Bill Richardson For President

Not Hillary. Not Obama.

I like Bill Richardson.

Why?

Bill Richardson has wide-ranging, diverse experience in government. He basically served as Bill Clinton's international problem solver. And he's a Governor, rather than a Senator, skilled at moving forward a legislative agenda.

Bill Richardson can win. Against whatever Republican gets the nomination. He's a grown-up, and has that not-to-be discounted Down Home quality that made W. so irresistable. (New Mexico made the bolo the official State neckwear.) Plus, he's Hispanic. And all of the rumblings about immigration before the 2006 elections would seem to indicate that Latino is the new Gay: the Karl Rove's of the world tried to get out the vote by demonizing undocumented immigrants, perhaps feeling that the threat of Gay Marriage was subject to the Law of Diminishing Returns as far as getting the folks in Dubuque or wherever all exercised and off to the polls. But in the wake of that, Latino voters across the country are mobilized. (He's vowed to tear down the wall going up on our Southern border.) And, he's the Governor of a Western state, and if the Democrats want to get the electoral votes, they need all the Blue States, plus to pick up a few states from the Old Confederacy and from the West.

Finally, I like the guy. When General Peter Pace proclaimed "I might be your top military commander, but I'm also a total moron and a buffoon" that he liked Don't Ask, Don't Tell because homosexuality was immoral, when asked to comment, Hillary got all "blah-blah-blah" and evasive, and so did Obama! (In Hillary's case, it was more "blah-blah-blah give me your money, Gays!") Richardson, on the other hand, issued a statement immediately saying it's not immoral to be Gay and that Don't Ask, Don't Tell is detestable. And New Mexico is a pretty amazing place, politically speaking. The Department of Health there has made sure, to the best of their abilities, that syringe exchhange is available throughout the state. that's a pet issue of mine, of course, but if New Mexico is doing such a good job with that hot button issue, that's impressive.

And I'm gonna send him money. In this day and age, Presidential politics is all about money and the raising thereof. Alas, Richardson's only hope that the arc of disillusionment with Hillary and Obama begins to descend soon enough for him to get some traction. That will allow the New Mexico governor to pick up some of the talented fund raisers and politicos who have signed on to their campaigns.