his presidential bid and his many appearances on the news channels as an analyst in addition to his general status. Zinni is just not a nationally known figure, making the choice unlikely in my opinion. Politics are what they are, after all. Tell you what, if Zinni does get the position than I owe you a cookie.

[Exilednight]

21. DLC shill, no thanks. n/t

[MindMatter]

30. What is your evidence for that?

When the DLC was in its prime, Clark was not a political actor.

He has loyalties with the Clintons, but I wouldn't hold that against him. I believe he is an honest man. If he commits to the Obama/Clark team, that's good enough for me.

[Exilednight]

34. He's done a small catalog of work for them and has written several articles for their .....

Blueprint magazine.

[MindMatter]

35. I wouldn't call that being a DLC man

The DLC was at its heyday in the late 80s - early 90s. Throughout the 90s it became increasingly discredited. Losing every branch of government with spiraling losses in election after election will do that to you. We effectively ended that regime with the ascension of Dean to Party chair. Today, all that remains of the DLC is a bunch of old cronies who hoped to return to the feeding trough with Hillary.

As far as I know, Clark was never a DLC insider back in the day.

[oxbow]

33. C'mon, Obama's man enough to keep him in line!

Clark's a product of the military, anyways. If there's anything he knows, it's how to take orders from a superior!

[ozone_man]

22. Isn't it time to focus on the economy and environment?

I don't want a general for a VP. Haven't we had enough war? And what about the School of Americas thing? He has Republican roots like Clinton. He was a Reagan Republican.

I'd like someone with economic, environmental, and executive experience. A governor would be better than a senator, but if it's a senator, let it be one who can be of help with the oncoming depression that will occur over the next four years.

Edwards, Richardson are good choices. They're true Democrats, populists. Dean would be the best choice for me, but that's expecting way too much.

[oxbow]

27. I think Edwards said he didn't want to be VEEP

Richardson would be fine with me. Don't know if Obama has the cojones to try for the first black man and latino in the WH at the same time though. It would certainly be a bold and welcome choice.

[ozone_man]

31. Maybe Edwards for AG?

Richardson would be a good choice for VP, compared to some names that have been floated. I don't see what guts it would take. Richardson would shore up the Latino vote in SW and Mid-West. It's a winner. He's a governor and the executive experience is worth a lot. He's got foreign policy, energy, and executive experience. Plus I kind of like his personality. He's likable.

A new cabinet position for Gore: U. S. environmental ambassador. Something like that.

Maybe something for Dean too. Surgeon general? Or maybe he gets to keep his present job? :)

[oxbow]

32. However they mix and match, it'll be a great 8 years, eh?

:toast:

[earthlover]

38. Knee Jerk Reaction

Economic experience? Clark was economics prof. He proposed the most progressive tax reform package in decades in 04.

Executive experience? Since when is being a general not executive experience? How about adding his experience as NATO Chief Commander? How about his first hand negotiating experience with world leaders? Much of Clark's career has been executive in nature.

Clark also got some awards for environmental issues.

Haven't we had enough war? Of course. But let me remind you that the Iraq War was not started by a president who had a military background@! It was dreamed up by Chicken Hawks, not military people! And it was opposed from the start by Clark! Clark knows first hand how horrible war is. He believes in war as the last, last, last of all possible resorts. Unlike those who feel the need to talk tough to convince people they are not weak, Clark believes in negotiation, talks, and regional solutions to problems.

I think you are responding to his military background in a knee-jerk fashion rather than seeing who the man is behind the uniform. He is quite progressive. Progressive enough, for example, to be endorsed by both Michael Moore and George McGovern in 04 (not exactly people who would endorse a war lock....).

Ironically, it is this same thing that makes him a "stealth liberal". Even though Clark is quite liberal, and unlike other candidates was not afraid to use the word.....his military background gives him an image of being moderate. It would be next to impossible for the Republicans to paint him as a wild-eyed liberal, the way they like to do our candidates. It would not stick. Yet, underneath it all, he is one of the most progressive candidates we have had in years. Too bad so many Democrats did not really check him out beyond his uniform....their knee-jerk anathema to things military cost us a very liberal nominee who likely who would have beat Bush in 04.

[u2spirit]

26. That is my dream ticket as well

I think it fits in with Obama's need to have millitary experience with someone who isn't a life long Washington politician. If he only hadn't made such critical remarks about Barack early in the primary season.

[Clear Blue Sky]

37. Good match up.

Clark brings military gravitas to the ticket. This neutralizes McCain's military experience.