Reply #5: He has personal integrity and most activists honor that. Plus [View All]

Clark has been among the harshest and most consistent critics of Bush's Iraq policies going all the way back to 2002, and that gets factored in also. And Clark NEVER minimizes the extreme implications of Bush having dishonestly steered our nation into war. Plus he never is overtly critical of other Democrats pushing for a different resolution in Iraq, Clark always fixes the blame on Bush and supports Democrats.

A lot of activists, including some backing other Democrats now, believe that were Clark President today, he would have the greatest chance to resolve the Iraq mess with the least long term damage to all parties involved, including the entire Mid East, of any person on the National political scene. The problem of course is elemental. Clark isn't President, so some who might otherwise be inclined to support his recommendations in Iraq instead insist on an immediate withdrawal to limit the extent of further damage Bush can do while in office.

Personally I think Clark is using these weeks to try to support negotiations inside of Iraq and within that region, because he knows Bush is not going to pull out of Iraq while Republicans control Congress but how a new government in Iraq forms is immediate and critical. I think Clark sees negotiation surrounding the formation of a new Iraq government as the final sliver of light coming through the closing window of opportunity he has sited for Iraq