You my boy, Blue!

Wesley Clark is out of the race. Bummer.

What could he have done differently? Plenty. Then again, he couldn't have predicted Dean's stumble, the Iowa vacuum, Kerry's freakish rise, the sticking power of the "not really a Democrat" criticism, or that he'd look so stiff on TV. He probably should've thrown his hat in earlier, raised more money, established a unique candidacy (instead of one that followed rhetorically whoever was in the lead that week), and gone with a more creative campaign staff.

Ah, General, your policy was so nice, your interviews so gratifying . . . on paper. I really think he was the best man for the job, not that the other two survivors are at all unqualified. The best thing about Wesley, which we never got a chance to see, was his crossover dribble appeal. "I like Wesley Clark," my brother unexpectedly said once when the primaries came up. My generally conservative brother, who often defends Bush and who thought Dean was a crock of shit from the beginning, threw that out there before he knew Wesley was my boy. He was only one vote, but there were lots of others just like him.

I hope he gets some VP consideration (with Kerry maybe?) or at least an appointment to a position where he can do this country some good. I'd hate for him to be a one-and-done politician.