Former Gen. Wesley Clark’s campaign, which started late and struggled to gain momentum, ended Wednesday with broad hints from the candidate that this might not be his last political battle.
“Folks, this old soldier will not fade away,” Clark told an overflow crowd of supporters at a Little Rock hotel, the day after his third-place finish in the Virginia and Tennessee primaries.
The former NATO commander’s wife, Gert, welcomed those who came to say farewell to the Clarks “in their early political career.”
Clark coupled his withdrawal with words of praise for his remaining rivals–the front-runner, Sen. John Kerry, as well as Sen. John Edwards and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean.
“They’re good men, they’re good Democrats, and they’re good patriots,” Clark said.
California Democratic party chairman Art Torres also saw a political future for the former NATO commander.
Clark was among a handful of Democrats who has stirred talk in his state as a potential vice presidential nominee, Torres said, adding he could foresee the 4-star general as a secretary of state in a John Kerry administration.
“I don’t think he’s burned any bridges. He’s kept his bridges open, as any military commander would do,” Torres said.
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The horse race
Where the Democratic presidential candidates stand in the race for 2,162 delegates.
John Kerry: 538 delegates
Howard Dean: 182 delegates
John Edwards: 166 delegates
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Al Sharpton: 12 delegates
Dennis Kucinich: 2 delegates
Finish line: 2,162 delegate votes needed for nomination (out of 4,322 total votes).