Clark 'Jokes' Southerners Are 'Stupid'

NewsMax ^ | 11/9/03 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Yet another Democratic presidential candidate has put his foot in his mouth while trying to appeal to Southern voters, and this time it's a Southerner himself, Gen. Wesley Clark.

"All Americans, even if they're from the South and 'stupid,' should be represented," Clark told the New York Daily News on Thursday, in a quote first reported in Sunday editions.

Clark was commenting on ex-Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's attempt to reach out to Confederate flag carrying Southerners - and he prefaced his "stupid Southerners" comment with the qualifier: "This is a joke."

Who knew Gen. Clark was such a comedian.

What's next? Will the Arkansas Rhodes scholar follow his quip about stupid Southerners with more "humorous" stereotyping about Irish drunkards, cheap Jews and lazy blacks?

That would surely spice up the campaign trail.

[GaryL]

Where's the misquote?? Newsmax quotes him as saying:

"All Americans, even if they're from the South and 'stupid,' should be represented."

A line later, they correctly add that Clark "prefaced his 'stupid Southerners' comments with the qualifier: 'This is a joke'."

How is this a misquote if the actually quote is:

"Well, he shouldn't have said those things. I think all Americans - and this is a joke! - all Americans, even if they're from the South and 'stupid,' should be represented."

I guess you're saying they shouldn't have used the construction: "stupid Southerners." But since they gave the original quote accurately, and even mentioned that Clark prefaced the remarks with: "This is a joke," the "stupid Southerners" phase can be allowed as an accurate "overview summary" of the actual comments, and not meant to be taken as actual words out of Clark's mouth. This is the article writer's summary interpretation of what Clark said and I think it's a fair assessment.

I think Newsmax reported the remarks accurately.

[Bubba_Leroy]

Liberal dogma insists that the Confederate flag is a racist symbol and all who display it are racists. Interesting that Dean or Clark are now each claiming to be the best man to represent the racist vote.

[Bubba_Leroy]

So if he had said "I think all Americans - and this is a joke! - all Americans, even if they're black and 'stupid,' should be represented" it would be o.k., because he was just joking?

[mtbopfuyn]

Clark is a stupid joke.

[Carb_Addict]

Weasely Clark can kiss my grits.

[Centurion2000]

nice post :)

[Holden Magroin]

Clark was a Rhodes scholar?

[Holden Magroin]

It doesn't matter that Clark was joking. The other eight or nine candidates are going to lay into him for it at a time when Democratic strength in the South is at an all-time low.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

AND, let's also not forget this tidbit:

"Retired General H. Hugh Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 9/11, shared his recollection of that day and his views of the war against terrorism with the Foothill College Celebrity Forum audience at Flint Center, Sept. 11 and 12.

His review of that historic event and his 38 years in the military kept the audience's rapt attention throughout. But it was his answer to a question from the audience at the end that shocked his listeners.

"What do you think of General Wesley Clark and would you support him as a presidential candidate," was the question put to him by moderator Dick Henning, assuming that all military men stood in support of each other. General Shelton took a drink of water and Henning said, "I noticed you took a drink on that one!"

"That question makes me wish it were vodka," said Shelton. "I've known Wes for a long time. I will tell you the reason he came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues, things that are very near and dear to my heart. I'm not going to say whether I'm a Republican or a Democrat. I'll just say Wes won't get my vote."

Shelton's 38 years in the military included two years in Vietnam and service in the 173rd Airborne Brigade and Green Berets. In addition to having been an adviser to the president and a member of the National Security Council, he has been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the Purple Heart and six Distinguished Service Medals. He has been decorated by 15 foreign governments and knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

Oh. I almost forgot. In 1992 the Dims took the position that character doesn't matter...

[Imal]

"All Americans, even if they're from the South and 'stupid,' should be represented," Clark told the New York Daily News on Thursday, in a quote first reported in Sunday editions.

The problem isn't stupid southerners, but finding people anywhere stupid enough to vote for Clark.

[WoofDog123]

Who knows? I don't see that it matters; I don't regard southerners as needing protection from 'insensitive' comments by the speech police, even if the comments are prefaced as a joke.

[BradyLS]

Sircasm The act of pointing out the painfully obvious to a clueless superior.

[GaryL]

Not to belabor the subject, but I don't think starting the quote where they did changes the offensive nature of the remark.

Clark is being rightly critized becasue he implied that Southerners are stupid. Whether or not he thinks Howard Dean should have made the original remark about the Confederate flag ("Well, he shouldn't have said those things") is totally besides the point.

I'm no big fan of Newsmax either, but I don't thing your criticism here is fair.

I promise this is my last post on this subject!

[okie01]

In true Clark fashion, he puts it poorly.

That's my point. And nothing more.

It's all about nothing. Because Clark can't tell a joke -- or conceive of what it is that makes a joke funny.

Which does say something important about his character, in my opinion. He is an exceedingly obtuse person.

[Mr. Mojo]

The main problem [for the Dems] is, however, the math in the equation. There are more white people than there are black people.

Yeah, but there are a lot of dead people, living pets, and Mexican illegals.

[YankeeReb]

What are the Dims thinking? Trouble is this story won't be picked up by the Lamestream medis (unless someone like Hannity picks it up and broadcasts it on his show tomorrow)

[StatesEnemy]

Ummm... General Clark, wasn't Arkansas part of the Confederacy?

Why should I want a "stupid" President?