With Pete Domenici set to retire, mightn't this be a good time for Bill Richardson to consider dropping out of the presidential race and running for Senate?
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Time for Bill to Go?
03 Oct 2007 05:59 pm
Comments (20)
To LaFollette: Maybe he can be like Biden and run for both.
Good idea. Unfortunately, nobody seems to want to be a Senator these days. It's president or nothing.
If we had a few people who's ultimate goal was to be Senate majority leader we might have a competent legislative branch of government.
Heck, Mike Gravel can drop out of the presidential race and run for John Warner's seat in VA. Why didn't he think of that before??
(Because he's trying to gain national attention for his National Initiative project, which even a VA Senate campaign wouldn't buy him.)
If Bill doesn't get in, what does the matchup look like? I've heard we have a Udall on our bench, but I don't know much other than that.
I believe AG Patricia Madrid has indicated interest in the past. Tom Udall (currently in Richardson's old House seat) is also a possibility.
And the state GOP's gone all to hell, so whoever the Dems nominate has a good chance of winning.
I don't know what the eligibility rules are if you've left the state for a while, but if not: Gravel versus Ted Stevens for Alaska Senate.
I notice that Matt's colleague Marc Ambinder has purged Kucinich and Gravel from his race rankings.
Wow...all I can say is that 2008 is likely going to be a pretty lousy year for the Republicans. But they'll no doubt attribute it to an insufficient devotion to tax cuts.
Bill Richardson continues to say he isn't interested. Diane Denish (current Lt Gov) says she will take a look at the possibility of running, but doesn't seem likely. Denish has previously let be known she will run for Governor. As noted above, Tom Udall has indicated previously he might want to run for Senate. Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez is probably looking at his chances as well.
Patsy Madrid publicly stated she will take a look at the possibility of running. After her awful campaign against Heather Wilson (R-NM01) last election I think she has killed any chance of running for this seat.
On the R side, Wilson is the heir apparent, but Steve Pearce (R-NM03) is also considering his chances.
Richardson and Udall are the best candidates. Hands down. Either one would probably be favored to win.
As to your question about Bill. Yes, it would be a good time for him to stop the madness.
Hey, you nailed "mightn't." Nice work, relative to the oeuvre as a whole.
OK, so Richardson isn't going to be elected President, but wouldn't he be a viable Veep candidate? (And would that be preferable to Senator?) Maybe he just doesn't feel like his temperament is suited to be in the Senate.
I don't think I'd want Richardson as my VP candidate. The guy is just a gaffe machine.
Neil is right on. Bill seems like a decent guy, and he's certainly got a good record as an ambassador, but man did he screw up in that GLBT debate. ("Being gay is a choice.") Melissa Etheridge basically had to coach him to get him to say the right answer, but he didn't know what he was talking about -- at all. And it was A GLBT DEBATE!!
Richardson doesn't want to be Senator or President. He wants to be Secretary of State or maybe VP (which he won't get). So I don't see him dropping out anytime soon.
People seem to forget that in the past 30 years, VP nominations have generally not come from primary losers. I can only think of two examples: George H W Bush, and John Edwards. There's no reason for any of the current Dem candidates to expect the VP nod.
No thanks, I don't want Richardson as my senator. I've only lived in NM for three decades, but everything I've heard says he's an old style machine politician in the mold of Emilio Naranjo and Richard Daley, trading government favors for political support.
For now I'm supporting Don Wiviott, who'll be at an open political meeting tonight.
I think Richardson should continue his fight for the Presidency. As a Northern New Mexican, I say this: Udall has my vote and full support for the U.S. Senate. He's the best for the job, and he could beat Heather Wilson. No one else could.
I don't see New Mexico ever becoming completely blue, however. Y'all ever been to Hobbs, New Mexico or Texico, right on the border?
Our Eastern tier is called Little Texas, mostly by politicians and pundits, for good reason. Truly,
Stephen Fox
Managing Editor, Santa Fe Sun News
Founder, New Millennium Fine Art
217 W. Water St.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
You're probably right about Richardson's prospects as a VP candidate, but he would probably be a good Sec of State choice.
Comments closed October 17, 2007.
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Heads in the Sand
Yes.
It's also as good a time as any for Mike Gravel and Joe Biden to consider dropping out of the Presidential race.
Posted by LaFollette Progressive | October 3, 2007 7:00 PM