The Clark Summer of 2003
Submitted by Then and Now on December 11, 2006 - 7:40am.
Then & Now
Then & Now:
The Clark Summer of 2003
"Then and Now", derives its material from you — the Wes Clark supporter.
We’ve heard so many compelling and interesting stories from so many people. We’d like to put them all together in one place. Therefore we’re asking you to share your story with the CCN readers.
Click here for a special request from the Then and Now Team to share your stories!.
Ohio’s Rob Stephens christened the summer of 2003 as “The Clark Summer.” As I plowed through the message traffic at the Yahoo! Groups in doing my Nostalgia Project in 2005 and early 2006, I developed a Clark Movement Timeline.
We’ve already discussed the impact of the June 15, 2003 “Meet the Press” interview. This edition of “Then and Now” is an excerpt of my timeline covering the period from June 16 through August 31, 2003.
If June was “Explosion Month” following the “Meet the Press” interview, July was “Organize and Consolidate Month” while August was probably “Nervous Anticipation Month.”
“Then and Now” documented the growth of the movement in June in an earlier edition. June 15, 2003 began with 179 members in the DraftWesleyClark2004 Yahoo! Group, about the only game in town at that point. By the end of June, there were 288 members, July finished up with 375, and on August 31 the group had 476 – roughly a growth of 100 net new members a month.
Message volume also grew. Prior to June 15 members posted an average of 41 messages a day. From June 15 on, the average was 168. July’s average was 146 and August’s was 185.
Part of the July drop in message volume arose from the formation of a second group. DraftClark2004.com formed the DraftClark2004WarRoom group on July 8, the day after the first truly national MeetUp day. [I attended the first Denver MeetUp on the 7th and joined the WC2004 Yahoo! Group that evening.] Several of the frequent posters at the original group migrated over to the WarRoom.
The WarRoom gave form and substance to the burgeoning Draft Clark movement. The people at DraftClark2004.com – Brent Blackaby, John Oeffinger, Jason McIntosh, and Susan Putney, among others – organized state and area coordinators and provided them with wonderful tools to spread the word. Meanwhile, John Hlinko’s DraftWesleyClark.com continued its innovative and effective marketing and press buzz efforts.
In the “Meet the Press” interview, Gen. Clark had said that he would announce his decision whether or not to run in “about two months.” That gave us a stake to drive in the ground – August 15. Alas, August 15 came and went as we in the movement nervously closely analyzed every Clark word, pause, facial expression, tone of voice, and rumor for hints about the decision and our fate in the movement.
Below, then is my timeline for the “Clark Summer of 2003,” along with some quotable quotes from people in the movement, from the press and pundits, and from Gen. Clark himself.
Stan, for
The Then and Now Team
Stan Davis, Florence Upson, Tom Rinaldo
|
June |
|
|
June 17 |
Clark speaks at the New Democratic Network meeting, still one of the best. DraftClark2004.com files papers as a PAC with the FEC and IRS. |
|
June 21 |
DraftWesleyClark and John Hlinko made it to the CBS Evening News. |
|
June 22 |
I join LeadershipforAmerica and begin posting. |
|
June 23 |
Ellen Nagler’s SantaBarbaraforClark goes live. It was one of my early favorites, and I included the URL in my first version of my flyers. |
|
June 24 |
MeetUp registrants top 2000 after a growth of over 1500 since the “Meet the Press” interview. Over 60 cities “meets threshold” to hold a MeetUp, making the July 7 MeetUp the first truly national one. |
|
June 26 |
Stirling Newberry: “We can do this [because] we ARE doing it.” [Emphasis mine. Stirling Newberry added the because later.] |
|
June 27 |
Josh Margulies after meeting Gen. Clark at a radio station: “What a man. What a leader. Just breathtaking.” |
|
June 28 |
The DNC announces the first four debates. A decision deadline? The first is scheduled for Albuquerque on September 4. |
|
June 29 |
DraftWesleyClark.com announces the “Draft Heard Across America.” At the July 7 MeetUp, attendees would quaff a beer precisely at 8:04 p.m., which is 2004 in international time. Women4Clark.com hits the street. I also used it in my first editions of my flyers. In my opinion, it was probably by far the best of the Draft sites. |
|
June 30 |
DraftWesleyClark2004.com announces the Founders program. |
|
July |
|
|
July 1 |
The August Esquire comes out with a great profile of Clark. |
|
July 2 |
DraftWesleyClark’s “General Fund” tops $100,000 in pledges. |
|
July 3 |
We first see the phrase “General Electric.” |
|
July 4 |
The LA Times reports that Clark would decide “by the end of the summer.” Question: The traditional end, which is Labor Day, or the formal end, September 21? |
|
July 7 |
The Movement holds its first truly national MeetUp day. Going in, 83 cities had “made threshold” to conduct a meeting. |
|
July 8 |
The DraftClark2004WarRoom Yahoo! group is open for business. |
|
July 9 |
Ty Gordon: “Wesley Clark is the Big Rig and it is our job to build him the onramp to the Political Highway known as the Road to the White House.”. |
|
July 10 |
MeetUp registrants exceed 4000. |
|
July 12 |
Another Newberryism: “It’s time we had a President who doesn’t offer excuses, doesn’t accept excuses, doesn’t make excuses and doesn’t need excuses.” |
|
July 13 |
Clark’s blinking, or lack thereof, comes up for the first time after an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC. |
|
July 17 |
DraftWesleyCalrk.com announces 100 MeetUp cities and $250,000 in pledges in the “General Fund” drive. |
|
July 18 |
“General Hottie” and “General Speedo” make their debut when the August Esquire magazine published a picture of Gen. Clark in his Speedo swimming trunks. |
|
July 22 |
[Off-topic] It is announced that Uday and Qusai Hussein has been killed. Cleveland mayor Michael Coleman urges Clark to run. |
|
July 23 |
[Personal] I propose “Make America All It Can Be” as a slogan for the first time. (I still like it.) |
|
July 24 |
DraftClark2004.com holds its first national conference call. A new national poll: Lieberman 21%, Gephardt 16%, Kerry 13%, Dean 10%, everybody else 6% or lower. Clark wasn’t included. |
|
July 27 |
The Movement decides to charter a team to create responses to FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions. Fellow Coloradoan (then) Shawn Robert Woodford volunteers to lead the team. |
|
July 28 |
Lowell Feld in the Daily Gusto: “Wesley Clark is Karl Rove’s worst nightmare.” |
|
July 29 |
DraftWesleyClark.com announces the “Zero-Star Dinner” auction, and renames it the “Virtual Fundraising Dinner.” Lori Goldstein predicts the announcement venue – the Little Rock Boys Club. |
|
July 30 |
WesleyClark2004 founder Kevin Derby bequeaths the group to Denyse Rackel and bowed out, citing a job and location change. |
|
July 31 |
Denyse Rackel asks me to help her moderate the WesleyClark2004 group. Ellen Nagler of Santa Barbara wins the Virtual Fudraising Dinner. |
|
August |
|
|
August 2 |
Andrew Lewis on Clark: “New Hope from Arkansas.” |
|
August 5 |
Denyse Rackel, on Howard Dean: "He reminds me of a PEZ dispenser... only the top of the head kind of moves and... nothing of real importance comes out of the mouth." |
|
August 6 |
I wrote: “Would you rather vote for a politician who may need to learn the Constitution, American values, how to articulate a vision, and how to conduct international diplomacy, or a visionary, principle-centered, expert in diplomacy candidate who may need to learn politics?” |
|
August 8 |
Clark utters those famous words: “CRANK IT UP!” Clark Bars: “The delectable electable candy.” (Jon Deutsch’s exact words were “Clark Bars are as delectable as General Clark is electable.” DraftWesleyClark.com announces the “Million Dollar Pledge Drive. WesleyClark2004 passes the 10,000 message mark. |
|
August 9 |
DraftClark2004.com opens and dedicates its new office in Little Rock. |
|
August 10 |
Josh Margulies and John Hlinko appear on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal.” DigitalClark.com makes its debut. MeetUp registrants exceed 7000. |
|
August 11 |
The DraftClark2004WarRoom posts its 1000th message. Matt Stoller announces the ClarkCoalition and the ClarkSphere. |
|
August 12 |
DraftWesleyClark.com opens a New York office. Hillary Clinton tells Cheryl Poling that the only hurdle blocking Clark’s candidacy is Gert. [DraftClark2004WarRoom] |
|
August 13 |
DraftWesleyClark.com announces TV ads in New Hampshire, Iowa, and Arkansas to begin August 18. The 60-second spot is titled “Preserve, Protect, and Defend.” Gen. Clark sees the ad for the first time on CNN’s “Newsnight” and is moved. The tea leaves says that Clark is ready to run, but hesitates when asked about family support. |
|
August 14 |
(Off-Topic, but big news): Most of the entire northeast quadrant of the country, including parts of Canada, experience an electrical power blackout. Note: The week before Clark had been on vacation. But when he returned, a media blitz occurred. |
|
August 15 |
Leaders of various groups and organizations develop plans to put all the Clark efforts under one umbrella; the solution was to be part technical and part organizational or structural. The idea was to present a single face to the outside world. Work progressed but hadn’t come to full fruition when the campaign supplanted the Draft. |
|
August 16 |
DraftClark2004.com announces the first National Day of Service for August 23. |
|
August 17 |
Personal: I am admitted to the DraftClark2004WarRoom group on my birthday. |
|
August 20 |
DraftWesleyClark.com’s Million Dollar Pledge Drive reaches $640,000. |
|
August 21 |
Lowell Feld’s Hispanics4Clark.com site goes active. |
|
August 23 |
The first National Day of Service is conducted. My flyers make their public debut at a parade, and I meet U.S. Senate candidate Mike Miles. Reed Thompson: “Howard Dean is the setup man; Clark is the closer.” The local Arkansas group and both major Draft organizations throw a big rally in Little Rock. Leaders of the two organizations meet face-to-face for the first time, and a rollicking good time is had by all. |
|
August 24 |
Clark appears on “Face the Nation” The WesleyClark2004 group experiences record message traffic. He will decide “in a week or two.” MeetUp registrations pass those of John Kerry, regaining the number two spot among all the candidates, including Bush. The Clark Tribune is announced. DraftWesleyClark.com’s Million Dollar Pledge Drive hits the $750,000 mark. |
|
August 25 |
DraftWesleyClark.com releases a specially-commissioned Zogby poll to ascertain Clark’s viability as a candidate. The poll was unusual: a “blind bio” poll. |
|
August 27 |
The Des Moines Register quotes Clark that September 19 is the deadline for the decision, when Clark would speak at the University of Iowa Law School. Stirling Newberry, on being ready for the announcement and a campaign: "They will come...Have you built it yet?" The Million Dollar Pledge Drive meets its goal four days early. The window narrows to September 15-19, and Gert was on board, according to the New York Times. Amy Sullivan in The Washington Monthly: “Clark matches each of the strengths of the current crop of contenders, and then raises them one. His Army background--stretching from Vietnam to Kosovo--out-oomphs Kerry's military record. His service as commander of NATO forces compares favorably to Dean's executive experience as governor of a small New England state. He adds gravitas to Edwards's aesthetic appeal, charisma to Lieberman's thoughtfulness, and sincerity to Gephardt's liberal policies.” |
|
August 28 |
MeetUp registrations top 10,000. |
|
August 29 |
Lowell Feld’s Enviros4Clark.com goes live. |
|
August 30 |
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), developed exclusively by DraftRooters, goes public. Another gem from Stirling Newberry: “Clark is Mr. Right. Dean is just Mr. Right Now.” |
___________
Tell us your story. The CCN bloggers would love to hear you recount how and why you got involved in the Clark Movement, what you were doing before committing to the Movement, and what you’ve done about your involvement in politics since.
Send your story to the Then and Now Team in care of Stan Davis, sdavis8585@msn.com.
and what perfect timing because
it was the perfect place for multiple Wes Sightings!
I was there for the first MeetUps for Clark in Columbia
We had the best and brightest volunteers and we were so excited to meet Wes on Halloween at U of South Carolina.
Wes had worn a hole in his shoe and one of our meet Up Clarkies ran to buy him shoes. Oops, they were made in China and Wes refused to wear them!
So many reasons to love and work for Wes Clark For PRESIDENT!!!!
You ready to do it again? Get a spare pair of shoes ready just in case.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
BE THE CHANGE you wish to see in the world.
If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN?
Westcott, beautiful job put putting this up. I didn't know if the Word table I used for the timeline would work well for you or not.
I'm tentatively planning the next two installments of "Then and Now" to include the first two weeks of September -- the lead-up to the announcement. I have a challenge ahead of me. I've gone through four of the first seven days, and the Word document is 20 pages long.
I can't help but think that as we speak today, we're now in about the same position where the Movement was in August-September 2003. Will he or won't he?
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
BE THE CHANGE you wish to see in the world.
If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN?