Here’s a riddle: How do you further confuse the general
populace about the Democratic side of the 2004 presidential race?
Answer: Enter retired General Wesley Clark.
Clark has become the great political hope for the Democrats who
haven’t been following the race until now. He is continuing
to rack up a surprising amount of support based on little more than
credentials. Just when it looked like Dean and Kerry were beginning
to get settled into a proper knock-down, drag-out, mudslinging
dogfight, a new top dog entered the race. Within a week of
Clark’s emergence from the primordial ooze, he has somehow
already convinced 20 percent of voters that he would be the best
candidate for the job ““ a full seven percent ahead of a
shocked and now second-place Dean.
While impressive, his amazing rise to the top of the Democratic
heap raises some questions. First and most important is the
question of who this retired general is. Do we really want someone
whose claim to fame is being the military analyst for CNN during
the Bush war in Afghanistan and Iraq to be our president?
Clark’s performance last Thursday did little to change my
theory that not much is known about Clark and what he represents.
For a candidate entering the race months too late, the least we can
expect is some elaboration of his fiscal and domestic policies, but
the best he can muster are meager generalizations.
In Clark’s defense, perhaps he’s just been too busy
trying to figure out which side of the fence he’s on to
outline the specifics of his platform. He had to spend his first
speaking opportunities in the debate just trying to convince the
other candidates that he is, in fact, a real Democrat. Short of
busting into a J. Lo cover, he hid behind the familiar Democratic
cloak of being pro-choice, pro-affirmative action, pro-environment
and pro-health. This came as a relief to many who were worried he
might be too specific.
One has to wonder if he has even thought the idea of the
presidency out. He played second-fiddle during the entire debate to
the other candidates. He demonstrated none of the political bravery
of Kucinich, who, perhaps realizing imminent defeat, revealed his
idea for a Department of Peace and elimination of the federal death
penalty. Clark’s riskiest move of the night was sporting of a
shockingly scarlet tie.
He also failed to present himself as a true front-runner. Dean
was the candidate able to powerfully deflect the multitude of shots
directed at him from the likes of Gephardt and Kerry. The other
candidates clearly realized that Clark’s frontrunner status
was nothing more than an empty label, and Clark himself was the
flavor of the week. The general was left alone for the most part,
treated as a temporary fad that would burn itself out long before
the first primaries.
It seems that in the grand scheme of things Clark’s
biggest effect will be felt by camp Kerry. Clark’s prestige
easily overshadows war veteran Kerry, who has been stagnant at best
since the general’s emergence. And that brings us full
circle.
When it comes down to it, Clark only has his military
credentials and a part-time job at CNN to rest his hat on and even
that should be taken with a grain of salt. Military experience has
been the fastest way into the White House in the past, but no
assurance of quality. The likes of Jackson, Buchanan and Nixon are
all linked by dedicated service to the armed forces, but unlike
Clark, they didn’t have the luxury of a comfy lead based
largely on the number of stars on their uniform.
Clark has yet to demonstrate any real competency for the
responsibilities of the presidency and has about as much experience
as Arnold Schwarzenegger when it comes down to straight politics.
Clark’s Clintonesque style and biography may be enough for
some, but hopefully Democrats will put out a candidate with a
little more substance than a bland clone.
If there’s any justice left in the world, we will see
appropriate corrections to the next poll numbers. That is, of
course, assuming any of those 20 percent actually bothered to
listen to the debate.
So put down those Clark Bars for a second and listen. You may
hear less than you expect from a so-called frontrunner.
Moon is a second-year pre-psychology student.