Burnt Orange Report

Clark Skipping NH Debate. Why???

By Byron LaMasters

Here's another decision by the Clark campaign that makes little sense

Wesley Clark, who bypassed Iowa to focus on New Hampshire and other primary states, will skip a Democratic presidential debate in the Granite State next month to attend a fund-raiser in New York.

The debate is slated for Dec. 9 and the eight other candidates have changed their schedules to attend. Clark, however, will be taking part in a previously scheduled fund-raiser in which the campaign hopes to collect $1.5 million.

"I hope the people of New Hampshire will understand," Clark told reporters Friday. "I certainly mean no disrespect. You make obligations. You can't move them. You can't get out of them. People have to respect that."

Clark said he asked the Democratic National Committee to reschedule the debate or hold it at a different time that day, but the DNC could not. "We have not moved any of the debates and there have been other scheduling conflicts" from other candidates, said Josh Wachs, the DNC's chief operating officer.

[...]

Still, Clark's move gave some New Hampshire Democrats pause and drew criticism from his rivals.

"There's going to be a lot of attention on this event because it's the big DNC-sanctioned debate in New Hampshire," said Rich Sigel, a Democratic activist from Concord, N.H. "Fairly or unfairly, it may raise questions for some as to how seriously General Clark takes New Hampshire."

Several candidates, including Joe Lieberman, John Kerry and Howard Dean, shifted fund-raisers to attend the debate, aides said.

A candidate can change the time of his or her fundraiser easily. Yeah, it might be a little bit of trouble, but much less problematic than pissing off a lot of people in a critical primary state. For Clark the problem is compounded by the fact that New Hampshire is the first state in which he is competing. He needs to do well there, and this doesn't help.

To be honest, I really wanted to support Clark, but I've found myself back pretty solidly in the Dean camp at this point. From not utilizing their grassroots support, to passing on Iowa and missing the AFSCME nod, Clark's missed his opportunity with me.