Look West, Young Dem

Nothing earthshatteringly new to tell you today about the Gov, so here's a link to an article at New West praising Bill Richardson's deft mix of social libertarianism and pro-growth economics. His Western Dem philosophy really does stand apart from the rest of the Dem field in both regards, all of which makes him the Dem most likely to win red states in a general election. And you might recall from last time (and the time before) how we could, um, use us some red states. :)

More Post-Debate Analysis and a Bit of Advice

The libertarians over at Reason Magazine liked the Gov the best.

Whereas, at Daily Kos, reviews were mixed.

The folks at the Albuquerque Tribune gave the Gov a B. And they also handed out a cogent piece of advice: to work on his appearance/presentation. Or, put differently, *smile* more, Governor!! You, like many of us, are cursed with a "neutral" look that is downright mean and ornery looking. As soon as you smile, I think, "Hey, there's the affable, optimistic guy that I support for president, and who has so many good ideas and so much experience." But appearance matters in our video age. Just as you wouldn't shake someone's hand at a campaign stop without smiling, you can't lose that smile on TV for very long. It matters.

And that's the last piece of advice I'll be offering the campaign today.

It was a good, solid performance but it can get *so* much better.

The Post-Debate Spin Scramble

It's tough to get your point across in quick sound bites when there are eight candidates on the stage. Even though I'm blogging for Bill, I won't tell you that Bill Richardson *clearly* won, but he made some very good points. I felt that, overall, Richardson, Biden and Dodd made the most headway and are now better known. The "Big Three" probably didn't really gain any ground on one another. The same can be said for the bottom tier, both of whom were very aggressive in attacking the others, but I don't think that strategy was very effective for either of them.

For some "punditology" on the debates that you wouldn't necessarily run into on your own if you just hang out at the big sites, try this one from an Iowa columnist who hit it on the head a lot better than the MSNBC crew, who seem entranced by the "Big Three." That article agrees with my assessment that it was the Gov, Dodd and Biden who made the most gains last night. And if you don't mind some saltier language, try this one from a generally pro-Richardson political blogger who gives you some live, random, often critical thoughts on each of the candidates and their performances last night. For an even saltier, harsher take, there's the always amusing Wonkette's liveblog as well. And, finally, for a viewpoint that is even more positive than my own on Governor Richardson's performance, try this one from CNS News.

"A Good Man, A Good Man"

That's what the gas-station attendant said to me as he passed by my car on the way to ring up a customer. I looked at him kinda puzzled, and then he pointed to my bumper sticker and said, in a heavy Mediterranean accent, "Bill Richardson. I like that guy a lot." I said, "Yeah, he has so much more experience than the others." And gas-station dude said, "Especially in international affairs. He is the best guy out there. We really need that right now." So I told him to watch the debate, but he said he can't because he killed his cable ("I couldn't stand seeing that Bill O'Reilly guy anymore").

No, I am not making this up.

Bill Richardson...spreading like wildfire through New Jersey...gas station by gas station.

Watch the Debate Thursday Night!!

Thursday 4/26, 7pm EDT, on MSNBC, from South Carolina, where, I'm betting, Governor Richardson is looking to make a big impact and get himself noticed *without* impugning any of the other candidates. This could be fun....

The Big Three Become the Big Four

There's been a lot of talk in this campaign so far about the "Big Three" on both sides of the fence. For the GOP it's been Giuliani, Romney and McCain, and for the Dems the press has been far more attentive to Clinton, Edwards and Obama than to other candidates. Finally it seems like that's beginning to change. The National Journal's Blogometer last week declared that, on both sides, it's now the Big *Four* in the top tier. And guess who the "newcomer" is on the Dem side? Yup, our man, Bill Richardson.

All this only goes to show that the Gov's slow and steady pace is making headway.

"Being Stubborn Is Not a Foreign Policy"

Thanks to the good folks at America For Richardson, here is a link to both of the Gov's TV ads that have begun to run in NH and IA. Good stuff.

Taking To the Air In NH and IA

It looks like Bill Richardson will be the first candidate to air ads in New Hampshire. Following a script he plotted out a few weeks back, in which he declared that whoever comes out of the gate fastest and has the best overall showings in the first four primaries will win this thing, the Gov is using some of that $6 million haul from the first quarter to introduce himself to voters in the Granite State, as well as in Iowa. I think it's a great strategy, because it seems that once folks get to know him and his no-nonsense, unscripted (occasionally a little *too* unscripted, perhaps? :)) "Let it rip" campaign style, his poll numbers get a boost.

Energy

No, not the kind that makes BR out-hustle his opponents in campaigning....That's a topic for another post. But you won't find a candidate with better renewable/alternative-energy cred than former Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson. Looks like he just upped the ante a little more in that regard.

Get Out (Stay In?) And Vote!!

Daily Kos is doing their monthly straw poll (which is far from scientific, I know, but people in the media pay attention when DK speaks) of Dems running in '08, so get over there and vote for Bill Richardson. He's already ahead of last month's numbers, so let's catch up to Obama....

Richardson on "This Week"

The Gov was on This Week yesterday on ABC News. No big surprises--lots of talk about North Korea, healthcare, Iraq and, yes, even a little on Don Imus--all done with a confident sense of who he is and what he stands for. I think that BR is getting better and better in front of the camera, an issue (likely the only one) where he lags behind some of the slicker candidates. But that's part of his real-world charm too. Check it out here.

Whoa!

The Political Buzz blog reports big gains for Bill Richardson in poll numbers. Polls were conducted of MoveOn.org members; i.e., these are folks who are likely to vote in the primaries. The Gov is clearly making gains.

Slow and Steady Gains in The '08 Race

This article is also up at the official Richardson for President site, but I thought it was good enough to link to here as well. Donna Brazile makes the point--made here already-- that we're still in the first inning of a tough game and that Governor Richardson is not only in this for the long haul, but is making slow and steady gains that will position him well for the early primaries.

In the Race For Money, "Didn't Bill Richardson Do Awfully Well?"

Here's one that I missed from last week--a succinct claim that, much like I said here previously, the Gov did very well in the first-quarter fundraising battle and should compete very well in the future battle for the '08 Dem nomination.

A Fine Letter To the Editor

Reader Joe Nicoletti sent the letter below to the editor of the NY Journal News (Westchester/Putnam/Rockland County). I liked it so much that I reprinted it here:

Having both a female and an African-American Presidential candidate is certainly significant and historical, however, the media's over the top coverage of Senators Clinton and Obama incorrectly reinforces (albeit sublimely) the belief that Democratic voters have only two candidates to choose from for their party's nomination.

At this very early stage of the campaign, I believe the media should be giving equal coverage to all the candidates, not just the ones that have a famous last name, raise the most money, or draw rock star type crowds. Constantly being told by the media, who's the frontrunner, who's raising the most money, who's first tier, who's second tier, etc..., undermines the entire election process.

I don't want anyone to think I am writing this letter on behalf of any one particular candidate, however, I will use one of the "second tier" Democratic candidates as an example to help me illustrate my point. Here's his resume.

7 term United States Congressman
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Secretary of Energy
Governor - Re-elected with 69% of the vote (In a Republican state).
4 time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee
Internationally Respected Diplomat & Negotiator

This man has more experience, and has accomplished more in his career than both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama combined.

What percent of the voting public is even aware of this man?

How many other qualified candidates are being overlooked?

In my opinion, the media's constant attention to Senator Clinton and Senator Obama, not only does a great disservice to the other Democratic candidates, but to the country as a whole.

Joe Nicoletti
Bethel, CT.

And Then, In His Spare Time....

What'd you do with your free time yesterday? Bill Richardson, in North Korea solely to get the remains of US vets from the Korean War, spent his free time by brokering a deal with the North Koreans to allow UN nuclear inspectors into the country within 30 days. Wow.

Boston Globe story is here.

Another Plug For Bill That's Worth Reading

I read this article, from the Wisconsin Badger Herald, a while back, before this blog started up, but, despite the fact that it's a few months old, it still rings true: Bill Richardson is the most electable Dem for the general election.

Bill Richardson's Greatest Hits, Diplomatic Edition

Here's a great piece from the Las Cruces, NM Sun News detailing all of Bill Richardson's diplomatic accomplishments. Pretty amazing stuff. On foreign policy experience alone, he clearly has both the Dem and GOP fields completely outclassed.

"The Only Governor With a Foreign Policy"

That's what they call Bill Richardson, and now he's off to North Korea on a multi-day trip to recover the remains of US vets from the Korean War. More here.

You'll notice that he's the only presidential candidate who gets these kinds of calls....

Bill Richardson--the Six Million Dollar Man

It looks like the first-quarter fundraising totals are in and Hillary came in at $26 million, Edwards at $14 million and Richardson at $6 million with Dodd and Biden well below that figure. Obama hasn't made his results official but word is that he has almost Hillary-like numbers to boast about. So should we Richardson fans be sad? No! In fact those numbers are good.

The Gov has made clear from the outset that he is going to campaign in the first four states (IA, NH, NV and SC) in the more traditional way--by going door to door, handshake to handshake. If this were all about rockstar donation-earnings potential, then Bill Richardson never would have thrown his hat into the ring. He said a while ago that the first four primaries are going to decide this thing, and that whoever wins those (or does very well) will have a clear advantage going into the Feb 5 super primaries (NJ included). $6 million can go a long way in those first four states and the Gov's clear advantage in being a down-to-earth campaigner will help him immensely. Money is always important, but it's not the only thing, especially in those early states where TV markets are small and personal appearances are big. Plus, win there, or even be extremely competitive there, and the money will be rolling in from that point onward.

I have a feeling that it's the next six months or so when this whole contest is going to change dramatically. Governor Richardson has positioned himself well to make it a horse race. And as we know from this ad (which cracks me up every time), Richardson knows horses.

Because He Can Win Florida....

There's a nice opinion piece in the St Petersburg, FL paper naming The Gov as the Dem most likely to win Florida in the general election. And you may recall how important that's been in the past. Experience and electability win every time.