Clark Jumps Into the Fray (Editorial)

It’s official now: Arkansas has another native son seeking to be president:r

Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, 58, the former NATO commander.r

Despite only recently declaring himself to be a Democrat, a complete lack of political experience and a pittance in campaign pledges, we expect Clark will be a strong contender.r

Part of the reason we think that is because none of the other Democrats has caught on with the nation’s voters, although Howard Dean, a former Vermont governor, has received a lot of attention with his attacks on President Bush.r

Clark brings his experience as a military leader, unquestioned intelligence and the skills needed to organize and fight.r

Although he may lack political experience, that doesn’t mean he lacks political savvy. No one rises to become a four-star general without learning the art of politics. And as NATO commander he had to learn to deal with the political leadership of the other member nations.r

Like Bill Clinton, Arkansas’ other native son who rose to the top job, the Little Rock native is a Rhodes scholar. Like Clinton, he is thought to be a moderate Southern Democrat, although not much is known about his views on domestic or economic issues.r

Unlike Clinton, however, he chose to go to Vietnam, where he earned a Silver Star. And also unlike Clinton, he is likely to disappoint opponents looking to expose his personal moral failings.r

Clark graduated first in his 1966 class at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. He was chosen to head the U.S. southern command and NATO forces during the 1999 Kosovo campaign.r

A warrior for 34 years, Clark has been critical of Bush’s war in Iraq. Much of his criticism centered around Bush not having a realistic plan on how to deal with Iraq after the fighting ended. Some of that criticism now appears justified.r

Although he was a regular commentator for CNN during the war with Iraq, he still must boost his recognition across the country. And while the Internet “Draft Clark” movement attracted some $1.5 million in pledges, that’s hardly a paintball compared to the sitting president’s growing war chest.r

Clark’s entry changes the political playing field. Now that Clark has decided to make the run, look for him to gain a lot of momentum quickly.