Florida Primary

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Admiral
If I were Obama, I'd be doing everything I could to get Richardson to endorse, and otherwise advertise/outreach heavily in Hispanic areas. They are going to be a key demographic in California, and if Obama doesn't pick up a little under half the California delegates, he will have problems.

I think Richardson is firmly in the Hillary camp. There is a lot of talk about him being a potential VP candidate for Clinton.

[Ramo]

As the highest-ranking Hispanic in the Democratic Party, Richardson's endorsement is being aggressively sought by the Clinton and Obama campaigns. California, Colorado, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico are among the 22 states voting next week, and each have sizable Hispanic electorates. Richardson, who cruised to re-election as New Mexico governor in 2006, is a popular figure in the Hispanic community.

Richardson's torn. He served in the Clinton White House, first as ambassador to the United Nations, then as Clinton's Secretary of Energy. "I have a history with the Clintons," Richardson said. "And I've always liked her. She always seems very genuine." But Richardson considers Kennedy, who's long been respected by Hispanics, as "a mentor." In 1982, when Richardson ran for Congress for the second time -- he lost two years before -- Kennedy flew to Santa Fe and campaigned for him. "That might have been the reason I was elected," Richardson said. And he said he likes Obama, telling a story about how Obama saved him during one of last year's Democratic debates:

"I had just been asked a question -- I don't remember which one -- and Obama was sitting right next to me. Then the moderator went across the room, I think to Chris Dodd, so I thought I was home free for a while. I wasn't going to listen to the next question. I was about to say something to Obama when the moderator turned to me and said, 'So, Gov. Richardson, what do you think of that?' But I wasn't paying any attention! I was about to say, 'Could you repeat the question? I wasn't listening.' But I wasn't about to say I wasn't listening. I looked at Obama. I was just horrified. And Obama whispered, 'Katrina. Katrina.' The question was on Katrina! So I said, 'On Katrina, my policy . . .' Obama could have just thrown me under the bus. So I said, 'Obama, that was good of you to do that.'"

Richardson, like Clinton and Obama, waged a historic campaign. He was the first Hispanic -- he's half Mexican -- to run for president, yet his candidacy was overshadowed by Clinton and Obama. He finished fourth in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire and dropped out of the Democratic race on Jan. 10, citing a lack of funds. Some political observers here are surprised that he's waited this long to endorse a candidate, though they wonder if he's negotiating a vice presidential spot in the Democratic ticket, or perhaps a place in the cabinet.

If Richardson is to endorse either Clinton or Obama -- "I might, I might not, how's that for an answer?" -- he said he'll do so by the end of the week.

"If I do endorse, it's going to be a gut feeling. It's not going to be about statistics, about past ties," Richardson said. "I've been on the campaign trail with both of them. I feel that I know them. I feel I know the issues. I feel I know what makes them both tick."

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/01/29/richardsons_choice.html

Incidentally, Edwards and Giulani are out. Giuliani will endorse McCain today, and I'd bet that Edwards endorses Obama soon enough.

[Dinner]

I don't think most Hispanics know Richardson is half Hispanic; hell, most of them probably don't even know who he is since Hispanics have even lower political participation then blacks.

[DirtyMartini]

Originally posted by Whoha


Even if Iraq goes perfectly for McCain, he'll still be the easiest Republican to take out.

Isn't McCain the only Repub who beats Hillary and the one who is closest to Obama in national polls of potential general election pairing? (I could have the reversed, maybe he beats Obama and is close to Hillary -- regardless he is the strongest polling Repub when you consider the general election possibilities.)

[DirtyMartini]

Originally posted by Oerdin
I don't think most Hispanics know Richardson is half Hispanic; hell, most of them probably don't even know who he is since Hispanics have even lower political participation then blacks.

Dubya courted them pretty heavily...

[Whoha]

Originally posted by DirtyMartini


Isn't McCain the only Repub who beats Hillary and the one who is closest to Obama in national polls of potential general election pairing?

That will be true until the democrats kill him instantly,which they have thus far refrained from doing.

[DirtyMartini]

[Kidlicious]

McCain is the least repulsive Repug eva.

[Igloodude]

Originally posted by Whoha


That will be true until the democrats kill him instantly,which they have thus far refrained from doing.

If they are eagerly waiting for the kill, why would Bill Clinton say he hopes McCain would win (knowing the effect this would have on the GOP base)?

But how are they going to kill him instantly? "Iraq"?

[DirtyMartini]

Originally posted by Igloodude


If they are eagerly waiting for the kill, why would Bill Clinton say he hopes McCain would win (knowing the effect this would have on the GOP base)?

What effect would it have on the GOP base? It might make them mad, but they'll still vote their party. I guess a very few could go for Paul if he runs third party, but most wont. IMO McCain is the most appealing of the GOP candidates to the undecided/independent crowd that tend to decide elections -- that's why he polls well against the Dems, isn't it? The only strike against him there is his pro-war stubbornness. I'm only the most casual of armchair political obervers, though, and not particularily well informed. Please inform me.

[Kidlicious]

btw, I'm undecided. Does anyone want to sway me?

[Ninot]

So John Edwards is dropping out. CNN is hinting at it being the health of his wife. Wonder who he puts his support behind.

[Kuciwalker]

Didn't he use that excuse last time?

[Kuciwalker]

The BBC said an Edwards staffer explicitly denied it had to do with her health.

[Igloodude]

Originally posted by DirtyMartini


What effect would it have on the GOP base? It might make them mad, but they'll still vote their party. I guess a very few could go for Paul if he runs third party, but most wont. IMO McCain is the most appealing of the GOP candidates to the undecided/independent crowd that tend to decide elections -- that's why he polls well against the Dems, isn't it? The only strike against him there is his pro-war stubbornness. I'm only the most casual of armchair political obervers, though, and not particularily well informed. Please inform me.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Bill Clinton's comment would tend to make rightwingers more wary of McCain (who already has the moderate Republican voters mostly locked up) thus making it slightly more likely that the Dem would face someone other than McCain in the general election - i.e. he made the comment to try and influence the Republican primary (however slightly), and why would he try to hurt someone he thinks his wife can defeat more easily than any of the other prospective Republican nominees?