U.S. Democratic Party presidential nomination, 2004

The 2004 U.S. Democratic Party presidential nomination was won by U.S. Senator John Kerry from Massachusetts, who selected John Edwards from North Carolina as his running mate. The nomination process was a series of primaries and caucuses culminating in the Democratic National Convention. By this process, Kerry and Edwards were chosen to represent the Democrats in the 2004 election for President and Vice President of the United States.

Wesley Clark enters

Over the summer of 2003, several organized groups began a nationwide campaign to "draft" retired four-star general Wesley Clark for the Democratic Party's nomination for the 2004 presidential election. CNN on August 13 showed a commercial by one of these groups and interviewed Clark. He disavowed any connection with the "draft Clark" groups, but said he had been considering his position and that within a few weeks he would likely make public his decision on whether or not to

Related Topics:
2003 - Nationwide - Draft - Four-star general - Wesley Clark - August 13 - Commercial

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run. He also fueled speculation with a television interview in which he first declared himself a Democrat.

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On September 17, 2003, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Clark announced his intention to run in the presidential primary election for the Democratic Party nomination, becoming the tenth and last Democrat to do so (coming many months after the others): "My name is Wes Clark. I am from Little Rock, Arkansas, and I am here to announce that I intend to seek the presidency of the United States of America." He said, "We're going to run a campaign that will move this country forward, not back."

Related Topics:
September 17 - Presidential primary election

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His campaign focused on themes of leadership and patriotism; early campaign ads relied heavily on biography. His late start left him with relatively few detailed policy proposals. This weakness was apparent in his first few debates, although he soon presented a range of position papers, including a major tax-relief plan. Nevertheless, many Democrats flocked to his campaign. They were drawn by his

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impressive military background, and saw such foreign policy credentials as a valuable asset in challenging George W. Bush post-September 11. Advisors and supporters portrayed him as more electable than Howard Dean, who was still the front-runner for the party's nomination. Despite the burst of enthusiasm for Clark in late 2003, Dean maintained a strong lead in the polls for the latter half of the year.

Related Topics:
George W. Bush - September 11 - Howard Dean

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Criticism of Clark began almost the moment he entered the race. Originally heralded as an antiwar general, he stumbled in the first few days of his candidacy. He was perceived as changing his answer on how he would have voted on the Iraq war resolution. His supporters argued that his perceived indecision was due to lack of experience with the media and their insistence on short "sound bite" answers.

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