It was an interesting choice. Where would Wesley Clark go for his first campaign stop after declaring his candidacy? Certainly, Iowa and New Hampshire would be logical choices, as would South Carolina.
But the Clark campaign bypassed the predictable locales, at least in its first day, and headed to the political belly of the beast — Florida. From all indications, it was a good first day on the campaign trail.
Appearing in the Ft. Lauderdale area, presumably Bob Graham’s turf, Clark received a hero’s welcome. Stopping at a deli/restaurant, Clark was “mobbed by well-wishers,” according to a Reuters report.
The Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reported that Clark was received by a “chaotic and wildly enthusiastic rally,” in which Clark was “treated like a celebrity by Democrats ranging from retirees to young mothers holding babies and hand-drawn signs.”
At one point, the Sun-Sentinel reported, “the crowding around Clark got so intense he was forced to escape to the men’s room.”
Clark didn’t hesitate to remind his audience that he needs financial contributions, in addition to political support.
“This is America,” Clark said. “We operate on the greenback. I need your support.”
It apparently worked. The Sun-Sentinel report said, “Checks were written on the spot and shoved into the hands of campaign staffers.”
I’d say it was a pretty good first event.
As some of you know, I’m from south Florida and I’ve been to that same deli Clark was in yesterday. I can honestly say most of those folks don’t usually get this excited unless it has something to do with football.
Ray Zeller, chairman of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, was on hand to guide Clark around. Zeller described the enthusiasm and energy for Clark as “awesome.”
That being said, it was not a perfect first day for the campaign. Clark’s team has given conflicting answers about his participation at a Democratic debate next week, which makes the campaign staff appear a little disorganized, and Clark himself gave ambiguous answers to questions from reporters about his opposition to the war in Iraq.
Nevertheless, it was just the first full day for a campaign getting a late start, so it’s not unreasonable to expect some opening-day confusion. Besides, internal and organizational missteps pale in comparison to the enthusiastic support Clark received from real people on the campaign trail.
Stay tuned…