(Washington, DC), August 18, 2003- DraftWesleyClark.com, the campaign to draft former General Wesley Clark for President, today released the results of an analysis commissioned to address the question, “is it too late for Wesley Clark to answer the race?” The study was performed by Dr. Chris Kofinis, former professor and analyst of American politics.

“Time and time again, we heard people question whether it was too late,” said John Hlinko, co-founder of the effort. “But we figured, rather than count on ‘shoot from the hip’ punditry, we would retain Dr. Kofinis to perform a serious, academic analysis.”

THE FINDINGS: NOT TOO LATE

“This first analysis of Wesley Clark’s candidacy suggests that because the race is so wide open, Clark can readily and immediately compete for the Democratic nomination,” said Kofinis. “The argument that it is too late for Clark to enter the race for the nomination is, at best, weak and appears to ignore the findings and trends of recent polls.”

The report -- “Is it too late for Wesley Clark to enter the 2004 race for the Democratic nomination?” – is posted in full at www.DraftWesleyClark.com. Key findings include the following:

· The current democratic race remains very competitive, in varying degrees, among at least four to five candidates;
· Except for Howard Dean, the trend of support for all other candidates remains stagnant or declining;
· The number of undecided is high both in state and national polls;
· The current democratic race for the nomination lacks a true frontrunner or dominant political figure; and
· Even at this “late stage,” the opportunity exists for Wesley Clark to enter what is, in fact, a wide-open nomination race.

“The last time a Rhodes Scholar from Arkansas ran against a guy named Bush, he did okay, and he announced in October,” said Josh Margulies, co-founder of the effort. “Thus, we’re not surprised that Dr. Kofinis’s analysis confirmed our belief that there is still time for General Clark to enter this race.”

For more information, please see www.DraftWesleyClark.com.

ABOUT DR. CHRIS KOFINIS

Dr. Chris Kofinis is a political consultant and analyst of American politics. He has conducted original research and presented analyses on American politics at over a dozen national and international political science conferences.

Dr. Kofinis was formerly a professor at the Department of Political Science at California State University, Northridge, and the School of Public Administration, at California State University, Northridge. He holds a PhD in Political Science and an MA in Public Policy from Claremont, an MA in Political Science from the University of Nevada, and a BA with Honors from Queens University.

Dr. Kofinis is the co-author (with Dr. Stella Theodoulou) of "The Art of the Game," an exploration of the American political and policy process (forthcoming, October, 2003).

ABOUT DRAFTWESLEYCLARK.COM

Launched in April, 2003, DraftWesleyClark.com has collected tens of thousands of letters urging General Clark to run, raised half a million dollars in pledges, and built a network of volunteer leaders, ready to serve – if General Clark chooses to lead. DraftWesleyClark.com has already been featured on Good Morning America, Meet The Press, CBS Evening News, Crossfire, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox, as well as in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Esquire and Newsweek.

DraftWesleyClark.com is the largest effort to draft the General. It is not affiliated with General Clark, but is motivated by high regard for his solid record of leadership and achievement: Former supreme commander of NATO; First in his class at West Point; Vietnam combat veteran; A Rhodes Scholar; A necessary voice of common sense and moderation on the foreign policy front. The effort is headquartered in Washington, DC, one block from the White House. For more information, please see www.DraftWesleyClark.com.