I remember back to those golden days of yore in early 2008 when I listed a whole batch of Democratic candidate links on my sidebar. Populist John Edwards was there, as was anti-war stalwart Dennis Kucinich. So was Bill Richardson, who remains governor of New Mexico. I liked all of these candidates for different reasons. Richardson I liked because he was chief executive of a Western state and had more international experience than any other Dem candidate, thanks to his role in Bill Clinton's cabinet. He was Hispanic, a plus in a year when the Hispanic vote will likely go to a Democrat because of the Republican Party's insistence on demonizing illegal immigrants from South of the Border.
It was great to hear Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama. It had something to do with Obama's dazzling race-oriented speech on Tuesday. Also, Sen. Obama is going to win the nomination and Bill Richardson is a smart politician who recognizes that he may make a great running mate. The African-American senator from Illinois teamed up with the Hispanic governor of a border state. Could be a winning combination.
It was a surprise announcement (at least to me) because of Richardson's ties with the Clintons. It's done, and it will be a boost to Obama in the West. He won four primaries/caucuses in the Rocky Mountain states: Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and Idaho. Clinton claimed New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada. Montana is up later, but should go to Obama. It might not be such a great sign that Richardson's state went to Clinton. Maybe if he had made his endorsement sooner?
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