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August 28, 2005
America Needs Wes Clark
Disclosure: Houtopia volunteered for Clark's 2004 campaign.
Not even a year after last year's excruciating and seemingly endless presidential campaign, that hurdy-gurdy known as the political media is cranking up its 2008 tune. Ugh.
On the Republican side, early speculation centers around John McCain, Newt Gingrich, Massachusetts Governor (and transplanted Mormon) Mitt Romney, and that stem cell flip-flopper, mister personality himself, Dr. Bill Frist. Bob Woodward's even intimated that Dick Cheney (bad ticker permitting) will officially run for the job he's held since January 2001. A free-for-all to become the post-2008 GOP standard bearer is sure to come.
Over on the "D" side, word is John Kerry wants another crack (guess he didn't get the memo), and so does John Edwards. Indiana's Evan Bayh is testing the waters, and based on New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's recent border "state of emergency" declaration, so is he. Even Al Gore's name still comes up from time to time (ouch, instant indigestion).
But the big name, of course, is Hillary Rodham Clinton. The New York senator is running for reelection in 2006, and not expected to face much of a challenge. Should Senator Clinton enter the 2008 Democratic primary fray, she'd be very tough to beat, particularly when she sends a certain male surrogate of the same name out to campaign on her behalf. The general election is another matter. Hillary is one of the most polarizing figures in America, which is both good and bad for her presidential prospects. But we'll save that for another post.
Our choice is Wes Clark, and the reason is Iraq.
As the situation in Iraq continues to worsen and public support for the effort increasingly wavers, the war there is likely to remain the predominant political issue in America. Our service-members are being killed and wounded in large numbers, the tab is huge and growing, and there seems to be no end in sight. President Bush is clinging stubbornly to a strategy that simply isn't working.
Wes Clark has the direct military management, nation-building and diplomatic experience to see the mission through. He's done this very thing before in the former Yugoslavia. Clark outlined a course for Iraq in a Friday Washington Post op-ed. His experience and expertise would be invaluable at this difficult time, and even more so if things get worse.
Clark has all the fundamental tools to be president -- highest level management and political experience, a brilliant mind, a balanced world view, and the judgment and self-assuredness to make the tough decisions.
Presumably he learned some lessons about the precariousness of political campaigns from his neophyte effort of 2004. Being president is one thing, getting elected is another. Our current officeholder is very good at getting the job. Doing it? Not so much.
What America needs now, and will more than ever after three more years of Bush 43 is not platitudes and stubbornness or a slick campaigner, it's competence. America needs Wes Clark.
We'll explore this idea in greater detail over the coming months, but for now, crank up this little hurdy-gurdy -- Draft Clark in 2008!
Posted by houtopia at August 28, 2005 04:13 PM