Unsurprisingly, Gov. Bill Richardson is getting lots of calls on behalf of Obama and Clinton these days. I heard him on KUNM not long ago (maybe Super Tuesday night) questioning the importance of endorsements one way or the other. But I think, particularly financially, Richardson did very well among the former candidates and his endorsement, if it yields throwing his former supporters, even a portion of them, toward his endorsee, could be influential. And, certainly, in Texas his support could represent a tipping point for one or the other. Time will tell, I suppose.
(cross-referenced from Julia Goldberg's Blog.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
*Not* an endorsement, my *ss
The two Bills claim that their Super Bowl party shouldn't be considered an endorsement. But c'mon, this photo from today's New Mexican front page is as good as one, dontcha think?
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Slate on Richardson
Slate's implying that Richardson may come out for Obama, citing quotes from the Washington Post about how Obama saved him during one of the debates. But Slate's talking Secretary of State, not VP.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Bye Bye Bill
This story appears today on SFR.com
As the crowd chanted, “We love Bill,” the governor of New Mexico entered the Roundhouse, where he will next week oversee the beginning of the ’08 legislative session, and told the supporters and media packing the Rotunda that as of Jan. 10 his presidential campaign has ended and he’s home.
Looking cheerful and cracking jokes, Richardson characterized his year-long campaign as “a remarkable process,” and one, he said, from which he learned “I don’t have all the answers,” prompting laughter from the heavily Democratic audience.
Richardson credited his campaign as having influenced the discourse of the 2008 presidential race, noting that, “A year ago, we were the only major campaign calling for the removal of all of our troops within a year’s time from Iraq. We were the only campaign calling for a complete reform of education in this country…and we were the campaign with the most aggressive clean energy plan and the most ambitious standards for reducing global warming…now all of the remaining candidates are coming to our point of view.”
But Richardson—who has emphasized his dislike for personal attacks among candidates—also paid due to the other past and present Democrat contenders, singling each out with words of praise. He noted John Edwards as a “singular voice for the most downtrodden and forgotten among us,” Illinois Sen. Barack Obama as “a bright light of hope and optimism” and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton as someone whose “poise in the face of adversity is matched only by her lifetime of achievement and deep understanding of the challenges we face.”
Richardson said he would not be endorsing any of the remaining candidates, but urged those who had supported him “to take a long and thoughtful look at the remaining Democrats. They are all strong contenders who each, in their own way, would bring desperately needed change to our country.”
Richardson said that with the end of his presidential run, he plans to continue his international missions, ride his horse and work for the election of New Mexico Congressman Tom Udall, who is running for the US Senate seat to replace Pete Domenici. Udall, who introduced Richardson, gave the governor props for running the most “substantive” campaign and told him, and the crowd: “You worked the hardest Gov. Richardson.”
Richardson’s announcement follows lackluster showings in the Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses, where he garnered 2 and 5 percent, respectively. He did not take questions from the media following the press conference, and did not speak to the ongoing question of whether he hopes to secure either a slot as a Vice Presidential running mate for whomever wins the Dem nomination or, as is often mentioned, an appointment as Secretary of State. Although Richardson has dropped out of the race, he will still be listed as a candidate for New Mexico’s Feb. 5 Democratic caucus, which is part of the so-called Super Tuesday races.
Richardson did acknowledge the next legislative session, which begins Jan. 15, and his universal health-care proposal, which he has made his top priority.
In addition to thanking his wife, Barbara Richardson, staff and supporters, Richardson ended his speech by calling himself “the luckiest man I know.”
“I am married to my high school sweetheart. I live in a place called the Land of Enchantment. I have the best job in the world. And I just got to run for president of the Untied States.”
And to legislators and citizens, he said he had a message: “I am back.”
As the crowd chanted, “We love Bill,” the governor of New Mexico entered the Roundhouse, where he will next week oversee the beginning of the ’08 legislative session, and told the supporters and media packing the Rotunda that as of Jan. 10 his presidential campaign has ended and he’s home.
Looking cheerful and cracking jokes, Richardson characterized his year-long campaign as “a remarkable process,” and one, he said, from which he learned “I don’t have all the answers,” prompting laughter from the heavily Democratic audience.
Richardson credited his campaign as having influenced the discourse of the 2008 presidential race, noting that, “A year ago, we were the only major campaign calling for the removal of all of our troops within a year’s time from Iraq. We were the only campaign calling for a complete reform of education in this country…and we were the campaign with the most aggressive clean energy plan and the most ambitious standards for reducing global warming…now all of the remaining candidates are coming to our point of view.”
But Richardson—who has emphasized his dislike for personal attacks among candidates—also paid due to the other past and present Democrat contenders, singling each out with words of praise. He noted John Edwards as a “singular voice for the most downtrodden and forgotten among us,” Illinois Sen. Barack Obama as “a bright light of hope and optimism” and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton as someone whose “poise in the face of adversity is matched only by her lifetime of achievement and deep understanding of the challenges we face.”
Richardson said he would not be endorsing any of the remaining candidates, but urged those who had supported him “to take a long and thoughtful look at the remaining Democrats. They are all strong contenders who each, in their own way, would bring desperately needed change to our country.”
Richardson said that with the end of his presidential run, he plans to continue his international missions, ride his horse and work for the election of New Mexico Congressman Tom Udall, who is running for the US Senate seat to replace Pete Domenici. Udall, who introduced Richardson, gave the governor props for running the most “substantive” campaign and told him, and the crowd: “You worked the hardest Gov. Richardson.”
Richardson’s announcement follows lackluster showings in the Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses, where he garnered 2 and 5 percent, respectively. He did not take questions from the media following the press conference, and did not speak to the ongoing question of whether he hopes to secure either a slot as a Vice Presidential running mate for whomever wins the Dem nomination or, as is often mentioned, an appointment as Secretary of State. Although Richardson has dropped out of the race, he will still be listed as a candidate for New Mexico’s Feb. 5 Democratic caucus, which is part of the so-called Super Tuesday races.
Richardson did acknowledge the next legislative session, which begins Jan. 15, and his universal health-care proposal, which he has made his top priority.
In addition to thanking his wife, Barbara Richardson, staff and supporters, Richardson ended his speech by calling himself “the luckiest man I know.”
“I am married to my high school sweetheart. I live in a place called the Land of Enchantment. I have the best job in the world. And I just got to run for president of the Untied States.”
And to legislators and citizens, he said he had a message: “I am back.”
bye bye bill
Cribbed from my blog.
The general consensus in the blogosphere about Bill Richardson's decision to drop out of the race (still unconfirmed by the man himself, which is ridiculous).
1. Richardson wouldn't turn down an SOS or VP job (obviously and, for what it's worth, I've had more than two people tell me that Richardson has told them that directly).
Again, it's irritating to me that he denies all along that he's interested in that but, then, everyone knows he is. And it will be spun around as, "well he wasn't interested in it when he was running for president, but now that he's not, blah blah blah." Isn't there a fine line between political semantics and being full of shit? And shouldn't one just try to stay away from that line if they are running for office in a year in which people are decidedly unequivocally sick of politicians being full of shit? I'm just saying.
2. The guv may find the Legislature harder to control than when he left. If so, something tells me bullying the Legislature into line may be just the post-presidential-partum-pick-me-up old Bill needs.
3. Some feel the guv may support one of the remaining candidates, aka Hillary for the Feb. 5 ballot. Others believe he's screwed up too badly with the Clintons to do so. Some think he may still try to win on the NM Feb. 5 ballot (on which he will remain) to try to control ballots at the Convention. Others say this is too risky and will piss people off. I predict he will not, certainly, publicly endorse anyone, but everyone will know that he's encouraging people to vote for someone but then when you ask him or his staff they will deny it and say no comment. Even though everyone knows it's true. My money's on Obama at the moment. I mean, my imaginary money.
4. Some wonder if Bill will now run for Domenici's seat for US Senate. Others say there's no way he will do that because Tom Udall is running and Tom's daughter, Amanda, is a heavyweight on Bill's campaign (a heavyweight who doesn't return phone calls, I might add) and there's no way Tom would have run if Bill was going to. I believe that is true, although I doubt it would stop him if Richardson really wanted to be in the US Senate. Which I assume he won't if he can be the SOS or the VP. If those are out of reach, then who knows.
5. Some say Bill will be remembered for trying, others say he will be remembered for failing. Some say he ran a good campaign, others say it wasn't good enough. He had clever ads, was a sucky debater, made some really stupid comments, although I thought his last few public appearances were a lot better. He touted his resume early and then the campaign turned into one in which change and youth were valued over experience. But I personally salute him for a comment he made during one of the post-Iowa debates, when he was asked if he thought youth was a detriment for a presidential candidate. Despite his emphasis on his experience, Richardson said very clearly that he did not think youth was a detriment and he spoke about the fact that JFK was a political hero of his, and that his youth and energy inspired a nation. I thought, at the time, that it was a generous and honest comment. I believe he really felt that, and that he can recognize that ain't no JFK. Although, now that I think about it, I suppose it might have been a comment calculated to gain points with Obama. Or, perhaps, it was a lucky truth. I find it really obvious when Richardson is being himself versus when he's trying to be something he's not, and that moment struck me as very much of the former ilk.
What a year it's going to be.
p.s.: Read Joe and Heath for more, if you haven't already.
The general consensus in the blogosphere about Bill Richardson's decision to drop out of the race (still unconfirmed by the man himself, which is ridiculous).
1. Richardson wouldn't turn down an SOS or VP job (obviously and, for what it's worth, I've had more than two people tell me that Richardson has told them that directly).
Again, it's irritating to me that he denies all along that he's interested in that but, then, everyone knows he is. And it will be spun around as, "well he wasn't interested in it when he was running for president, but now that he's not, blah blah blah." Isn't there a fine line between political semantics and being full of shit? And shouldn't one just try to stay away from that line if they are running for office in a year in which people are decidedly unequivocally sick of politicians being full of shit? I'm just saying.
2. The guv may find the Legislature harder to control than when he left. If so, something tells me bullying the Legislature into line may be just the post-presidential-partum-pick-me-up old Bill needs.
3. Some feel the guv may support one of the remaining candidates, aka Hillary for the Feb. 5 ballot. Others believe he's screwed up too badly with the Clintons to do so. Some think he may still try to win on the NM Feb. 5 ballot (on which he will remain) to try to control ballots at the Convention. Others say this is too risky and will piss people off. I predict he will not, certainly, publicly endorse anyone, but everyone will know that he's encouraging people to vote for someone but then when you ask him or his staff they will deny it and say no comment. Even though everyone knows it's true. My money's on Obama at the moment. I mean, my imaginary money.
4. Some wonder if Bill will now run for Domenici's seat for US Senate. Others say there's no way he will do that because Tom Udall is running and Tom's daughter, Amanda, is a heavyweight on Bill's campaign (a heavyweight who doesn't return phone calls, I might add) and there's no way Tom would have run if Bill was going to. I believe that is true, although I doubt it would stop him if Richardson really wanted to be in the US Senate. Which I assume he won't if he can be the SOS or the VP. If those are out of reach, then who knows.
5. Some say Bill will be remembered for trying, others say he will be remembered for failing. Some say he ran a good campaign, others say it wasn't good enough. He had clever ads, was a sucky debater, made some really stupid comments, although I thought his last few public appearances were a lot better. He touted his resume early and then the campaign turned into one in which change and youth were valued over experience. But I personally salute him for a comment he made during one of the post-Iowa debates, when he was asked if he thought youth was a detriment for a presidential candidate. Despite his emphasis on his experience, Richardson said very clearly that he did not think youth was a detriment and he spoke about the fact that JFK was a political hero of his, and that his youth and energy inspired a nation. I thought, at the time, that it was a generous and honest comment. I believe he really felt that, and that he can recognize that ain't no JFK. Although, now that I think about it, I suppose it might have been a comment calculated to gain points with Obama. Or, perhaps, it was a lucky truth. I find it really obvious when Richardson is being himself versus when he's trying to be something he's not, and that moment struck me as very much of the former ilk.
What a year it's going to be.
p.s.: Read Joe and Heath for more, if you haven't already.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
DailyKos calls for Richardson to drop out.
Even Wolf Blitzer called Richardson's 5 percent in New Hampshire, "very, very disappointing." The word is Richardson is heading back to New Mexico (if he isn't here already) to consider his game plan. Should he stay until Super Duper Tuesday, should he go back to governing? Personally, I'd like to see him stay until February, if only because I'm envious of the Republican's wide-open two-dozen-candidate race.
Sara Padilla, a NM resident and blogger, disagrees. On today's Dailykos.com, Padilla respectfullybegs Richardson to drop out and drop out now.
Padilla writes:
"I can't help but wonder, if you threw your weight behind someone with a stronger candidacy going into the the next few weeks, if you might not have a stronger impact on the direction this country is headed. As one of your constituents, I look forward to seeing your continued career in American government. I believe that you still have great things ahead of you, and will continue to be a credit to our state. This year, though, we need you to take one for the team."
Sara Padilla, a NM resident and blogger, disagrees. On today's Dailykos.com, Padilla respectfullybegs Richardson to drop out and drop out now.
Padilla writes:
"I can't help but wonder, if you threw your weight behind someone with a stronger candidacy going into the the next few weeks, if you might not have a stronger impact on the direction this country is headed. As one of your constituents, I look forward to seeing your continued career in American government. I believe that you still have great things ahead of you, and will continue to be a credit to our state. This year, though, we need you to take one for the team."
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
You Tube Dump
Punchline: From last night's return of the Colbert Report
MIA: Richardson stands up voters
Seeing Red: Profile of Richardson's spooky ginger intern
Take a bow (out): Admiral Duke asks Bill to come home.
MIA: Richardson stands up voters
Seeing Red: Profile of Richardson's spooky ginger intern
Take a bow (out): Admiral Duke asks Bill to come home.
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