For certain, Wesley Clark's now-infamous comments criticizing the military experience of John McCain firmly solidified his status on Barack Obama's list- but the question is, which one: his short list for VP, or the list of candidates he's already eliminated?
In many ways, Clark did the Obama campaign a favor, drawing a sharp distinction between the sacrifice of McCain's years in Vietnamese Prison Camps and the executive experience one can claim to have derived from it. It may very well have been a shot that Obama had wanted to take himself, but had been unable to because of McCain's military pedigree, and his own lack thereof.
From Clark's perspective, he's the right guy to do it. Whereas Obama- who has no military background- would run into some serious credibility issues, Clark does not. The West Point valedictorian Rhodes Scholar who ascended through the ranks to become a four-star general and the NATO Supreme Allied Commander (the same post held by Dwight Eisenhower) during the Balkan War has about as much military pedigree as one can get. From his US service medals to his foreign knighthoods, Wesley Clark may very well be one of the most decorated American military men alive today.
But there remains some question as to whether or not Clark's assault on McCain's service will help or hurt his chances of becoming Obama's number two.
Clark's background provides a unique opportunity for Obama- it gives him a surrogate to confront McCain head-on in what is arguably his strongest area: his military service record. It's possible that Clark's acerbic comments set the stage for Obama to attack McCain on issues like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the slumping economy, and the environment, while Clark knocks out McCain's final support beam. In that respect, Clark could be one of Obama's best possible selections for VP.
But the reaction to Clark's comment was mixed. Some applauded his remarks as refreshing and candid. Others found it repulsively politically motivated. If the court of public opinion ultimately repudiates Clark's attack on McCain, it's likely that the Illinois Senator will distance himself from the retired general at least until the end of the campaign. In all likelihood, Clark would be a top selection for a senior cabinet position- either Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense- should Obama opt to go a different route with his VP selection.
Obama probably didn't do Clark any favors by effectively disassociating himself with the comments the next day- not to mention requesting that his supporters refrain from any attacks on McCain's service record in the future. Let's be honest- that was probably a politically calculated move. Had Clark's words struck a nerve, Obama may have echoed his sentiments.
But the truth is that Clark's attack- regardless of the truth or merit behind it- fell far short of the favorability threshold necessary to push him to the top of the VP list. And in fact, it may have pushed him off altogether.
