Wesley Clark appears on gay magazine cover, Advocate, for scraping PR

[SynthesisI]

This is interesting...

Magazine cover

 

[mfs378]

Whats the big deal?

 

[SynthesisI]

The big deal is a former general of the United States Armed Services dressing down as at least a 'metrosexual' (who Dean claims to be, btw) to appeal to homosexuals. Is that Presidential behavior? I think not. And it's another nail in his coffin in this campaign.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: SynthesisI
The big deal is a former general of the United States Armed Services dressing down as at least a 'metrosexual' (who Dean claims to be, btw) to appeal to homosexuals. Is that Presidential behavior? I think not. And it's another nail in his coffin in this campaign.

Question: Have you actually read the Advocate article?

 

[mfs378]

What's wrong with appealing to homosexuals? They can vote too, you know. Clark wants to update the "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the military, and he is in favor of legalizing civil unions for gays. Thus the magazine's interest and Clark's appearance on the cover.

You don't like his clothes? Get a life.

 

[chess9]

When we first moved to Florida we decided to rent for a few months because we weren't so sure we could stand the bloody place. (We can't but we stayed anyway.) Our landlord, with whom I became quite chummy because he was such an interesting fellow gave every appearance of being straight, but lived with another man. After attending a party at his house with about 20 obviously gay men in attendance I concluded he was gay. Much to my surprise however was his Bush bumper sticker. It turns out he is very conservative (and rich).

So, if I were a Republican I'd tread lightly on this gay business because they vote and they BUY. Gay marriage shouldn't even be an issue because it will happen so rarely in America. Maybe, what, 30%? of gays might marry? The number of heterosexual marriages dwarfs the number, regardless. So leave them alone, but advocate your religious/moral views without IMPOSING them on the gay community. That strikes me as the best solution to this "problem" (what problem?).

I guess this sounds like another lecture on tolerance....

-Robert

 

[Fausto]

Web site is semi-screwed, so here's the excerpted text:

General?s orders: Exclusive interview
Retired four-star general Wesley Clark thinks ?don?t ask, don?t tell? needs to go and same-sex unions are here to stay. Can these pro-gay positions win him voters? support?and the Democratic presidential nomination?

By Jon Barrett

Excerpted from The Advocate, February 3, 2004

It has been more than 10 years since a Democrat from Little Rock, Ark., first took on the military?s ban on gay service members, winding up with a compromise that was quickly dubbed ?don?t ask, don?t tell.? Now another Democrat from Little Rock is tackling that compromise, saying it clearly doesn?t work and must be dismantled. As president, Gen. Wesley Clark is prepared to fix what his former commander in chief, Bill Clinton, left broken.

In a testament to how much has changed in the decade since ?don?t ask, don?t tell? was born, all nine of the Democratic presidential candidates who are currently elbowing their way across the country say the policy is discriminatory. But the 59-year-old Clark, a retired four-star gen- eral and former NATO commander, could be the only one with enough brass to make a difference. As Steve Rawls of the military watchdog group Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund explains, ?Military leaders will have a lot of sway in convincing Congress to change the policy, and General Clark obviously has a lot of stature within the military community.?

But first The General, as his aides all refer to him, must win the nomination. To accomplish that, the campaign has a lot of work to do, admits spokesman Matt Bennett during a break from campaigning in New Hampshire in order to stump in New York City. ?We?re running a 12-month campaign in nine months,? Bennett says.

Clark spoke to The Advocate the day after Al Gore endorsed the candidacy of former Vermont governor Howard Dean?a move that Clark shrugs off as having more to do with Gore than with Dean?the same day two retired brigadier generals and one rear admiral came out of the closet in The New York Times, a move Clark says deals significant blows to ?don?t ask, don?t tell.?

When it comes to gay issues, what makes you a better presidential candidate?

I?ve been in the armed forces. I?ve been at the very center of the firestorm. I know what it?s like out there. And I?ve had people who have come up to see me about it since I?ve been out [of the service]?gay and lesbian people who need help.

What are they saying?

They tell me that they want it fixed, and I agree. The armed forces are the last institution in America that discriminates against people. It ought to be the first that doesn?t. They ought to have the right to be who they are. They shouldn?t have to conceal their identities. You know, there are different models [that allow for gay people to serve openly]?the British have a model?and there is no impact on combat readiness. It?s a bogus issue.

I know your son was married recently. If your son had been born gay, would you want him to have the same rights that he enjoys today?

I would want him to have the right to have a stable relationship. But whether you call it marriage or not is up to the church or the synagogue or the mosque. And it?s up to the state legislatures. I think marriage is a term of art. It?s a term of usage. But the legal side of it is not: It?s not negotiable.

But about 40% of U.S. marriages every year happen without any religious participation.

I support whatever the state says. If the state of Massachusetts says we?re going to form a civil union but we?re going to call it marriage, then as far as I?m concerned, that?s marriage.

So you support Massachusetts?s calling it marriage?

Yeah, absolutely.

How do you think Congress would react to that?

Well, they?ll love it. This is exactly what they?re looking for. Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay and all those guys are looking for a real hand grenade to throw into the Democratic Party. It?s an absurd issue, and it?s one of the reasons I?m running. No one can accuse me of being soft on defense, and no one can accuse me of not knowing about what the armed forces are about. And when I say, ?It?s OK,? then it?s OK, period. But elections aren?t always about common sense. And I think [Republicans] would love to frighten people.

How does the news about Al Gore?s endorsement of the Dean campaign change your strategy?

It doesn?t. The way you asked about it is exactly right. It?s not news about the presidential race; it?s just news about Gore. I think that it will create an impressionable momentum for Dean in the elite media. But it doesn?t change the reality.

Hmm....nothing about the latest Prada coture in there....

 

[mfs378]

Problem is, Bush has got the religious right breathing down his neck. And you know they would never miss an opportunity to legislate their views upon the entire country. Have to love close-mindedness.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: SynthesisI
The big deal is a former general of the United States Armed Services dressing down as at least a 'metrosexual' (who Dean claims to be, btw) to appeal to homosexuals. Is that Presidential behavior? I think not. And it's another nail in his coffin in this campaign.

I guess dressing up as a cool, super fighter pilot, along with all his past problems, is presidential behavior. But dressing up in style is not.

 

[Strk]

Well, the excerpt sounds much like I'd expect it to. I mean really, it deals with his issues with homosexuals and equal rights. Why is there any surprise that The Advocate would cover those specific issues?

 

[wkabel23]

Originally posted by: SynthesisI
The big deal is a former general of the United States Armed Services dressing down as at least a 'metrosexual' (who Dean claims to be, btw) to appeal to homosexuals. Is that Presidential behavior? I think not. And it's another nail in his coffin in this campaign.

You're an idiot.

BTW, I just wanted to clear something up; lying to the American people about our reason for going to war in Iraq is good Presidential behavior?

 

[NewSc2]

Originally posted by: SynthesisI
The big deal is a former general of the United States Armed Services dressing down as at least a 'metrosexual' (who Dean claims to be, btw) to appeal to homosexuals. Is that Presidential behavior? I think not. And it's another nail in his coffin in this campaign.

Scraping PR? If I may say, anything can happen in these primaries (look at Kerry), and personally, I think Clark is still on paper the most qualified candidate we have. Can't argue with Rhodes Scholar, Masters in Philosophy, Politicts, and Economics from Oxford, graduated first in his class from West Point, ex-Nato Supreme Allied Commander, etc.

Anyways, why can't he appeal to homosexuals? Being a president means having to listen to the needs of everybody of all races, genders, sexual preferences. Believe it or not, even though gay marriage is a touchy issue, they're still citizens of the United States and vote, so they hold some power in this country.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Wow, now in addition to the YADAs we have YACAs. And they're in a frenzy today.

If you don't think was a bad move, then...well...I don't know what to tell you other than you're in for many many surprises in life. How would you feel if GW appeared on the cover of Guns-N-Ammo? The same way?

 

[mfs378]

I would judge Shrubya based upon the content of the relevant article. Although I can't imagine him ever giving an interview - he's afraid to take questions from the press, for crying out loud.

 

[chess9]

I thought Bush had been on the cover of Guns and Ammo 38 times?

Boy, I've got to catch up on my reading. I'm sure he waxes poetically about the look and feel of the Glock 9mm with infrared sight.... Nothing like a warm gun, baby.

-Robert

 

[nutxo]

Originally posted by: NewSc2

Originally posted by: SynthesisI


Anyways, why can't he appeal to homosexuals? Being a president means having to listen to the needs of everybody of all races, genders, sexual preferences. Believe it or not, even though gay marriage is a touchy issue, they're still citizens of the United States and vote, so they hold some power in this country.

Because gay men dont like bush.

 

[sMiLeYz]

You're not a homophobe are you SynthesisI?

Otherwise I would agree with the sentiments of the rest of the people here, I've actually gained respect for the courage and open mindedness of Clark to agree to appear on the cover of a Gay magazine. Most politicians would be too afraid touch the issue of gay rights, I for one commend him.

 

[arsbanned]

The big deal is a former general of the United States Armed Services dressing down as at least a 'metrosexual' (who Dean claims to be, btw) to appeal to homosexuals. Is that Presidential behavior? I think not. And it's another nail in his coffin in this campaign.

It could be that not everyone is as paranoid and intolerant as you? Just a thought.
FTR, I like Clark; he has the potential to be a very good leader for this country.
For one thing, can you really handle the thought of having to listen to GW Bush speak (well, I use the term lightly ) for another 4 years. Dear God that alone would be enough to get me to vote for Satan himself if necessary!

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz
You're not a homophobe are you SynthesisI?

Go figure - Someone was bound to bring that up

CkG

 

[Piano Man]

Originally posted by: SynthesisI
The big deal is a former general of the United States Armed Services dressing down as at least a 'metrosexual' (who Dean claims to be, btw) to appeal to homosexuals. Is that Presidential behavior? I think not. And it's another nail in his coffin in this campaign.

Hmmm, dressing up to help break down barriers, or dressing up to help promote a selfish war? You decide which is worse..................

 

[chess9]

Oooooh, PianoMan, Exquisite Logic in B Flat Minor....

-Robert

 

[MonstaThrilla]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz
You're not a homophobe are you SynthesisI?

Go figure - Someone was bound to bring that up

CkG

C'mon man. Just by reading the OP's post, a blind man in a room full of deaf people would come to that conclusion...

 

[Dari]

I always thought Clark was openly gay. At least he appears so.


EDIT: Who knows, this is probably his coming out party.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: MonstaThrilla

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz
You're not a homophobe are you SynthesisI?

Go figure - Someone was bound to bring that up

CkG

C'mon man. Just by reading the OP's post, a blind man in a room full of deaf people would come to that conclusion...

Just because someone doesn't agree with homosexuality or speaks out against it - does NOT mean they are homophobic. It really is a lame attempt at trying to vilify someone, especially if people really are as "concerned" about gay rights as they claim they are. Calling someone a homophobe helps your cause - how?

CkG

 

[arsbanned]

Well, it certainly makes their motivations clear. It isn't really about a "cause" anyway. It's about someone thinking that because Clark isn't hostile to gays he's incompatible with the Presidency of the U.S.