This isn’t even a rumor; it’s just an idea I had.
Wesley Clark has picked up plenty of key endorsements in recent months, including high-profile support from members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and American Indian community. Howard Dean, for his part, has also done well with earning support from these same constituencies, and in the case of CBC endorsements, even better.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, however, has not yet expressed a preference in the race. His support could be a huge boost, though it’s certainly possible that he won’t endorse anyone before the nominee has been chosen.
Love him or hate him, Jesse Jackson is the nation’s most well-known champion of civil rights. After his presidential campaigns in the 1980s, and support for Clinton in the 1990s, Jackson’s place as a leader in the Democratic Party is secure.
We’ve already heard from his son, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), who endorsed Dean in the fall. But what about Jesse Sr.?
I have a hunch — nothing more, just a hunch — that Clark and Jackson may be cooking something up.
Clark met with Jackson last night in New York for about 30 minutes in a discussion that has been reported as being “positive.” Indeed, as the Washington Post described, Jackson praised Clark “for being both competitive and civil.”
Certainly, one half-hour meeting does not a relationship make, but this isn’t the only connection I’ve noticed.
In December, Jackson wrote an op-ed for the Chicago Sun Times, urging the White House to improve its commitment to battle AIDS internationally, and criticizing the administration’s efforts thus far.
In the same op-ed, Jackson singled out Clark’s AIDS plan for specific acclaim.
“Ironically, it took a general — Gen. Wesley Clark — to put forth a truly bold program,” Jackson said. “Clark would double Bush’s commitment and build upon World Health Organization programs rather than spurn them. [Clark] sees this as a centerpiece of what he calls a ‘preventive engagement policy’ to make America a source of hope in the world. Perhaps it takes a general, knowing the scope and the limits of our military strength, to deal aggressively with a disease of mass destruction.”
A week before this op-ed was published, Jackson was on MSNBC’s Hardball with some more kind words for Clark, saying the general’s performance in the debates has propelled Clark “out the second tier into the first tier,” and noting that Clark has “gained real ground on Dean.”
What does all this mean? Maybe nothing, maybe something. Just something to keep an eye on.