The most qualified Democratic candidate for president of the United States will be coming to Dartmouth today. And odds are you've never heard of him.
Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., has a resume second to none. He served in the U.S. Congress for 15 years. He was the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President Clinton. And, for the final three years of the Clinton presidency, he was the secretary of energy. After Clinton left office, Richardson returned home to New Mexico, where he was recently reelected to office with a record 69 percent of the vote -- the widest margin in New Mexico's history.
Richardson's credentials speak for themselves. While governor of New Mexico, he has been repeatedly called upon by the State Department to negotiate on behalf of the United States around the globe. A few months ago, he brokered a cease-fire in Darfur. When talks with North Korea broke down over North Korea's development of nuclear weapons, Richardson got them back on track. He has received wide acclaim for negotiating the release of American prisoners in Cuba, Iraq and North Korea. His diplomatic skill has led him to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize on four separate occasions.
At home, Bill Richardson's accomplishments have been equally incredible. He has followed a centrist course in government, economically conservative but socially liberal. As governor of New Mexico, he balanced the state budget while cutting taxes for the middle class and increasing funding for education. He eliminated over $200 million of bureaucratic inefficiencies. His statewide energy policy has made New Mexico one of the few states that meet the requirements of the 1997 Kyoto Treaty. During his time in office, the New Mexican economy has been revitalized with the creation of 84,000 new jobs, many of which have been in high-tech industries. All the while, he has been a strong social progressive, pushing New Mexico to legalize civil unions while Democrats in other states have done nothing.
More than any other candidate, Bill Richardson has the experience necessary for the presidency of the United States.
But how can he win?
First, despite all the hoopla surrounding the other candidates, the structure of the primary system gives Richardson a chance. This is not a race where a candidate must compete in every state. This is a race where a candidate only needs to be able to compete in the first four primary states of Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Skilled in retail politics (Richardson holds a Guinness World Record for shaking the most hands in one day), Richardson could do very well in these early states, where the quality of your speech in a small town living room is more important than how much money you raised. Meanwhile, Richardson's incredible resume and his moderate views will be very appealing to these historically centrist states.
Second, Richardson is the first Latino presidential candidate in American history. With the number of Latinos in America growing rapidly, Richardson will have a natural appeal to one of the most important forces in American politics. In the primaries, Richardson has a natural advantage in important states like Texas, Nevada and California. In a general election, Richardson could win heavily Latino, yet historically Republican, states like Colorado, Arizona and the all-important Florida.
Third, Richardson is the only Democratic governor in the race. Since 1960, 40 senators have run for president. And since 1960, no senator has ever moved into the White House. Go figure.
With the failure of this administration to competently address any of the issues that this country faces, now more than ever, America needs a great president. Richardson is that man. With more experience than the entire Democratic field, Richardson has the ability to restore America's credibility, and make America strong and respected once again.
Richardson has a long road ahead of him, and the odds of his eventually winning are slim. But through town hall meetings like the one at Dartmouth this Wednesday, he may be able to pick up enough support to win the nomination.
One day, the media's love affair with Hillary and Obama is going to end. And when that day comes, Richardson may be on track to becoming the first Latino president of the United States.
