Clark: "I haven't said I won't run for president" - (with a twist)
The Brown University newspaper interviewed General Clark before he gave a speech yesterday in Providence, RI. I encourage you to read the entire interview. Clark answers questions about Iraq, the draft, and whether or not he will run in 2008.
A separate report in The Brown Daily Herald had a title I really like: "Potential 2008 presidential contender Wesley Clark to speak today." The co-president of the lecture board said they "chose to bring Clark over former Attorney General John Ashcroft at a recent general body meeting with about two-thirds of the vote." That would have been a no brainer for me, but interestingly, one of the reasons Daniel Fombonne gave for the choice was that they were always accused of having too many speakers who were "liberal." Fombonne said that despite Clark's Democratic affiliation, most of his stances are moderate. "He tends to be pretty neutral on most issues. ... That's why we chose him. Though Clark ran for the Democratic nomination in 2004, his stances on the issues may appeal to both sides of the Brown community."
It's diabolical how Clark appeals to moderates, liberals and leftists, but he does. Both sides of the Brown community probably represents Democrats and Republicans, and Independents, too. That's a constituency that can win a presidential, no?
In his speech:, from a different report.
Clark called China "the one country that has the scale and energy to challenge America's freedom of action in the world" and encouraged the United States to bolster its ties with allies by strengthening relations with Europe and supporting the United Nations."Imagine how you're going to feel in 2020 when there's still scuttling along the border of Mexico, and China says to the United States … 'Would it help you if we deploy a couple of Chinese aircraft carriers off the coast of, say, San Diego and Tijuana?'" Clark said. "What are the rules that we as a preeminent power ought to establish now so that 20 years from now we're not on the receiving end of Chinese exceptionalism?"
-snip
Clark opened his lecture by recalling a 1974 visit to Brown during which he heard then-Congressman Les Aspin of Wisconsin speak about the recently ended Vietnam War. Aspin addressed Clark and four cadets, who were the only audience members in military uniform, telling them, "We've learned our lesson from Vietnam and we won't do it again."
"He was wrong," Clark said Monday night. "Sometimes you can learn from history. Sometimes we don't."
One student said she thought Clark was "idealistic." She got that one right. He was asked in the Q&A, "What advice do you have for college students seeking careers in public service?" He answered, "Have a dream and have the courage to follow it."
And here the Q&A:
The Brown Daily Herald, 11/28/06
For us true believers chafing at the bit for an announcement, for whom nothing less than an announcement will fully do, Wes offers some hope toward the end of the interview. He also answers a couple of questions that plagued him in the 2004 primary campaign. Run, Wes, Run.
How likely is it that you'll run for president in 2008?
-I haven't said I won't run.
If you do run, how will your campaign differ from your 2004 campaign?
-In virtually every respect.
Why do you think you were unsuccessful in winning the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004?
-Because I got in too late. Because I had no political experience. Because I had no money prior to the time I announced, and because I had no staff. Other than that I was a pretty good candidate.
What political experience have you gained since then?
-Hundreds and hundreds of visits around the country with various groups. I campaigned for, I think, 86 candidates in 26 states in 2006. I was John Kerry's number one surrogate other than John Edwards in 2004. I raised more than half a million dollars directly for John (Kerry) plus represented him, especially during the final three or four weeks, all through the West.
Do you think that if you run for president, the 2001 speech you delivered at a Republican Party fundraiser in Pulaski County, Ariz. [Arkansas], will come back to haunt you?
-Why should it? That's just part of the freak show. If you read that speech, you'll see that what I actually do is criticize the directions of the policies of the (Bush) administration. All I did was put a little honey on it by complimenting Colin Powell and some of the people who were in the administration a couple of months after the administration took office. But I never complimented George Bush.
Didn't you also compliment Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush?
-I think they should be complimented. I think they did some good things. Most of our presidents have done some good things.
I wonder why the mainstream media can't ask such good questions? Oh, right.
