African Americans for Democratic Leadership (AADL) urges all African Americans to support General Wesley Clark in the Democratic primary and the 2004 presidential election. We believe that General Clark’s candidacy could not have come at a better time.

Just as Americans are waking up and realizing that the war in Iraq has become a $100 billion Never Land, diverting us from the war on terror, General Clark has stepped forward and launched his campaign to help get us out of the messes that George W. Bush & Co. have gotten us into. AADL believes that General Clark is the Best Thing -- and that none of the other candidates who claim to be the “Next-to-Blackest Thing” can pack the punch needed to win the White House in 2004.

Even conservatives understand that Iraq was an elective war. But now that our troops are committed and dying daily for Iraqi independence, we need someone who is capable of creating a viable exit strategy. Leaving the foxes in the henhouse simply isn't an option; it's dangerous for our place in the world and it's dangerous for our civil rights and economic well-being at home.

But as we face historic challenges overseas and at home, something in the African-American approach for choosing our candidates has begun to change. It is no longer be good enough for candidates to invoke their involvement in the Civil Rights Movements of the 1950s and 1960s as a proxy for present day action on issues vital to the well-being of our culture, our children and extended-family overseas. African Americans demand more. We know that while Mississippi is alive and well in 2004, we also have an educated black population, media outlets which reflect African-American concerns, as well as the internet. There is no excuse for pretending that African Americans aren't paying attention to social and political details.

African Americans can read, write and do the math. There's no point in asking white candidates to put on black face for a few hours on some stopover to somewhere else. We’ve seen that routine before. Our candidates need to be where we are and talk concretely about the galaxy of issues that impact upon our lives. To do this, we must put our whole bodies inside the door, not just our feet. We are not outsiders in this country, and it's time we stopped short-changing our children by being so damned easy.

Wesley Clark, a general of four stars, is not likely to get up on stage and wiggle his hips. He's not going to enthrall the choir with tales of his days as a Civil Rights marcher. No, you're not going to get someone who is blacker than Dean on the day. What you're going to get is straight logic, straight talk and someone who walks a straight line.

What sets General Clark apart from a crowded field of candidates is, of course, his vast military experience. Sadly the United States Military is one of the few organizations in American society that is truly integrated. African Americans have a better chance of competing on an equal footing in the United States Military than almost anywhere else. General Clark understands this because he has served in the Military nearly all of his adult life. He has supervised African Americans and he has served under them. His unique experience in this regard has allowed General Clark to develop a vision for America, in which African Americans may achieve their full potential for the benefit of all. More than any other Democratic candidate, he knows that "best" means the most competent, and "brightest" has nothing to do with skin color.

Those who are familiar with General Clark’s background call him a soldier for equal opportunity. That’s because General Clark understands that every child needs to be brought forward to explore her potential, not pulled up from behind like somebody's stepchild. General Clark understands the meaning of "global village," and he wants to make sure that this village is green and fruitful for our grandchildren's grandchildren. He will not walk it alone and he will not half-step. This is not trickle down, voodoo economics, but solid financial planning and fiscal responsibility. With Clark as president, Black enterprise will not just be the name of a magazine, but a concept that will go hand in hand with American prosperity.

So, as it has often been done with other candidates who do not share General Clark’s remarkable biography and life experiences, African Americans should not ask Wesley Clark how black he can be, because the real question is how black *we* can be when driving, walking, shopping, playing and working in America. General Clark is the candidate who best understands this distinction. We support General Clark and look forward to seeing him out on the campaign trail through 2004, with colors flying.

Regina A. Mullen is Director of African Americans for Democratic Leadership. Ms. Mullen holds a bachelors degree from Harvard University and a juris doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School.



Note: Major organizations endorsing Democratic candidates for President are free to submit their endorsements for publicaton on this website. Democrats.US does not side with any particular candidate in the 2004 presidential primary.