SALEM, Ore. - Conventional wisdom suggests New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama ’s bid for the Democratic nomination matters most among Hispanic voters where, as a Hispanic himself, Richardson could have most influence.
Following that logic, the endorsement would have made more impact before Texas primary on March 5 or, even better, before Super Tuesday’s primary in California. Sen. Hillary Clinton won the big Hispanic vote in both states handily.
The point was made by Clinton’s campaign strategist Mark Penn.
“You know, I think New Mexico is a state that, actually, we won,” he said. “And if Senator Obama’s campaign wanted to follow what they tell everyone, they certainly would be telling Governor Richardson to be casting his pledged delegate to us.
“But I think that, you know, perhaps the time when he could have been most effective has long since passed and — long since passed.”
But Richardson, who had been in the Democratic presidential race until dropping out in January , told a news conference that point of view was “unfortunate” and reflective of an outmoded politics of ethnic identification that he said Obama opposes.
President Bill Clinton appointed Richardson energy secretary and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and the Clintons had courted his endorsement assiduously.
Richardson called Sen. Clinton on Friday to explain why he was supporting her opponent and it was a difficult phone call.
“Let me say we have had better conversations,” he said.
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
- Photo credit: Reuters/Richard Clement (Obama (left) and Richardson wave to the crowd at a rally in Portland, Ore., March 21 after the New Mexico governor endorseed Obama’s presidential campaign.)
Trackback
49 comments so far
Previous | 3 | 2 | 1 | Next
Good morning Americans, it astonishes me to read the comments here. You should all open your eyes and see that Obama is the right candidate to lead your country. He is the only candidate so far that the rest of the World (namely, Austria, Germany, Russia, and other parts of Europe, Asia, Canada not forgetting Africa) feel is best suited to become your president. Instead of accusing him of things you think he has done in the name of press publicity, listen to his views and make a comparison with the views of Clinton and McCain (who is a joke). It will be a shame if democrats in your country decide vote for McCain. If I was an American, I could have voted for Obama. We in Africa have seen what the Bush Administration has done to the whole world. I was even more pissed off that he decided to visit Africa for a vacation not his administrative work in his last months in office. You should all see how he was able to belittle your country and the rest of the world. Open your eyes and vote for the best candidate for your country.
- Posted by cutiehey Mary,
polititcians are elected to make decisions, Bill Richardson made not just
a wise decision but also one that reflects the will of the American people
(obama is ahead in popularity and states!) ..so what is the problem?
he may have been promised a post ..so what? any upright statesman would gladly
accept to serve an administration that he has faith in
and what makes you think that the Clintons endorsers aren’t looking forward to, or haven’t
been promised a position. There’s totally nothing wrong with that.
And for your information every historical milestone from independence to the civil
- Posted by joe ombimarights movement have been driven by hope. it will be wiser if u critisize Obama
by his policies than the shallow shot at his message of hope. how can you discredit hope
in the situations that americans face every day.
Don’t be fooled by Richardson’s endorsement. He’s been promised a place in Obama’s administration, otherwise he wouldn’t have traded camps. Also, it was done at a time when he needed cover for his woe’s over Rev. [W]right?To the youth of America: Please learn about the issues before you decide who to vote for in this election. Don’t be swayed by spin that there is very little difference between Hillary and Barack. Hillary’s Solutions for America are far and away above his empty promises of hope. Hillary is right for America. Our country faces serious issues and the next President will be challenged above all others before them to restore our standing at home and abroad. Please just do your homework before you vote and then, I believe, you will vote for Hillary for President of the United States of America.
- Posted by Mary O'BryanGMT- Bill Richardson is a fence rider. He will wait until the going gets good and then jump on the bandwagon. You’re right he went with Obama for one HIspanic, himself. Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are. The company you keep tells a lot about who you are. Bill Richardson is White/Hispanic, depending on the day of the week and who he is with at the time. We have a lot of people like that here. They will use their white name all the time, and then suddenly they find their Hispanic surname serves them better, so they hypenate it on.
- Posted by Rio Grande ValleyMy life doe not tither on hope. I have lived to be 51 and have worked for everything I have. I am retired, own my own home, sent 4 kids to college, and travel often. And none of this was done on hope. It was all done with hard work. And as for change, what change does Obama really want. I’ve lived through change, and it is usually worse than before. He has never been specific.
- Posted by 51 and enjoying itI don’t get why people keep bringing up what Wright said as mattering in what Obama does. Preachers will say things they want in their churches and he doesn’t owe anymore of an apology than Hillary does apparently for Bill’s racist comments such as the one he said about NC and SC. Fox News seems to love to take bits and pieces of Obama’s speech too to use against him while listening to the whole thing makes sense.
- Posted by ZarthusIn the end, Hillary needs to just stop worrying about things like Richardson switching teams and making his decision. It seems that he is being penalized for making a vote. We aren’t supposed to do that. Leave the man alone and respect his decision already.
For those of you who can not understand the reason Barack Obama maintained his status at Trinity church, it may help to put the remarks made by his pastor in context. The words pertained to the U.S. Government and how it acts as if it is God. He stated in part, that if America could rob its native people of their land and decimate the race, place her citizens in concentration camps, bring Africans to this country, make slaves of them and force them to work without pay for more than 250 years, teach its citizens that these people are only 4/5th of a man, should be feared, pass laws to ensure that they live in a perpetual state of poverty, etc., then God damn America! Jeremiah Wright came of age when Jim Crow, Segregation, and Racism was rampant and highly visible in America, and as explained by Obama, probably retains some bitterness as a result.
- Posted by CaliGirlRichardson endorsed Obama for one Hispanic - himself.
- Posted by AvaGov. Richardson and Obama are a good ticket. G-d speed to them. In the wake of the blatent Bosnia lie, if anyone is delusional into thinking that Obama supporters will somehow back Hillary if she goes on and wins the primaries, they are mistaken. Hillary should simply step down. Her cavalier attitude about such an egregious sustained lie — not a mistatement — points to all the more reason why she is not ready to be in such a position. How could we every be certain when Hillary is telling you the truth or on another fantasy flight?
- Posted by liz