Ed Morrissey says Hillary Clinton has reason to be worried about New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as she runs for the Democratic Party's 2008 presidential nomination. Richardson, just reelected to a second term as New Mexico's governor, has "an incredible amount of applicable experience for the presidency," writes Morrissey.
He has extensive foreign-affairs experience; he has plenty of contacts in Congress and a long history of working between the legislative and executive branches; and most of all, he has solid executive experience that all of the other main [Democratic] candidates for the nomination lack. In fact, compared to Richardson, the rest of the pack look like amateurs playing at national politics. ...
The Democrats have no one else with a resume to match Richardson, with the possible (and extreme) exception of former Vice President Al Gore. The Democrats certainly have no other candidates with Richardson’s experience and his certified centrist appeal.
Neither do the Republicans have anyone in their committed field of candidates who can match this resume, either. And that should worry the GOP, if Richardson gets close.
Democrat blogger Ken Camp makes a similar case for Richardson at the Western Democrat blog.
I'm a conservative Republican, so I'd prefer a Republican president, naturally. I'm not starting "Tennesseans for Richardson" or anything like that - about the only way I'd vote for someone for president other than the GOP nominee in November '08 is if the Dems nominate Richardson and the GOP nominates Chuck Hagel.
But Richardson's experience is gold and his record as Governor of New Mexico, complete with tax cuts, could not be characterized as crazy left-wing liberalism. That's why Richardson was just re-elected with 69 percent of the vote in a red state. In a state that leans Republican he got 40 percent of the Republican vote.
In fact, of all the candidates and rumored candidates on the Democratic side, none would worry me less if he or she won the White House than Bill Richardson. And that fact ought to scare the Republican Party, if Richardson manages to win the nomination.
Other Online Resources:
Americans for Richardson - an unofficial blog that aims to grow the "netroots" supporting Richardson for president.
Bill Richardson's Wikipedia entry.
Bill Richardson Blog - another unofficial blog boosting Richardson for president.
Bill Richardson 2006 - Richardson's 2006 gubernatorial reelection campaign website.
Ditto. Of course that might also damn him from getting his party's nomination--either that or force him to turn so radical over the next two years that Republicans aren't able to remember a Bill Richardson that wasn't so poisonous.
Posted by: Bob K | January 23, 2007 12:07 PM | Permalink to Comment