the dark horse: bill richardson

[sophiaserpentia]

Okay, in the last month alone, this man has:

• Legalized medical marijuana in New Mexico
• Helped broker a deal with North Korea so they will re-allow nuclear weapons inspectors
• While making that deal, he also arranged the return of the remains of several American POW/MIA soldiers from the Korean War
• Banned cockfights in New Mexico
• Announced that he would pull all US troops out of Iraq (a pledge so far avoided by all of the mainstream candidates for president)

I can't unequivocally back him until he moves a little closer on GLBT rights and makes his position on domestic spying more clear, but he's starting to look like a real candidate here. Democratic straw polls are beginning to reflect this.  He is also the only governor running on the Democratic side, which is a big deal.  He's more clearly qualified on foreign policy than anyone else running, having been US Ambassador to the UN.  And, he announced his candidacy on Jon Stewart's program, how cool is that?

Comments

Bill Richardson...

[publius-aelius.livejournal.com]

...is a potential VICE Presidential candidate, but not a Presidential one; he has a lesser capacity for raising money and, were he to be the Dems Presidential candidate, some former employees who are female and who allege "sexual harassment" would start coming out of the woodwork. We want to win in November 2008, and not to be "swiftboated" again.

Re: Bill Richardson...

[lassiter.livejournal.com]

I suspect Kerry's 2004 advocacy of a massive troop increase in Iraq, and his call for mandatory national service for all 18-year-olds cost him more votes than any "swiftboating" operation did.

that's how politics works in general these days...

[ineffabelle]

but in the long run it's pretty dangerous to maintain this sort of thinking... it's the trap of the context of no context...

Re: that's how politics works in general these days...

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Well... context or otherwise, it is an important indicator of character. I'm inclined to think it's important if a person does not respect the personal boundaries of people around him.

Re: that's how politics works in general these days...

[ineffabelle]

I agree.

I'm just talking about judging "electability" that way... it becomes a sort of loop of self fulfilling prophecies, generated by the media...

Re: Bill Richardson...

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

I see what you mean. This did not make national press, but if Richardson's numbers keep going up, it certainly will. This is not a tendency that Democrats will be eager to see in another president.