Bill Richardson, Candidate for Vice President?

[Composed Thinker]

I've heard some people throw his name around.

[ButterflyBlood]

1. I doubt he'd get it after only a half term

if you are going for a half term governor, Janet Napolitano would be better since New Mexico is more winnable than Arizona.

[DagmarK]

2. He's total DLC.......

If that's a good thing for you......then he's your man.

If, like me, the DLC may as well share an office with the PNAC, I think Richardson is a big problem.

And one minor thing...he's a Northeasterner who carpet bagged himself to NM because he could never win in his home state. Just like the Bush boys.

[joeybee12]

3. Too soon

I like him--he ahndled his meeting with the North Koreans a few months back very well--gives him substance when obviously no one in the Bush cabal could handle it. But it really is too soon--he needs to get re-elected and then start looking elsewhere.

[devarsi]

9. You Serve Where You Are Needed

Richardson isn't some newbie, some turnip that just dropped off the truck.

The man has credentials, brains, international experience, and folksy charm. He's hispanic, and represents the Southwest, both being strategically key for the 2004 campaign.

He should be on every candidate's short list for VP.

[devarsi]

6. Carpetbagger?

I thought Richardson represented NM in the House for a dozen or more years before he went on to do things like serve as the Ambassador to the UN, and Secrety of Energy under Clinton.

Was he originally from someplace else before his term in Congress?

Does that make Hillary a carpetbagger?

[ButterflyBlood]

7. Hillary was a carpetbagger as far as I'm concerned

Had she not of took the seat someone way more liberal would've got it.

[devarsi]

10. But is Richardson a Carpetbagger?

And is being a carpetbagger such a sin?

Couldn't we use a less pejorative term?

[Composed Thinker]

17. That's not necessarily true

Why do you think that?

[ShaneGR]

14. Please pay attention

Bill Richardson got up during the DCL convention and questioned why alienating the Democratic base is a good thing.

Bill Richardson is helping the Texas Dems.

Bill Richardson is hispanic (We lost 35% of the hispanic vote)

Bill Richardson is chairing the Democratic National Convention next July.

[Redleg]

18. Thanks for the info about Bill.

My impression is that he's a competent and stand-up guy (for a politician).

[Composed Thinker]

20. That's an interesting statistic

Where did you here that we lost 35% of the Hispanic vote?

[MidwestTransplant]

4. He's the Chair of the convention so I would think this may preclude him?

n/t

[Warpy]

5. Richardson is a DINO

He campaigned on a promise to remove the incredibly regressive tax NM has on food. What he actually did was give a huge tax break to the richest people in this state, and where have we heard this before?

This is one of the few solvent states in the nation, since we have a law saying we can spend only the interest on the state "trust fund" in times of emergency. Richardson's cuts to the fat cats have the GOP lawmakers now talking about overturning that law so we can deplete the prinicple. Our state is becoming less solvent, and we're already one of the poorest in the nation!

Having this man anywhere on the ticket will be a liability for the country as a whole. Do NOT allow this man anywhere near the executive office!

[Dob Bole]

8. A huge possibility

Gore narrowly won New Mexico last time. This could help in Nevada, too.

[iamtechus]

11. Wen Ho Lee

Richardson's willingness to join the right wing republicans
in lynching Wen Ho Lee should disqualify him from running for
any office as a democrat.

[DavidNY]

16. I might not take it that far but I agree at least that...

his part in the Wen Ho Lee affair would make me very reluctant to put him on a Presidential ticket. It shows very poor judgement, and it means that putting him in such a prominent position would likely seriously jeopardize the Democratic Party's relationship with the (growing) Asian-American vote.

[Bombtrack]

12. Most likely a veep for Edwards

over the other candidates. Edwards met with him a few months ago and those were the rumors. That is a ticket that could very well split both the south and west, more than any other.

I'd prefur an Edwards/Kerry ticket, but I guess Richardson is a second choice as veep, and more likely.

Kerry might pick him but I think Kerry doesn't need Richardsons foriegn policy gravitas that much.

Anyway New Mexico is one of the 3 or 4 Gore states that the GOP will concentrate on most to win if they face a viable dem challanger.

The other states are oregon, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Pennsylvania.

[ButterflyBlood]

13. forget Pennsylvania

after Rendell's landslide victory, and Bush's complete fucking over of vets and union workers, a snowball actually in hell has a better of winning there than Bush.

[Cha]

15. I've heard it said of him that "New Mexico needs me".

I don't think he'll be bailing on them.

:kick:

[revcarol]

19. Right now he is trying to be a power for Hispanics

and help New Mexico after 8 years disastrous governorship by a repug-libertarian.
He is trying to pull in Hispanic states to vote Democratic in 2004.NM, AZ.FLA and one other are his focus.Sorta a behind the scenes power brokers.

Way too much DLC for many here. Promoting NAFTA as the best thing since the invention of the wheel, while NM is BLEEDING jobs.

Still better than his predecessor as governor, who kept having special sessions to cut taxes and cut essential services, and neither repugs nor Dems would go along with his programs.

Wen Ho Lee case: Richardson KNEW he was not guilty, and STILL fired him. We DON'T NEED ANOTHER "DO WHAT IS POPULAR" UNPRINCIPLED GUY "a heart beat away from the Presidency."