Clark

I don’t pick up most trends before they become cool. In fact, I don’t pick up many trends that are cool right now. My coolness meter has about a two year delay. However, I can say in absolute fairness that I was a fan of Wes Clark before it was cool. It was reasonably clear from his first book, Waging Modern War, that Clark intended to run for President at some point, although I suspect he was initially more interested in 2008 than in 2004. No one, in the first chapter, describes himself as a Catholic, Protestant, Jew, and native of both Arkansas and Illinois unless he’s planning to run for President.

There are a lot of reasons to like Clark. He has no political record to run away from, and woeful inexperience is an asset in American electoral politics. Every indication suggests that he has leftist views on the major issues; he appeared to be to the left of Kerry on both abortion and gun control during the primaries, not that the latter should be viewed as much of an asset. He should be much better prepared in 2008 than he was in 2004, and his military experience should help, although we all know just how much actual heroism matters.

That said, there will be some difficulties. I’m really interested in seeing how Clark handles the left wing of the Democratic Party, where actual policy content matters much less than rhetoric. I think Clark’s aggressiveness will serve him well, but he hasn’t really been a Democrat for all that long, which could be problematic. With four years and one campaign under his belt, he should be a lot better on the stump than in 2004. Let’s recall, however, that a competent campaigner isn’t born overnight; we shouldn’t expect too much. His selection of advisors will be EXTREMELY important.

Finally, they’ll be coming for him. We already saw a glimpse in late 2003 and early 2004. Generals and colonels that Clark had left behind started muttering that he was a careerist, an opportunist, and a back-stabber. Essentially, if you’re not a Republican, the quality of your military career is always in deep question. We’ll hear about every time Clark dropped the soap in shower from 1970 on, no doubt. The Swifties will concoct another story that the wingers will be all too ready to believe. Clark and his people have to be prepared for this nonsense.

But, count me in. When he makes his run official, he’ll have the much-coveted Rob Farley endorsement.