BE ELECTED
by Meg White

It's a long weekend, thanks to a politically-themed holiday, and Congress is out of session. News is slow...time to speculate! Of course, everyone's favorite topic is the choice for Sen. Barack Obama's running mate.

There are too many names to list them all, so I'll tell you about my favorite: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. He's got both executive and foreign policy experience, he's likable, he's Hispanic...need I say more? Apparently, yes.

Susan Albright's extensive article [1] on MinnPost Tuesday about possible choices for a vice presidential pick starts off with a picture of Obama and Richardson captioned: "Might Obama look to his one-time opponents, like New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson?" However, she doesn't really talk about Richardson as a possibility, except to say that he's been considered in a similar analysis [2] by Peter Keating.

Keating included this biography of Richardson:

Governor Bill Richardson (New Mexico)
Google Meter*: 465,000
Age: 60
Religion: Roman Catholic
Education: B.A. (French and Political Science), Tufts; M.A. (International Affairs), Tufts
Pros: Popular governor of a swing state that George W. Bush carried in 2004; Hispanic; crossed the Clintons to endorse Obama at a key moment of the campaign; international negotiator who has won the release of prisoners in hot spots from Cuba to North Korea; immensely charming.
Cons: Fairly terrible on TV; never caught fire with voters in 2008; uncertain influence among Hispanics outside New Mexico; Diane Denish, his lieutenant governor, said in 2005 that she tried not to stand or sit next to him because he touched her too much, including on the hip, thigh and "sort of the side of my leg."

* Keating explains the Google Meter as "the number of hits you get if you enter the candidate's name, "Barack Obama" and "vice-president" into Google."

Albright is in good company. Most of the media has forgotten Richardson was once at the top of their lists (though I'm not alone [3] in my assertion. There‘s even a whole blog [4] dedicated to the notion of Richardson-as-vice-prez, though the last entry was more than two weeks ago).

The most common objection is that he's sloppy. His beard is scruffy and his clothes are often casual and rumpled. But wouldn't that be a good influence on a candidate like Obama, who has been accused to being too polished?

His loyalty to Obama was starkly displayed when he endorsed the Illinois Senator after dropping out, despite his ties to the Clintons. Any Hillary supporter who's willing to forgive Obama will also forgive Richardson, and having a guy who served in Bill Clinton's White House could be a draw for that crowd.

Some worry that adding a Hispanic man to Obama's ticket will make some white voters nervous. The idea that a Black/Brown ticket is too much for America is a little preposterous. Anyone who's racist enough to oppose a Hispanic vice president probably wouldn't vote for a Black president.

The most troubling assertion is that he's flirty. While that gives him actual charisma points, that also gives him potential scandal points. But as long as he's properly vetted for past indiscretions (maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but he doesn't seem like an Eagleton [5] to me), I think he can keep his hands to himself for four to eight years.

Richardson has been fairly reticent on the possibility, saying [6] it would be an "honor" to serve Obama as vice president.

The Obama campaign has been even quieter regarding the VP spot. Obama said he wants someone who would be a good president should he become incapacitated, and someone who won't be afraid to give him advice. Obama's top advisor David Plouffe said they aren't picking a candidate just because it will win them one state or another.

Gee, thanks a lot guys. That could be anybody!

Even Bill Richardson.

BE ELECTED

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