Clark Update

It’s been a tough week for the Clark campaign, and a lot of the controversy centers over the role that Clark’s grass roots supporters (given that it’s on the internet, perhaps that should be “fiber roots” supporters) will play versus the role that long time DC political strategists like Fabiani and Lehane will play. Right now, it’s advantage: DC strategists.

But the internet supporters are down, but not out, as Tapped’s Garance Franke-Rutte reports in this post (in a much more fair and balanced way than in her previous posts).

AB

P.S. I somewhat disagree with Franke-Rutte’s characterization of Angry Bear as a “Clark-friendly blog”, even though I’m listed as such at http://www.draftclark.com/. This is a Democrat-friendly blog. I also contend that my previous posts were attacks on her selective presentation of facts and quotations, not really attacks on her (“Clark-friendly blogs — like Angry Bear and former Senate staffer Amy Sullivan’s Political Aims — have launched attacks on me for my reporting on the Draft movement”). On the other hand, she may have a point: comparing her to Bill Safire was probably below the belt.

UPDATE: Josh Marshall adds this:

Based on things I hear from various folks who are in the mix, I think that it’s much less clear-cut than this Internet types versus the insiders line we’re hearing.

What surprises me and, to an extent, impresses me is that Clark has managed to do as well as he has, even with this sort of chaotic management at the home office.

…Getting a campaign up to speed in a few weeks is no simple task. If Clark is someone who will make a good president, he’ll get this situation in hand.

…The big picture here is that there’s a vacuum of authority in the campaign operation. Because of that, all the various currents in the Dem party — out-of-power Clinton-Gore types, new-fangled Internet types, etc. — are trying to fill that vacuum. Bottom line: Clark has to assert himself over his campaign back office.