Wes Clark Jr. paid a visit to campus Wednesday morning to spread the message for the presidential campaign of his father, Gen. Wesley Clark. He spoke to a classroom of more than 50 students, adults and camera crews.

The candidate's son strayed from focusing solely on politics and talked about his family life and how his father is just a "regular guy."

"What makes my dad really stand out from the others is that he hasn't been a politician for the last 20 years," Clark said. "He has been out there doing it and taking care of people."

Speaking to the crowd, Clark openly criticized President Bush.

"We're looking at a problem in this country right now," he said.

He went on to talk about why his father is running for president and how he claims he will beat Bush. Clark said his father is addressing issues such as the economy during his campaign.

"I have a three-week-old baby, and I don't want his job options to be Wal-Mart and McDonald's," he said.

Jeff Rector, a political theory and constitutional democracy sophomore, said he thought Wes Clark Jr. was an effective speaker.

"He specifically expressed an interest in students and going to campuses all over the state," Rector said. "The most important thing he talked about was about backing up your talk with actions."

Clark said while his father didn't focus his efforts on the Iowa caucus, the results of Monday's caucus are a good sign.

"Look at the top three winners: We have a war hero (John Kerry), a Southerner (John Edwards) and someone who claims to be an outsider (Howard Dean)," he said. "My dad has all three of their characteristics."

But Steve Purchase, an international relations and political theory and constitutional democracy junior, is not as confident in Clark's campaign.

"I personally think Dean is the stronger candidate," he said. "Wesley Clark has wobbled on a lot of important issues, and he doesn't have the experience needed to be a politician and a president."

A listener in the crowd asked Clark what he would say about rumors that the general is not truly a Democrat.

"For those who say he is opportunistic about this, I'm sorry. He has always supported Democrats," he said.

Jaclyn Macek, a social relations junior, said she thinks it was a good move for Wes Clark Jr. to come to MSU.

"It's definitely beneficial for politicians to have their children come talk to people on campus," she said.

Macek said she saw candidate John Kerry's daughter, Vanessa, speak on campus in December. She said although she appreciated Clark's campus visit, she still supports John Kerry for the Democratic nomination.

"I think Kerry is riding a big wave off of the Iowa caucus, and I'm not sure Wesley Clark is ready to go up against him in a debate," she said.

Wes Clark Jr. left the room with final comments about his father's dedication.

"If people don't start standing up for their beliefs, we are finished," Clark said. "My father is doing this out of true belief."