Why Gov. Bill Richardson didn't endorse Clinton

[davidinalameda]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-richardson12apr12,0,1175443.story?track=mostviewed-storylevel

good article

SANTA FE, N.M. -- Before he endorsed Barack Obama, before he drew the wrath of the Clintons and was likened to Judas, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson nearly endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for president.

But Richardson hesitated, and as the Democratic campaign turned ugly, he grew angry.

There was that "3 a.m." TV ad, in which Clinton questioned Obama's personal mettle. "That upset me," Richardson said.

There were some ham-fisted phone calls from Clinton backers, who questioned Richardson's honor and suggested that the governor, who served in President Clinton's Cabinet, owed Hillary Clinton his support. "That really ticked me off," Richardson said.

[Mags]

1. His political life is over. I really believe that loyalty goes both ways and he betrayed the people

who make him a success.

[grantcart]

2. lol it is that kind of paternalistic talk that has cost the Clintons the nomination.

Can't all those people just be grateful for all the wonderful things we have done for them

You have captured it perfectly.


Pathetic.

[YDogg]

5. agreed

[Mags]

8. Is loyalty nothing to you folks?

[Starbucks Anarchist]

11. More than the cronyism you seem to love.

[Zachstar]

13. Are you still loyal to the queen of England?

As if loyalty to a figure was required in this country. We would still be under the crown.

[Mags]

17. silly.

[Zachstar]

20. Not silly, Do you not remember History? Do you not remember the "loyalists?

We are loyal to the nation. Not a figure. There is nothing that says I have to vote for Obama no matter what. There is nothing that says Clinton is entitled to the presidency. Or that Richardson must endorse Clinton.

If you believe otherwise then I suggest you study history.

[Mags]

23. get a grip, I chose Hillary because she is the only one that is

strong enough, intelligent enough and has the guts to get us out of the mess we are in now. Obama has been coddled, nursed and groomed to run for President. I truly don't think he is ready and he has no idea of what the "small town"
America see.

[Zachstar]

27. That has nothing to do to your remark earlier.

"Is loyalty nothing to you folks?"

[Mags]

31. Loyalty means very much to small town folks like me and my family,neighbors and friends.

I think he stabbed her in the back with a very public, large knife. He to me is a Judas.

[Zachstar]

32. And you to me now Ignored

What the hell is wrong with you? (Don't bother answering because I have you on Ignore now)


Attitudes like yours help McCain greatly in my view.

[Saturday]

35. You're right on. Richardson is a Judas.nt

[gabeana]

49. Even though she help get us in the mess

what a disingenuous comment

[BearSquirrel2]

53. Did the Clinton staffers ...

Did the Clinton staffers do an internship at Pravda before they started working there. Jeeesh!!!!

[WinkyDink]

56. I rue the day!

[scheming daemons]

14. Why should he be loyal to Hillary? *BILL* gave him his break... not her....

He owes *HER* nothing.

[Major Hogwash]

16. Loyalty to country, not to a man's wife!

Did Hillary make everyone that voted for Bubba sign pledges to vote for her?

Guess what? There's no such thing as pledged voters!!

[grantcart]

30. Bill Richardson's success was not made by Bill Clinton or Hillary

Bill Richardson made himself and he was hired to do a job and he repayed his loyalty by doing that job. It was not slavery it was a job. He was appointed again and he did it again. He also gave the Clintons an opportunity to show how they were appointing Hispanics so that they could promote himself to the the Hispanic community and get votes. He repayed his 'debt' many times over. If there was any outrage then why did Hillary not express that outrage when he ran against her and said that he would have been a better president than she would have.

Your statement is paternalistic and racist.

His political life is over. I really believe that loyalty goes both ways and he betrayed the people who make him a success.


It is shameful but then you never have had any shame have you.

[dionysus]

36. ask bush, he's real big on that.

richardson doesn't owe the clintons jack shit.

[Catherina]

47. Us foks ain't got no loyalty Miz Scalett.. Sorry but youz gonna have to pik da cotton yosef

[PBS Poll-435]

3. He just wanted to play kingmaker

Clinton made him Sec. of Energy. Clinton basically delivered the Governors mansion to Richardson. Richardson knows what good the Clintons did for America.

Richardson didn't care though. He wanted to be loved again and fawned over.

[davidinalameda]

6. you know that he was a congressman before serving in the Clinton government?

right?

he represented New Mexico in congress; he wasn't some carpetbagger and Clinton didn't deliver the governor's mansion to him

[PBS Poll-435]

9. Yeah...

I read his book. I know all about him. He was my first pick, after all.

[silverweb]

4. Bullshit.

His loyalty is to the nation, and that's exactly as it should be.

There are enough like-minded Democrats who will admire his honesty and courage that his political career will suffer no damage from Clinton spite.

[scheming daemons]

7. Disagree. What you call "loyalty", most people call cronyism.

Hillary Clinton played no role in making him a success.


He's a patriot... people who put their country ahead of their political connections should be commmended.

[Mags]

15. whatever, he doesn't look at loyalty like small town America. I guess

we all see it different. I really do think if Obama should win the nomination and takes care of him, that is the only way he will survive, if not, he is without an elected position. He can go for whoever he thinks will pay him back, Clinton has made him and he will have to depend Obama to keep him up.

[cali]

24. oh fuck that. I l;ive in small town America. Shove it

trying to speak for all of us. You need serious help.

[Mags]

26. no just my small town America, we are all different. You need to face reality Cali.

Your answer is just to call racism, racism , racism. You need to really get with the program and know that Small town America does not see the things you do.

[scheming daemons]

25. Without an elected position? Hello..... Gov of NM

[WolverineDG]

34. Good thing "small town America" didn't see things your way in 1776

We'd still be bowing & scraping to England. I find this Clinton talking point laughable since the Clintons have not been loyal to their friends & Democratic party.

dg

[jwirr]

43. I have lived in small town America all of my 67 years and I do not

agree. Loyalty is earned. He is a delegate and his loyalty belongs to his party and his country not to some individual from his past.

[Zachstar]

10. OH NOES RICHARDSON BETRAYED QUEEN CLINTON!!

Um no...

His political life is not over except for the clueless part of Clinton Supporters. He will go on just fine and even the Clintons will move on one day.

[Major Hogwash]

18. Bubba did betray the people, I agree.

He's nothing now but a clown.

[cali]

22. For the love of reason, he was a 7 term Congressman

when Clinton appointed him Ambassador to the U.N. He owed it to his boss to fulfill his job requirements to Clinton's satisfaction. He supported Bill through impeachment. He certainly doesn't owe his former boss an endorsement of his wife. That's feudal and very bizarre "thinking".

[nichomachus]

28. Loyalty without regard for the country -- isn't that the Bush tactic?

I thought one of our problems with Bush was his demand that all his subordinates swear undying loyalty to him personally, rather than what they think is good for the country. And you're advocating that for the Democrats now?

If we can look forward to eight more years of that under a Clinton presidency, maybe we need someone else in the White House

[VolcanoJen]

33. At what cost, loyalty?

It's entirely patronizing, the way the Clintons screech about Richardson's "betrayal." The man was a US Congressman for 14 years. I'd like to think the Clintons hired him because of his accomplishments, recruited him to their team because he was the best person for the job, and that the job was important in the service of the American people. The Clintons didn't "make" Richardson, they recruited and hired him.

Richardson has a right to endorse whomever he wants without paying in political ducats for doing so. The interests of the nation carry far more weight than the perceived loyalty in this particular case. I think what Richardson did was patriotic, and politically dangerous. What's been most fascinating is that, were it not for the Clintons and their surrogates vocalizing their anger, we wouldn't still be talking about the Richardson Endorsement still these many weeks later.

One of the most disappointing aspects of Clinton 2.0 has been watching Bill Clinton slowly lose his reputation as "the greatest politician in a generation."

[ima_sinnic]

37. yeah, kind of like in communist russia, where "loyalty" was the acid test.

they'd love you in a system like that--or in the 15th century, you could have pledged yourself as a knight to the lord on the hill. welcome to the USA in the 21st century, where people are free to act in the best interests of the greater good and their own conscience, not some stinking family dynasty to which one pledges obeisance for the rest of their lives. We The People want competence, not family friends running the government as we have now with bushit.

Richardson's "political life is over"? get a grip.

[PoliticalAmazon]

40. Richardson didn't sell himself into servitude to the CLintons...

...As he said in the LATimes article today (Asection, A-16): "Look, I was a successful congressman rescuing hostages before I was appointed. I was a governor afterward, elected on my own."

Richardson strongly supported Bill Clinton during Clinton's many Dick-Gates, and also supported NAFTA for him and Hillary.

In addition, as Richardson said, what he owed Bill Clinton was paid off long ago, and that kind of debt wouldn't be transferable to a dynasty, anyway.

One of the things that bothered Richardson was the aura of entitlement to the presidency that the Clintons have. In addition, their ham-fisted strong-arm tactics didn't sit right with him. Finally, the scare tactics used in the 3 a.m. ad he really like.

In summary, like many people, once they got to see more of Hillary and her campaign, they decided to support someone else.

If you want to blame someone, go blame the Clintons. THey have earned every bit of bad feeling towards them.

[jwirr]

42. Under that philosopy one would need to be loyal to some pretty

terrible dictators and leaders. Loyalty is earned.

[fishwax]

44. who are "the people who make him a success"?

Richardson was a successful and accomplished politician well before his appointment to the Clinton administration. And, when given the opportunity, he served honorably and loyally in that administration.

[quantass]

45. Richardson's loyalty was to the people NOT the Clintons.

[JackORoses]

57. at least until he is Vice President,

Then he can wave to the Clintons from the White House.

[aquarius dawning]

12. Because he thought he had a better chance of becoming VP with BO than HC.

Isn't it obvious?

[davidinalameda]

21. uh no

he had a much better chance with Hill than with Obama

[aquarius dawning]

51. 6 months ago maybe but today he's nothing but a rat abandoning a sinking ship

Bill Richardson is a self serving traitor. He'll make a great VP for Obama.

[davidinalameda]

54. LOL

you really shouldn't drink and post

[PoliticalAmazon]

41. Give it up. The Cilntons turned Richardson against them. THEY did it. No one else. n/t

[aquarius dawning]

52. give what up? Common sense and logic? I don't think so.

Richardson is a rat abandoning a sinking ship and he's clinging to the only thing left floating in the water. politics at its fucking finest for you.

[dailykoff]

19. There's also the fact that she has a .001% chance of winning.

Basically it would take two "tragedies" to install her on the peacock throne and that's really pushing it in the internet age.

[Catherine Vincent]

29. Who cares?

[Speakingtruth]

38. Richardson didn't endorse her because her chances of winning were much smaller than Obama's

let's state the obvious.

[Mz Pip]

39. I think there must be

some shelf life to loyalty, at least as far as politics go. Just because someone gave you a political appointment, that does not bind you to them indefinitely.

It's silly to think that the Clinton's can say and do what they want and expect there to be no fallout.

[Mags]

46. all I have to say , is a Judas is a Judas< no ,matter how you see it.

[Mz Pip]

59. How profound

Judas betrayed Christ.

Hillary is no Jesus.

[bvar22]

48. Who sounds "bitter" in this thread?

HINT: It is NOT the Obama folks.


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[AZ Criminal JD]

50. Richardson wanted to be a kingmaker and be Vice President.

If Obama gets the nomination he will find out Obama has no loyalty and will throw him under the bus.

[davidinalameda]

55. Obama has no loyality?

please explain

[WinkyDink]

58. Richardson gambled. Time will tell if he picked a winner.

But please; he's a politician who weighed the odds. "Loyalty" never entered into the fray.