General Wesley Clark: An Introduction

Since most of us don't have the most clear idea of General Clark's political positions, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at his beliefs, his achievements, and what he would likely to be supportive of if he were to be the next President of the United States.

To that end, I'll be posting throughout the next few days, exploring his ideas and giving some analysis of what it all means. Where possible, I will link to articles and analysis.

Now, who is Wesley Clark?

We all know that he has had an impressive military career. His thirty-three years of combat service, his various medals (both the Silver Star and Bronze Star, for instance) and honorary Knighthoods speak to the esteem in which he is held throughout the West. His education, Oxford and West Point, speak to his intellectual capacity.

But what about his politics? Well, first, he is an experienced politician. He may never have held a political office, but to rise to the rank of Four Star General, a person has to have a strong political bent. So, the argument that he has never held an elected office, while true, does not speak to any lack of familiarity with the politics of holding office.

On September 5, 2003, General Clark was interviewed on NPT's Morning Edition. An overview of his stands can be taken directly from his words:

Gen. Clark:I'm pro-choice, I am in favor of affirmative action. I certainly believe you have to protect people's right to bear arms, absolutely.

Williams: What about gay marriage?

Gen. Clark: I haven't said that I support that. I believe you have to treat people with dignity and respect, but I'm not for gay marriage at this point.

What you have, then, is a pro-gun, muscular foreign policy Democrat. The opposition to gay marriage isn't terribly surprising on either side of the political fence right now and doesn't distinguish him from any candidate other than Sharpton.

While I think this gives us a good, quick glimpse of Clark as a politician, it still leaves much room for interpretation. I'll be discussing his thoughts on issues more in depth through the next few days, and hopefully getting a good idea of what a Clark White House would look like.

For an overview of Clark's views, as expressed on the Draft Wesley Clark Web site,go here.
For Clark's biography, on the same site, go here.

The NPR quotes were taken from this interview.

Posted by zombyboy at September 17, 2003 11:10 AM | TrackBack