Only a Few More Days Until It's Time to Deliver

Sunday is the next Democratic debate--7pm on CNN, live from Manchester, NH--and this is Bill Richardson's chance to shine. He needs to step up and demonstrate why he is the most electable and most qualified candidate that the Dems can nominate--because he is. The first debate was OK, but he looked vaguely uncomfortable on camera. I, and a lot of folks, chalked that up to a (frankly admirable) lack of "slickness," but a *little* TV-readiness is a good thing in the long run. He then did very well on a seven-minute spot with Jay Leno, but Sunday's Meet the Press appearance with Tim Russert was a mixed bag. *I* know what he meant when he was talking about the Yanks/RedSox thing. He meant he's a Sox fan but always dug Mantle, but he didn't say that very well. And *I* know that the easy answer to the assault-weapons question was that he voted as his constituents asked him to, and that that's the job of a US Rep, and he said that, but he seemed a little tentative.

Anyway, this Sunday is big. We have a candidate who is better-qualified than any other and has electability in red states in the West and Midwest that no other Dem can touch. He's a dream candidate when he's at his best. He's also hit the magic double-digit figures in NH and IA that have him poised to make an even bigger leap in the polls. Sunday night is the time to set that kind of gain into motion. A strong, solid debate performance, big on charm and personality, big on specifics, maybe a little lighter on generalities, could propel Governor Richardson into full-on head-to-head competition in the polls with the leading three candidates. Do it, Governor. Your country and your party need you.