Democrats Need Bill Richardson to Win the White House
Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi; you’re my only hope
While perusing the latest news on the Sen. Joe Biden vs. Rudy Giuliani saga, I stumbled upon a MSNBC post entitled, Rudy: Obama Plan ‘Naive, ”Irresponsible’ in which Giuliani further exposes his foreign policy ignorance.
What struck me about the article was not the article itself, but a well thought out comment posted at the bottom by TC, of Suffolk Virginia, arguing that presidential hopeful Bill Richardson is the best Democratic candidate to win the White House:
The Democrats need to reflect back on past elections and think about how they are are going to win in November of 2008. Examining the past and current demographics makes Governor Richardson the best choice in a national election for two reasons. First, he can make red Republican states competitive in the national election and he is more competitive as a Governor in the national election.
One persistent problem among Democratic supporters is that there is an assumption that the entire country thinks like the regions that are Democratic strongholds – such as the Northeast and California. This is not true of the South or West. Moreover, the Presidential Election is really not a national election, but a state by state election in which electoral votes are awarded to the winner. If Democrats want to win in 2008 they cannot surrender half the country as they did in 2000 and 2004. I am very doubtful of ability of all the Senators in this race to win one Southern state or even the states in the Rocky Mountain West. These Senators come from the North - there is painful list of losing Democratic candidates with the same background - Kerry, Dukakis, and Mondale. Even Al Gore, with his connections to Washington, was a Southerner only in name.
Again, the one thing I do know about Governor Richardson is that he will at least put Florida (27 electoral votes) and New Mexico (5) in play. That total - 32 electoral votes would have put Kerry over the top in 2004. The key is Governor Richardson is the Governor of a red state (New Mexico) and his Hispanic heritage will give him an advantage in Florida. If nothing else, Republicans would spend more resources in Florida than they would with any other candidate and maybe the Democrats will pick up some other contested state.
Richardson’s second strength is that he is a Governor. Right now, Americans are not only disappointed with Bush, but also the Congress - the poll numbers of both are low. When Americans want change in Washington they turn to Governors. A Senator has not been elected President in 47 years and only two Senators were elected in the last 100 years. 4 out of the last 5 Presidents were Governors. Americans are more likely to see electing a Republican Governor or Mayor as President as change in 2008 than electing a Senator from the Congress they are angry at as President.
If Democrats really want to win the White House they must think about the national electoral election now. President Bush is not running in 2008. Democrats must think about how to win over red states in the South and West and how to separate themselves from the Washington establishment. Governor Richardson provides answers on both counts.
Anonymous commentators aren’t alone in wanting Richardson at the top of the ticket. Richardson’s recent endorsement has some street cred:
Lee Iacocca’s endorsement of Gov. Bill Richardson
The arguments for Richardson remind me of how deeply important the 2008 election truly is. After six years of a devastating Republican administration, it is desperately important that a Democratic president begin leading this nation.
The call for Richardson is also reminiscent of another plea from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
Translation:
Governor Richardson: Years ago our founding fathers served in the Revolutionary War; now their spirit begs you to help our struggle against American Imperialism. I regret that I am unable to present our fathers’ request to you in person; but the Democratic Party has fallen under attack and I’m afraid our mission to the presidency might fail. I’ve placed information vital to the survival of the rebellion into the memory systems of this internet post. The voters will know how to retrieve it. You must see your presidential campaign safely delivered to the White House. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Bill Richardson; you’re my only hope.
Obi-Wan certainly helped back then. It is now up to the voters to see if they want Richardson to help in this desperate hour.
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http://media.npr.org/blogs/bryantpark/richardson.jpg
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