Topping the Brandwagon's all-time charts - that's us!
Taking a clue, we've corrected the misspelling yesterday of Political Brandwagon.
With web hits ranging from Osaka to Iron Mountain, interest in a potential candidacy by Gen. Clark topped The Brandwagon's all-time charts. Our hats go off the people of Clark's "Securing America" blog for shear tenacity. But, please spell our name correctly – it's b-r-a-n-d-w-a-g-o-n with an "r" as in ®!
Returning the favor, "sheer" is spelled "sheer" and not "shear" (as in "shear tenacity"). Thank you and you're welcome.
The Political Brandwagon's other comments today are also welcome. I could take a wild guess and say the General's suits are "Made in America." The truth is I have no idea, except he has been known to be a "buys his suits off the rack" kind of guy. I do know he shops at the mall near his house, because we Clarkies have caught him at it, but that says nothing about whether one is buying American goods. I would point Political Brandwagon to Clark's "Turnaround Plan for America" instead (with the caution it dates to 2003).
Neither Clark supporters, in general, nor "A Wes Clark Democrat," in particular, is privy to any policy platforms being developed for a possible Clark 2008 candidacy. But Clark's 2004 domestic policy program was a thing of beauty, if only anybody ever heard about it in the media. His national security plans, naturally, I guess, took the center of attention. It's gratifying that the Brandwagon points the way it does in today's entry.
In our thumbnail estimation, Clark's real opportunity resides outside opposition to the Iraq War and the saber-rattling vented toward Iran. We think that Gen. Clark's real opportunity might lie within his current "Secure America" positioning. But, to be successful, "Secure America" must become a transformative trope used at every touchpoint throughout the campaign. "We must Secure America by ensuring that our manufacturing base is not exported to foreign shores. We must Secure America by providing individuals and small companies access to affordable health care in order to make ours a nation of doers and not disassemblers..." If Secure America means that we're preserving jobs in the Rust Belt, Ohio is in play. If Secure America only refers to national security, the campaign might not resonate beyond the national security moms. To compete, Gen. Clark must demonstrate how he will Secure America at every turn. After all, national security is heavily dependent on domestic, economic security.
Again from the Clark 2004 platform:
Restarting the American Jobs Engine
Revitalizing Rural America: Creating Opportunity In Rural Communities
And much more to read here.
I don't know about General Clark or a Clark Campaign, if one exists, but I plan to take the Brandwagon's advice.
First, sift through the hubris and really distill the essence of Wes Clark. What lurks beneath the General's perfectly-creased, telegenic veneer? Who is the "man"? And, why should I want to go fishing with him? Beyond the platitudes of each policy position, what is different about who he is, what he does, and why should we care? And speaking of issues, other than opposition to the war, what casts Clark in a different light than the competition? Then, take a look at the competition. What do they stand for? How are they different? How does the General stack up? Most importantly, where is the opportunity for differentiation.
It's a plan, it's a good plan, and, instead of despairing and lamely waiting at the sidelines, A Wes Clark Democrat will follow it, bringing Clark's domestic vision out of the 2004 closet. When he's damned good and ready, Wes can do the updating.
Thanks, Brandwagon. Thanks a million.
