“He has held positions of great power without being corrupted by it.”

Noel Schutz
Taiwan

I want to preface my remarks by saying that as a Democrat, I find many fine leaders who are such. I like Feingold a lot and I voted for Al Gore and did not find him boring (I admired his foreign policy expertise which helped Clinton in an area in which he was not a heavyweight). I vote in California, so Boxer is my senator and my hero.

That said, I supported Wesley Clark for president. The reasons are not simple. While I am a veteran of four years in the USAF during the Korean War period, I was not a gung ho military type. Perhaps being an army brat did not actually make me inclined to continue a military life. I became anti-Vietnam War while working for the USAF as a civil servant during that period. Politically, my views are very much in the mold of Kucinich, whom I also like - but not as president.

So it is not a "military" thing. Wes Clark was not a typical military officer. While he did go through the officer ranks, serving at every level from company to battalion to division to being a CinC for the Southern and European Command, he did it against the grain of many soldiers who look suspect on an officer who graduates from West Point, has a Rhodes Scholarship, and wins a Silver Star. Wes says these were three strikes against him. He rose because his superiors, colleagues and supporters recognized the brilliant mind, the can-do hands-on spirit, and the obvious dedication to serving his country - his patriotism. Many of Clark's supporters find themselves supporting the man DESPITE their views to the military in general.

I support Wes because he is a LEADER who has the intellect to analyze a situation, come to a conclusion about what must be done, and map out the strategies for doing it. No matter what the mission is - military, diplomatic, or political. That is the kind of man we need as a president. One who is a dedicated, proven leader who tells it like it is.

I support Wes because he is an exceptional PERSON that I admire (and I have known first hand many exceptional people in my civil rights work in Alabama in the 60s and 70s). He has held positions of great power without being corrupted by it. He has endured hardships and struggles without becoming bitter. He stands up for what he believes, for other Democrats (he stood up for Dean when other Democrats trounced him, saying that Americans would believe Democrats were a party of national security when Democrats stop attacking other Democrats.) I have never heard Wes speak badly of another Democrat, and he even held back against ridiculous attacks by Republican machine military men.

He is a man for all seasons. He is that rare military man who combines not only intellect with action, but statesmanship and diplomacy alongside military expertise.
I support Wes because his POSITIONS, especially on Iraq since his views mirror the manner in which he determines policies. He does not accept the easy popular view, but determines what should be believed and done by and intellectual process combined with a sure common sense concept of what is needed and what can be actually accomplished.

I am not a gun person, Wes believes in guns for hunting but not rocket launchers. I can live with the Southern and others’ penchant for that even though I do not believe it for myself. It is like Hackett said, leave my guns alone and stay out of my bedroom. He is as liberal as one might expect, perhaps more so, for a Southerner. He has been a Democrat for a decade and a half under the Clinton administration until now. He is not a recent liberal convert but worked it all through for himself. He had the most detailed position papers of any candidate posted on his website (still there for all to see). I looked them over and, by and large, they agreed with my positions.

I support Wes Clark because of his PERSEVERANCE. He never stops fighting for what he believes in. He logs in more appearances at local Democratic events, national and international conferences, TV and media spots, and speeches at events such as the Cornell graduation. He never stops working for the Democratic and liberal view of what is right about America. He put in more hours than any other former candidate for Kerry (although Dean was close behind) and is a high profile representative of our party. He campaigned Oklahomans to death, and won, making him the only candidate to win a state away from Kerry that was not a favorite son spot (Dean and Edwards). He does not let defeat stop him, but keeps on moving. He does not let victory lull him, but takes the next hill. He does not let slurs and lies discourage him, but keeps an optimistic view. He says it is not about the candidate, but about the party. And he is one of the most steadfast and dogged Democrats one could hope for.

I support Wes Clark because of his clear-headed sense of PERSPECTIVE. He does not take any situation out of context, he does not look at the short term benefits of anything, he puts everything in the broad perspective and looks for the long term. His 100 year vision for America was a masterpiece of visionary policies and programs.

I support him for many reasons. I like him. He can be humble when others might be proud, he can be proud when others might be cowed. Well, I could go on, but maybe I have made my point. People do not support Wes Clark for any trifling political expediency or boilerplate reasoning. He is a natural leader and I, who have always been suspect of leaders, find myself marching in step with one of the most outstanding men of our times. And he would be the first to praise the Democrats that many others support.