Wesley Clark for VP!

The long delayed Wesley Clark for VP echo chamber has finally begun. On June 15, 2007, I made the first noise on the McLaughlin Group: "The Democratic presidential nominee, no matter who he or she may be, will choose General Wesley Clark as the vice presidential nominee." The first echo occurred today on Meet The Press when Bob Shrum said Barack Obama will pick someone with a military background "and I think Wes Clark might be it."

I'm not counting my own echo of myself in last week's New York Magazine where I laid out the rationale for Clark's inevitability -- Obama needs military experience on the ticket to counter McCain and, as a strong Hillary supporter, Clark provides something of a unity ticket for the Democrats.

The silly season of TV talk about Obama-Clinton, Clinton-Obama tickets is almost over. There was general agreement on Meet The Press today that Obama will consider military experience in choosing a VP. James Carville foolishly suggested Anthony Zinni and other politically untested generals. That will continue now that the conventional wisdom has settled on the military angle for VP. But no former general other than Wesley Clark will make it onto the short list in the end.

Yes, Clark was a bad campaigner in 2004. So was every other Democrat who lost the nomination to John Kerry. Clark has learned enough since then to survive a two-month, one-debate vice presidential campaign.

An Arkansas Democrat with a good smile, a great looking family, and career military experience -- that's what VP inevitability looks like. It seemed so obvious to me ten months ago that I rushed to get my prediction recorded before everyone else was saying it. Turns out I had more time than I thought.

Comments

[wrabbitt]

HRC can not be VP. All of Obamas supporters will vote for McCain! We have already seen what a clinton white house is!

[SharonToji]

Yes, and most of America and the rest of the world loved it!

[adzeman]

I agree. Shes unelectable as president and would cost him the election as VP. Someone that has integrity, isn't a liar, someone who is a Democrat not GOPlite. In other words anyone but Hillbillary.

[guitrock]

Lawrence - Wesley Clark for VP - a great idea. I've never contributed to a political candidate except for Clark in his 2004 presidential campaign. He is not a politician, but he has become more politically savvy since that campaign. He and WESPAC securingamerican.comm) have worked as hard as anybody trying to get Democrats elected to public office. He's a proven leader, a fighter, a tireless worker, a great American, and he always puts his country over himself and his party. On foreign policy issues and other polictical subjects, he is absolutely brilliant. I have never heard anyone with a better grasp and insight into the issues of today. He has consistently pointed out the foolishness of the Iraq war and the incomptence of this president. Since he decided not to run in 2008 for president, there is no better choice for VP.

[LeoMarvin]

Proven courage under fire? CHECK

Gun lover? CHECK

Hard drinking salt of the earth? CHECK

Former Navy Seal Trainer? CHECK

Ultimate Fighting Champion? CHECK

HILLARY for VP!

[tgh86]

Hold it, let's back this train up for a second. When did Wes Clark become "politically tested"? It certainly wasn't 04. I'll say generously that maybe 5% of Americans know the guy, and .5% are aware he actually ran for president. Clark is completely inept at politics, except when it comes to kissing Clinton ass.

If you'll take a deep breath, get over your man-crush or whatever it is going on between you guys, you'll find that the only viable VP choice who knows the military inside-out and who has certainly been "politically tested "is Senator Jim Webb.

[rickodell]

Ditto on tgh86's comments. Clark brings nothing new to the table. Webb does.

In my view, Webb is a two-for one ticket balancer. As a VP he brings sterling military credentials to the ticket and as a former Secretary of the Navy he has civilian experience in military management. He is attractive to Democrats, progressive Independents, and deep thinking Republicans. Moreover, he defeated George Allen, the poster boy of the fanatical right. Webb's political skills are demonstrated and he is uniquely positioned to rattle John McCain's cage on the issue of war and peace.

Clinton or Obama would do well to select Webb. Fiercely independent, brutally honest he is dedicated to putting the public interest first. Webb is a man whose time in the limelight has arrived.

[JLee]

Webb does look good in theory, and he's centrist enough for mainstream appeal in the general election. Still, his victory over Allen was paper-thin (though he's shown the acumen to rise as a national figure since then), and I'm not sure he'd carry any state Obama couldn't have carried on his own.

[aspen]

As much as I like Wes Clark, I am certainly more than OK with Jim Webb as well. I think he would more likely be on Obama's short list than Clark, who has been a Hillary supporter.

[JacobSinger]

To hell with you Lawrence; you prematurely called for the best democratic candidate of the crop to drop out, and therefore I judge your comments to be ultimately worthless.

[lechatnoir]

WTF?? You mean, Clark the Haig clone? The guy known as the "Ultimate Perfumed Prince"? The soldiers under his command nicknamed him “the Supreme Being”...?­!
Don't we have proof enough that war is too tragic to be left to the military?

Remeber Clark was the chief in the Waco massacre. I bet he did a few nasty things in Kosovo too.

At least Fox Fallon had the guts to stand up to the crazies.

[ElodieStClair]

Wow, do you think you could squeeze any more crackpot conspiracy theories into that post?

Next, are you gonna tell us that Clark orchestrated 9-11?

[LeoMarvin]

Do you have evidence that he didn't? Because until proven otherwise, I assume EVERYONE I wasn't with personally on 9/11 was in on it. In fact, where were YOU on 9/11?

[lechatnoir]

wow, you are quite the fact-checker. Unfortunately, yelling "conspiracy" isn't enough to contradict my post.

Next, are you gonna tell us that a phony ghost terrorist organization created by the CIA orchestrated 9-11?

[daingel]

Remeber Clark was the chief in the Waco massacre.

WTF are you talking about? the ATF was at Waco.

You do not go from being a General in the US Army to a Command of the ATF, you idiot.

[lechatnoir]

he provided the tanks and Delta Team that carried out the final slaughter. Try reading a book once in a while.

[pilotinfla]

Clark's mindless fealty to the Clintons mark him as a man with no independent ability to think.

[Querent]

When are you going to get a clue, Lawrence? Clark has already been rejected by the voters. He has no constituency, and he brings nothing to the ticket. McCain's military experience consisted of crashing jets and being locked up. Plus, those who dislike Hillary distrust him. Sometimes (often) you seem totally oblivious.

[Querent]

Well, Lawrence, after reading the comments on this thread, I have to amend my remarks to you. You may not have a clue about Clark's viability, but at least you didn't suggest Webb, McCaskill, or Hagel for VP. Webb and McCaskill are both first term senators who are NOT PROGRESSIVES, are in fact CONSERVATIVES, have spent their tenure in the Senate so far cowering and genuflecting before the Repig assholes, including the Asshole in Chief, and have accomplished nothing.

Neither one of them ever saw a progressive or liberal idea they were unwilling to oppose. Hagel is a Repig. You and I may be the only actual Democrats to post on this thread, Lawrence. Clark has nothing to offer as VP, but at least he isn't a DINO who promised to work against the continuation of the Iraq occupation and then never so much as lifted a finger to end it, which Webb and McCaskill both did. Unfortunately, the quality of comment on HuffPo has sharply declined, with a clot of brainless morons clamoring for Webb to be chosen VP.

Everybody has an opinion. If you don't know more than to boost Webb, a useless Bush-enabler who blatantly lied about what his positions on the occupation and most other progressive issues would be in the Senate, for VP, you are as clueless as those who wanted to have a beer with W, a known and admitted alcoholic, in the 1999 election. So shut up and do some research.

[ESerafina42]

Good points, Querent. In fact, your description (at least as far as Iraq goes) sounds a lot like Obama. Maybe some of his worshippers could tell me exactly what he's done while in the Senate to end the war. (crickets)

[NAZARENE]

H. Clinton will choose Wes Clark, but I think Obama will choose Chuck Hagel rather than Clark. Another possibility would be Colin Powell as VP. If Powell gets aboard, Obama wins in a landslide.

[JacobSinger]

Powell is not fit for public office, as he was a prime BushCo enabler.

[aspen]

Powell's political capital sunk with his UN show creating the way for Bush and the neocon to invade Iraq. He will be forever associated with that debacle.

[DeanLowe]

How many Democrats will trust Powell after the show he put on at the UN?

[Querent]

Yeah, sure. Obama should run with a war criminal. That's a great idea.

Here's a suggestion: when offering Trojan horse ideas for the Democrats to use to screw themselves, focus on the ones that aren't totally ludicrous.

[paulbk]

Wesley Clark for VP... YES!
Obama / Clark
Best idea I've heard in a long time.

[phonyvet]

I'm with you. Let's start a wave!

[TonalCrow]

Another pundit raises "inevitability".

[aspen]

I would actually like to see Clark at the top of the ticket. I don't know that Obama has the wisdom or humility to nominate Clark as VP. Obama seemed to recoil at the idea that he needed ayone as VP who has foreign policy gravitis, why should he accept the fact that he needs help with the military?
If he is the candidate he had better surround himself with people who have strong backgrounds in both military and foreign affairs for his sake as well as the rest of us.

As for Hillary being his VP. Don't see that ever happening. She needs him as VP more than he needs her to be his VP.

[thomas144]

Wesley Clark is too short to be President or Vice President.

[Pythia]

Franklin Roosevelt, undoubtedly one of this country's better Presidents, was a polio victim who could barely WALK. I am 5'7" withOUT the 4 inch heels I was wearing when I met him twice. Looked him in the eye, both times. I'd say he is between 5'9" and 5'10".

People who want to vote for a President based on how tall they are, or if they'd want to have a beer with him, are the reason we have the disaster in this country we do now. I'd far prefer the White House populated with people of High IQ than height....­......and Clark is brilliant on that score. You? Not so much...

[simplysimon2]

Clark is soooo pro Clinton that Obama should not touch him with a 10 foot lie, something he'd have to adjust to with Hillary as his running mate. I liked him too until he obviously starting sucking up to Clinton early on. Just another guy.

[dawlishgal]

Ditto.

[Thurber]

Only problem is he endorsed the losing candidate.