Gen. Wesley Clark revs up the crowd in Destin FL

Clark revs up crowd of 200

September 30, 2008 - 12:11PM
Tom McLaughlin
Daily News
DESTIN -- Bush-bashing, McCain cracks and Palin-knocking were all the rage Tuesday morning at Harbor Docks restaurant in Destin.

Gen. Wesley Clark was the man brought in to fire up the Democratic masses in support of presidential candidate Barack Obama, and, in Northwest Florida, the 200 or so who showed up to see him constituted a sizeable outpouring of affection.

"It's wonderful. It's this way all over the country," Clark said of the crowd's size and enthusiasm.

He added that the George W. Bush administration has helped fuel the fire for Obama.

"People know something's wrong. It's not like America to lurch from crisis to crisis. They're counting on Barack Obama to fix it," he said.

Those in attendance were young and old, black, white and Asian, veteran and non-veteran, even Republican. One man, 84-year-old Fred Hoole, told Clark he intended to vote for a Democrat for president for the first time since 1948.

Restaurant owner Charles Morgan set the tone for the Clark event with a shot at Okaloosa County Republicans, who were unable to land a national figure for a rally they held Sunday.

Listing some of the notable Democrats who had spoken in the past at Harbor Docks, Morgan noted "that may lead you to think we lean to the Democratic side of things."

"Actually, we'd be happy to host Republicans here," Morgan added. "But in a county where Republicans outnumber Democrats by three to one ... they can't get anybody down here to speak. I don't think we'd have any more success."
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