My Turn: And then there were 10
Wesley Clark has finally entered the 2004 race for president, becoming the 10th Democratic candidate in an already crowded field.
The retired four-star general comes into the fray with impressive credentials. First in his class at West Point, a Rhodes Scholar, a Vietnam combat veteran, and former top NATO commander, Gen. Clark is sure to shake up an otherwise lackluster arena, where most Democrats know little and care less about the other candidates.
Gen. Clark’s entry poses two obvious, but crucial, questions. Can he win the Democratic nomination? And, can he beat President Bush?
To win the Democratic nomination, Clark must convince the party faithful that he is best man to oppose George W. Bush in 2004. To do that, he will need money – a lot of money.
Money has long been the “mother’s milk” of politics. Thanks to the rise of multimedia campaigning and the proliferation of political action committees, money talks louder now than ever. With only so much money to go around, Gen. Clark faces an uphill battle to get his share.
Money is necessary to win. To win the nomination, and then beat President Bush, Gen. Clark must craft a clear, compelling message that resonates with the American voters. He must convince us that he deserves our trust and confidence more than any other candidate, including President Bush.
He must communicate his vision for America, especially in terms of foreign policy, national security and economic issues. He must be thick-skinned enough to suffer the slings and arrows of political and media criticism. Moreover, he must convince us that his military leadership credentials and performance are transferable to the political skills needed to win and then to govern.
The timing of Gen. Clark’s announcement means he must “hit the ground running” against other candidates who have spent months raising money, building campaign organizations in critical states and recruiting top party talent to help them run the race. With just four months to go before voting begins, that is a very tall order.
However, Wesley Clark may well be the man to fill it. At least, he would make the race more interesting and the voters more attentive to the choices available to them.
Either way, that would be good for politics and good for our country.
(Thomas Vaughn is an instructor at Motlow College who is also a popular local radio show host.)