Kerry gets a lot of respect around here, for having the guts to stand up against the war on Viet Nam, when he got back .... also in the eighties he was instrumental in exposing crimes against centroamericanos, and the arms-and-drugs dealing that financed them .... bunch of us were talking about this today, one Viet Nam vet in the crowd [another, a mutual friend, not present today], two dodgers from that era ..... general consensus seemed to be, wouldn't it be nice to have in the white house a non-divisive adult, however on the chances of that, there is a risk of Bush cranking up some new 'war', marketing it from around september or so, and gaining a crucial slice of votes from the resulting bloodlust drum-beating effect ..... 'war on my mind', yeah you betcha it is, eh
Anyway, Kerry will need a vice-president, and Richardson was talked about, so i googled this up -
' Analysis: Is Bill Richardson a Good Fit for John Kerry?
By John Hendel
Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts has a lot of momentum, perhaps enough to
carry him to the 2004 Democratic Party nomination, and may be looking at
potential vice-presidential candidates.
Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico has the résumé -- former Cabinet
secretary, former U.N. ambassador, former member of Congress -- and as a
Hispanic executive from the Southwest, might be a strong counterbalance to
a ticket topped by a senator from New England.
"He is, depending on how you look at it, a three-fer, or a four-fer or a
five-fer," said University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato. "He's Hispanic,
enabling the Democrats to target that key group of 2004. He's a governor
from outside of Washington, so he's not responsible for the mess in
Washington. He has national security-experience, having been U.N.
ambassador. He's from the Southwest, which could be the critical substitute
region for the South on the Democratic side. And finally, experience. He's not
only a governor, but he has federal executive experience and legislative
experience."
In short, apparently a very good fit for Kerry. Richardson consistently has
said that he doesn't want to be vice president, that he plans to complete his
first term as governor and run for re-election in 2006. He also points out
that, as chairman of the Democratic National Convention, he cannot play
favorites among the candidates for president.
But he wouldn't be the first politician to answer a party's call -- should it
come -- after voicing a desire not to seek a particular position
"I think that most New Mexicans take the governor at his word and think he'll
serve out, certainly, the first term," said Gilbert St. Clair, a professor of
political science at the University of New Mexico. "Certainly he's the most
ambitious governor we've had in recent times, if not ever, both in terms of
his own political ambitions" and his programs for New Mexico.
Democratic consultant Donna Brazile, who directed the Gore-Lieberman
presidential campaign, said she has known Richardson for a long time and
"the nominee would be foolish not to give Gov. Richardson as much attention
and scrutiny" as other vice-presidential possibilities.
She said Richardson had qualities "rarely seen in a governor [such as]
extensive foreign-policy experience. He's on a first-name basis with many
foreign dignitaries. He'd bring strength to any ticket. This is a guy who is
value-added, bringing a lot of assets to the table. Not just as an Hispanic
American but as a Democrat with both domestic and international
experience."
Richardson, 56, served 15 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before
being selected to represent the United States in the United Nations in 1997.
The following year he was confirmed as the secretary of the Department of
Energy. He ran for governor in 2002 and took 55 percent of the vote.
"He is eminently qualified, irrespective of his being Hispanic," said Gabriela
Lemus, director of policy and legislation for the League of United Latin
American Citizens.
Richardson is Hispanic -- even though Lemus said many people don't know it
-- and Hispanics as voters are a big question mark in the upcoming election.
All the candidates are courting the Hispanic vote, often speaking in Spanish,
sometimes with embarrassing results. That is something that wouldn't happen
to Richardson.
Hispanics now are the largest minority in the United States, but it's not a
group easy to pigeonhole as far as a voting bloc. Even potential turnout
among Hispanics is a great unknown. But the stress the Democratic
candidates put on Southwest states for the Feb. 3 primaries and caucuses
show their respect for that batch of voters.
According to Lemus, "I think the Latino community would feel this is an
opportunity. They would feel very confident seeing a person like Gov.
Richardson running and that he would be able to speak to the issues of the
community."
St. Clair said, "Certainly he would have an appeal, but whether that would
increase Hispanic turnout is hard to speculate. The Hispanic vote across the
country is very diverse. In California or Texas the issues are different than [in
New Mexico] or Florida or North Carolina."
Sabato is more positive about the effect of Richardson's appearance on a
ballot -- but perhaps not because of his birthright as much as his address.
"Richardson can carry his state and maybe his region," Sabato said.
The Southwest was Bush country in 2000. Although Al Gore won New Mexico,
the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Arizona -- a
total of 65 electoral votes -- all went to George W. Bush.
As far as negatives, Sabato points out that Richardson had two of the
toughest political offices behind him -- U.N. ambassador and secretary of the
Energy Department. "The Energy Department has controversy that no
secretary can avoid -- like the Nevada [Yucca Mountain] situation," he said.
"That's a tough department to head if you have political ambitions. And also
as a U.N. ambassador. God only knows what [U.N.] resolutions he's voted
for."
The positives probably outweigh those points, however. "I think he would
spotlight the Democratic Party and [show] how deep the bench is," Brazile
said. "He'd just be a tremendous asset to the ticket. I'd put him on any short
list." '
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