Wes Clark

[UPDATE: Rumor Confirmed...]

Rumor has it that Wes Clark is endorsing Hillary Clinton. To me this was easily predictable. For a long time I saw Wes positioning himself to run. He was acting like a candidate early on. I predicted if he did run it would hurt Hillary because they have overlapping pools of supporters and run in roughly the same political circles.

Then, suddenly Wes Clark stopped acting like a candidate. He quieted down and started to sound more like someone positioning himself for alliances, rather than being the focus of an alliance himself. It struck me that his sudden change in behavior probably meant someone made him an offer...and the someone who seemed most likely to make him an offer was Hillary Clinton.

Now, if the rumor is true, Wes has endorsed Hillary.

What offer would it take to get him to back out and back Hillary? Possibly Sec. of State. But I really think the smart thing would be for Hillary to pick Clark for her running mate. I think a Clinton/Clark ticket would be a strong one and would boost Hillary's chances a great deal.

So prediction #1: if Hillary gets the nomination, Wes is her VP choice.

I feel pretty safe in making that prediction. Interestingly, when I discussed Clark and Clinton as appealing to the same basic pool of supporters, I was attacked by Clark supporters who wanted him to be their progressive savior and couldn't abide seeing him as a centrist. Wonder how they feel now if he does endorse Hillary and does become her VP choice.

For months now it seemed to me that Wes Clark was running for President without yet RUNNING for President. As I get an increasing number of emails from Wes supporters describing an increasing number of events surrounding this not-yet candidate, it has been inevitable for me to start assuming Wes will declare in time. What is he waiting for? Not sure. But clearly he is waiting for just the right moment. My money is on his declaring and has been for months. And this is one reason why I have taken all predictions about 2008, including the Hillary inevitability myth, as highly suspect.

Now, I am very unlikely to support Wes Clark in the primary. And I am very unlikely to support Hillary Clinton in the primary. I lean vaguely towards Edwards or Obama. But I will make clear that I almost certainly would campaign for either Clark or Clinton in the general election should they get the nomination. Though I might lean towards Edwards or Obama, I consider the other contenders perfectly good candidates for President and would eagerly support them over the Veteran who has betrayed Veterans (McCain) and the 9/11 "hero" who has betrayed the REAL 9/11 heroes (Giuliani) or any of the other political dwarfs the Republicans are running.

But what would a Wes Clark candidacy mean? I think the main thing it would do is knock Hillary off her "inevitable" platform. With Obama catching up to Hillary already in some polls, Wes Clark entering the fray would probably turn what is currently an almost two-way race with Edwards and Richardson in second tier (and the others almost certainly losers) into a probable 3-way race which not only will boost Obama's chances, but will bring the first tier candidates (Clinton, Obama and, probably, Clark) closer to the second tier candidates.