Clark

Sullivan writes about the cynicism behind Clark:

"[a liberal friend] explained that the white-hot rage at Bush had now tippled over into a cold determination to beat him, by whatever means necessary. I have to say I respect this kind of political argument. But it also strikes me that the left really cannot criticize Bush as a cipher for other forces aligned behind him, when they are doing exactly the same with a general they view as a purely Potemkin figure. 'Look, if it means we get Gene Sperling and Robert Rubin running the country again, I don't much care who they put up as a front-man,' one partisan gleefully explained. All of this reminds me of Bill Kristol's flirtation with Colin Powell as a Republican candidate a few years back. Why the Powell boomlet? He was black and could win. Er, that was it. Powell was a cipher to innoculate the Republicans from seeming too white-bread. Similarly, Clark is a perceived winner and a cipher to innoculate the Democrats from seeming ... what, exactly? Unpatriotic? Weak on defense? Out of the cultural mainstream?

Sullivan puts his finger on something that I've been groping for; so many Clark supporters remind me of friends who had stock portfolios full of dotcoms and high tech issues; they bought some Johnson and Johnson to diversify, but they didn't like it.

Clark seems like a liberal's idea of a palatable attempt to act realistic about the world outside our borders; like medicine doused in sugar. It barely goes down.

More as we go along.

Posted by Mitch at September 22, 2003 05:30 AM