Post by: Boomhauer on January 09, 2008, 07:16:25 PM
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/7825.html
Quote
Richardson dropping out of Dem race
By: The Associated Press
Jan 9, 2008 07:17 PM EST
Updated: January 9, 2008 07:29 PM EST
MERRIMACK, N.H. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ended his campaign for the presidency Wednesday after twin fourth-place finishes that showed his impressive credentials could not compete with his rivals' star power.
Richardson planned to announce the decision Thursday, according to two people close to the governor with knowledge of the decision. They spoke on a condition of anonymity in advance of the governor's announcement.
The Richardson campaign would not comment on the governor's decision, reached after a meeting with his top advisers Wednesday in New Mexico.
Richardson had one of the most wide-ranging resumes of any candidate ever to run for the presidency, bringing experience from his time in Congress, President Clinton's Cabinet, in the New Mexico statehouse as well as his unique role as a freelance diplomat.
As a Hispanic, he added to the unprecedented diversity in the Democratic field that also included a black and a woman.
But Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama dominated the spotlight in the campaign, and Richardson was never able to become a top-tier contender. He accused his rivals of failing to commit to bring troops home from Iraq soon enough.
He portrayed his campaign as a job application for president, and ran clever ads that showed a bored interviewer unimpressed with his dazzling resume.
The commercials helped fuel his move to double-digit support in some early state polls, and advisers argued he was poised to move past former vice presidential nominee John Edwards for the role of third-place challenger.
But he was not able to build the momentum and came in a distant fourth place in Iowa and New Hampshire. Richardson didn't get quite 5 percent in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday and came in with just 2 percent in the Iowa caucus last week.
Richardson was born 60 years ago in Pasadena, Calif., after his American father sent his Mexican mother there to give birth and erase any doubts that his son would be a U.S. citizen.
His father was an international banker from Boston, and Richardson spent his childhood in Mexico City before being sent to boarding school in Massachusetts, where he was a standout baseball player.
After graduating from Tufts University in 1971 with a master's degree in international affairs, Richardson worked first as a congressional aide and then for the State Department. He was a staffer for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when he decided to leave Washington in 1978 to launch a political career.
Richardson settled in New Mexico partly because of the state's large Hispanic population, and he won election to the House. Richardson is a master negotiator, and put his diplomatic skills to work to rescue Americans held hostage abroad. He earned a reputation for a mix of patience, toughness and cultural sensitivity that served him well on mercy missions from North Korea to Cuba to Sudan.
President Clinton recruited Richardson to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, then secretary of Energy two years later.
He was easily elected to two terms as governor but will be forced from office by term limits in 2010. His closest advisers hope that even if his presidential campaign didn't bring him many votes, it built his reputation so that he'll one day be able to add even more to his resume.
By: The Associated Press
Jan 9, 2008 07:17 PM EST
Updated: January 9, 2008 07:29 PM EST
MERRIMACK, N.H. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ended his campaign for the presidency Wednesday after twin fourth-place finishes that showed his impressive credentials could not compete with his rivals' star power.
Richardson planned to announce the decision Thursday, according to two people close to the governor with knowledge of the decision. They spoke on a condition of anonymity in advance of the governor's announcement.
The Richardson campaign would not comment on the governor's decision, reached after a meeting with his top advisers Wednesday in New Mexico.
Richardson had one of the most wide-ranging resumes of any candidate ever to run for the presidency, bringing experience from his time in Congress, President Clinton's Cabinet, in the New Mexico statehouse as well as his unique role as a freelance diplomat.
As a Hispanic, he added to the unprecedented diversity in the Democratic field that also included a black and a woman.
But Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama dominated the spotlight in the campaign, and Richardson was never able to become a top-tier contender. He accused his rivals of failing to commit to bring troops home from Iraq soon enough.
He portrayed his campaign as a job application for president, and ran clever ads that showed a bored interviewer unimpressed with his dazzling resume.
The commercials helped fuel his move to double-digit support in some early state polls, and advisers argued he was poised to move past former vice presidential nominee John Edwards for the role of third-place challenger.
But he was not able to build the momentum and came in a distant fourth place in Iowa and New Hampshire. Richardson didn't get quite 5 percent in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday and came in with just 2 percent in the Iowa caucus last week.
Richardson was born 60 years ago in Pasadena, Calif., after his American father sent his Mexican mother there to give birth and erase any doubts that his son would be a U.S. citizen.
His father was an international banker from Boston, and Richardson spent his childhood in Mexico City before being sent to boarding school in Massachusetts, where he was a standout baseball player.
After graduating from Tufts University in 1971 with a master's degree in international affairs, Richardson worked first as a congressional aide and then for the State Department. He was a staffer for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when he decided to leave Washington in 1978 to launch a political career.
Richardson settled in New Mexico partly because of the state's large Hispanic population, and he won election to the House. Richardson is a master negotiator, and put his diplomatic skills to work to rescue Americans held hostage abroad. He earned a reputation for a mix of patience, toughness and cultural sensitivity that served him well on mercy missions from North Korea to Cuba to Sudan.
President Clinton recruited Richardson to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, then secretary of Energy two years later.
He was easily elected to two terms as governor but will be forced from office by term limits in 2010. His closest advisers hope that even if his presidential campaign didn't bring him many votes, it built his reputation so that he'll one day be able to add even more to his resume.
Post by: Paddy on January 09, 2008, 07:52:05 PM
Post by: Bogie on January 09, 2008, 08:33:19 PM
Post by: Regolith on January 09, 2008, 08:50:22 PM
Post by: Perd Hapley on January 09, 2008, 09:50:06 PM
Post by: wooderson on January 09, 2008, 10:00:06 PM
Quote
Where do you think his backers will lean?
Both of them?
Post by: seeker_two on January 10, 2008, 12:56:01 AM
Where do you think his backers will lean? I'm thinking Hillary.
Either Hillary or the Ft. Marcy Park Memorial Bench Restoration Program.....
Post by: CAnnoneer on January 10, 2008, 02:55:58 AM
Post by: The Rabbi on January 10, 2008, 03:49:50 AM
That's a shame. He was the only Dem that came even close to being pro gun. Hell, I'd take him over Romney or Giuliani, even if I do disagree with a large majority of his other political stances.
He was certainly the best qualified of those running in either parties.The Democratic Party has taken to eating its moderates. Look what they did to Lieberman in his last senate election. The radical wing owns that party. This is why the only way they can win is when the GOP screws up.
Post by: SteveS on January 10, 2008, 05:31:24 AM
Where do you think his backers will lean? I'm thinking Hillary.
Maybe, but I doubt it. Richardson was mad when Hillary's campaign spread rumors about him telling Iowans to vote for Obama.
Post by: Sergeant Bob on January 10, 2008, 06:01:32 AM
I can't believe there are people that actually cast a vote for this guy. He cannot say two intelligent things in a row for the life of him. He always sounds like he is stoned or retarded. Next to him, Bush Jr is a "nukular" scientist.
Speaking of "nukular", I remember seeing him interviewed after the second Los Alamos security breach (after him personally taking charge of straightening the place out) talking about how they forgot to "take into account the human factor in security".
What a boob! There is no other factor.
Post by: HankB on January 10, 2008, 06:05:07 AM
Post by: stevelyn on January 10, 2008, 06:23:49 AM
Post by: K Frame on January 10, 2008, 06:26:54 AM
I'd have to say... no.
Post by: Bogie on January 10, 2008, 08:00:08 AM
Quote
The Democratic Party has taken to eating its moderates. Look what they did to Lieberman in his last senate election. The radical wing owns that party. This is why the only way they can win is when the GOP screws up.
Yeah, and it doesn't take a big screw-up to get all over the news with it either...
Joe Schmoe, Democratic candidate, gets caught in illegal brothel with 47 illegal underage immigrants, and a goat. Gets 30 seconds on CNN.
Mike Pike, Republican candidate, gets caught doing the involuntary head swivel when a scantily clad model walks past. That one's good for 5-6 days of coverage, and calls for resignation.
Post by: The Rabbi on January 10, 2008, 08:46:26 AM
Look at Rep Condon. That was one of the most unsavory episodes in a pretty sordid time. And nothing happened to him. If he had been a Republican he would have been hounded out of office. By his own party.
Post by: Finch on January 10, 2008, 10:24:48 AM
Too bad. Richardson is the one democrat I would have seriously considered voting for especially if McStain or Ghouliani were his opposition.
He was the only person on that side I would consider. Sure, he was for universal health care, but he was also for immediately ending the Economy killing Cluster**** in Iraq. Much better that Rudy Thompson McRomneybee.
Post by: Perd Hapley on January 10, 2008, 12:52:47 PM
Joe Schmoe, Democratic candidate, gets caught in illegal brothel with 47 illegal underage immigrants, and a goat.
We need those illegal alien child-prostitutes to do the unwholesome things that American school-girls won't do.
Though one shudders to think what would be so vile an American chick wouldn't do it.
And let's leave the goats out of it. Nobody can prove I was there.
Post by: thebaldguy on January 10, 2008, 04:15:41 PM
Post by: Nitrogen on January 10, 2008, 05:11:12 PM
Richardson was the most qualified out of the whole bunch, but noooo. We have to have either Shillery or Obumma.
We can't even have Edwards, who I could have almost handled, sorta, kinda, maybe, if I started drinking a lot.
Post by: The Rabbi on January 10, 2008, 05:13:56 PM
Post by: Perd Hapley on January 10, 2008, 06:20:52 PM
If I was tied up and threatened with horsewhipping I could not vote for Tort-Boy Edwards. The man makes me sick. Even Obama would be better. I would vote for him if threatened with a horse-whipping.
That post was very odd. But strangely, I agree with it.
Post by: Bigjake on January 10, 2008, 07:41:14 PM
The Bard put it best, in Henry the (insert # because I can't recall)
"First think, Lets kill all the Lawyers".
Post by: Perd Hapley on January 10, 2008, 08:15:27 PM
Post by: wooderson on January 10, 2008, 08:24:59 PM
Quote
Look what they did to Lieberman in his last senate election.
In an election defined by Iraq and public opinion of the President, Connecticut Democrats decided to boot the Senator they saw as being overly hawkish and chummy with said President. THE HORROR.
Did y'all whine this much when Linc Chafee faced strong primary opposition? Or is it okay for a party to eat its own if they're RINOs - but Stalinism if they're DINOs?
Post by: The Rabbi on January 11, 2008, 01:25:35 AM
Quote
Look what they did to Lieberman in his last senate election.
In an election defined by Iraq and public opinion of the President, Connecticut Democrats decided to boot the Senator they saw as being overly hawkish and chummy with said President. THE HORROR.
Did y'all whine this much when Linc Chafee faced strong primary opposition? Or is it okay for a party to eat its own if they're RINOs - but Stalinism if they're DINOs?