Video courtesy of Brightcove.tv and Northwest Florida Daily News
Wesley Clark fires up Democrats
The retired Army general visited Destin and Crestview on Tuesday
September 30, 2008 | Northwest Florida Daily News | Tom McLaughlin and Kyle Wright
DESTIN - Bush-bashing, McCain cracks and Palin-knocking were all the rage Tuesday morning at Harbor Docks restaurant.
Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark was brought in to fire up Democrats in support of presidential candidate Barack Obama. He got the opportunity before about 200 people.
"It's wonderful. It's this way all over the country," Clark said of the crowd's size and enthusiasm.
He said the Bush administration has helped fuel the fire for Obama.
"People know something's wrong. It's not like America to lurch from crisis to crisis. They're counting on Barack Obama to fix it," he said.
Those in attendance were young and old, black, white and Asian, veteran and non-veteran, even Republican. One man, 84-year-old Fred Hoole, told Clark he intended to vote for a Democrat for president for the first time since 1948.
Harbor Docks owner Charles Morgan set the tone for the event with a shot at Okaloosa County Republicans, who were unable to land a national figure for a rally Sunday.
Listing some of the notable Democrats who have spoken at Harbor Docks, Morgan noted, "That may lead you to think we lean to the Democratic side of things."
"Actually, we'd be happy to host Republicans here," Morgan added. "But in a county where Republicans outnumber Democrats by three to one ... they can't get anybody down here to speak. I don't think we'd have any more success."
Clark spoke of the four crises of the Bush administration, beginning with 9/11 and then the invasion of Iraq, Hurricane Katrina and the now-unfolding economic crisis.
In each crisis, poor planning led to unacceptable outcomes, Clark said.
October 17, 2006
General Wesley Clark on CSPAN2 
