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Richardson Drops Out
Bill Richardson has formally dropped out of the presidential race, at a news conference in Santa Fe.
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If a tree falls in the middle of NM and no one gave a shit in the first place, does it even matter? :P
January 10, 2008 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe edwards will take the hint now and drop out as well. It would really save everyone alot of grief. Edwards is clinton's best friend right now.
January 10, 2008 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
What's with the anger?
January 10, 2008 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
To Richardson's credit though, he ran a polite campaign, and he did have a good resume, and I wish him the best. But seriously, what a waste of money for people who donated to him...we all knew he never had an ice cube's chance in hell of getting nominated.
January 10, 2008 3:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think Richardson had the experience, but he was a lousy candidate. He sounded foolish in some of the debates.
January 10, 2008 3:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I apologize if that sounded angry, it wasn't really meant to be...I'm basically just sick and tired of this whole process, and how ridiculous politics are in general. I'm tired of the slime and the negative attacks, the lies, the political maneuvers, and I get annoyed when people pretend there is some sort of chance for a win and continue to go through the motions even though everyone watching knows perfectly well it is impossible and they are delusional. And yes, I'm upset with Edwards, pulling a Nader, and being Hillary's BFF.
Basically I can't wait until it is done...I wish NH could have just ended it
January 10, 2008 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
He ran a good campaign and I wish him well and hope to see him in the upcoming Democratic administration.
January 10, 2008 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if he's considering running for the New Mexico Senate seat. It would make the most sense...
And yes, he was a terrible candidate, but a likeable guy. I suspect he endorses Clinton in the next week (if not today) . . . they will call that chit in ASAP to blunt the Union vote in NH.
On an unrelated note, what's next for Edwards? For whatever reason, he's just not getting any traction and I doubt he will over the next week....
January 10, 2008 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Faster than you can "politically calculating":
Hillary Clinton helped turn her political fortunes around in New Hampshire by flipping a tasteless shock jock stunt – two guys shouting “iron my shirts!” – into a case study of male oppressors blocking her route to the presidency.
The two yahoos, who interrupted one of Clinton’s last speeches on the Monday before the New Hampshire primary, were later identified as Nick Gemelli and Adolfo Gonzalez Jr., who are associated with Toucher & Rich, a white-guy-oriented talk show on Boston’s WBCN radio.
Upon hearing the chants of “iron my shirts,” Sen. Clinton called for the lights in the auditorium to be turned up. Then, seeing the two young men near the front of the audience, she said, “Oh, the remnants of sexism alive and well.”
As security guards escorted Gemelli and Gonzalez from the auditorium in Salem, Clinton added: “As I think has just been abundantly demonstrated, I am also running to break through the highest and hardest glass ceiling.”
She later joked, “If there’s anybody in the audience who wants to learn to iron his own shirt, we can talk about that.” [See New York Daily News’ blog.]
Clinton’s comments drew a standing ovation from the crowd as well as widespread media attention on New Hampshire’s news shows in the hours before the first-in-the-nation primary.
One source inside the Clinton camp said the “iron my shirts” comment appeared to anger and energize women in particular, boosting Hillary Clinton’s share of the women’s vote and pushing her to a narrow upset victory over Barack Obama.
The Clinton source said Hillary Clinton’s tearing up at another Monday event seemed to play better with men who suddenly saw her as more vulnerable and appealing. The two incidents together were viewed by Clinton insiders as helping to explain how Clinton succeeded in righting her foundering campaign at the last minute.
Though her deft reaction to the “iron my shirts” taunt may have helped her politically, her depiction of it as an example of male oppression holding her down would appear to be a gross exaggeration.
Rather, the disruption looks to have been the tasteless act of two juvenile publicity seekers who work for WBCN’s Toucher & Rich show, which prides itself in broadcasting content intended for “immature audiences.”
On Wednesday, the host opened the show by running down the roster of its participants and referred to Gonzalez as someone who “single-handedly changed the course of American politics.” But instead of explaining how Gonzalez achieved that feat, the show veered off into a mocking discussion of “Afros” worn by black baseball players.
The show’s Web site lists a few “fun facts” about Gonzalez: “He weighs 345 lbs. … He couldn’t speak ANY language until he was five. …He has never had health insurance. … He talks to himself. … He has a very messy room.”
Rather than male oppressors protecting the presidential glass ceiling, the two hecklers come across as dumb-guy losers.
Still, by angering New Hampshire’s women with their “iron my shirts” chant, these two losers may have helped turn Hillary Clinton into a winner.
January 10, 2008 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anyone look for a GREAT laugh, this article from The Onion is classic!
http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/i_got_what_america_needs_right?utm_source=EMTF_Onion
January 10, 2008 4:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, Richardson explicitly endorsed Tom Udall for the NM Senate seat.
January 10, 2008 4:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anyone notice how quickly the Andrew Cuomo stuff was removed at TPM. Hmmmm..... Are you guys now censoring bad press for Hillary too?
January 10, 2008 4:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Um, the Cuomo post is still there.
January 10, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is unfortunate that the Governor did not get more attention. America's opinions are so tied to the images and audio from their TVs that we sadly lost the opportunity to have Bill Richardson as our President.
I have to constantly remind my children that they cannot accept the popular presentation of an issue or debate - they have to step back and analyze the facts (i.e. "You are either for war or unpatriotic.").
POTUS is the executive officer of the largest business in the world. He or she must not only lead, but successfully run the vast organizations that are our government. Governor Richardson has/had the experience to perform that task. We are currently left with no Democrat with executive experience (HRC - wife of the CEO does NOT count).
Don't get me wrong - I hope whomever wins the nomination is a brilliant and capable leader/executive. But if Katrina taught us anything, it was that having a competent executive leader is key to performance.
January 10, 2008 4:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
We shouldn't judge Richardson's campaign for Secretary of State until it has completely run its course.
January 10, 2008 4:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Where's the Cuomo post from earlier? It has disappeared from the site?
January 10, 2008 5:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anonymous wrote on January 10, 2008 4:50 PM:
"Um, the Cuomo post is still there"
Um, no it's not.
January 10, 2008 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cuomo post direct link:
http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2008/01/hillary_supporter_andrew_cuomo_on_her_nh_win_you_cant_shuck_and_jive_w_press_corps.php
I just looked in the "latest posts" section, over to the left, to get the link. Might have had some issues, since that had to update -- it's a total misunderstanding, and (Obama supporter here) I can by that, from the latest evidence.
January 10, 2008 5:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Woodrow-
Sorry not buying it. Damage is done and the apology (just like Bob Kerrey's, Shaheen's etc.) does not erase it. It was also removed from the TPM site and apparently just put back. It is these dirty tricks by the Clinton campaign (and obviously supported by TPM) that make them so distrustful.
January 10, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Richardson seemed to run a clean race. He has plenty to be proud of. One thing is for sure: His dropping out only helps Hillary. Those are "experience voters" in the primary, and even if he only pulled 4 or 8 percent, most of that will surely go to her.
January 10, 2008 6:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
My POV and Richardson's did not mesh as well as with some of the other candidates but I preferred the race with him in it. I am sad to see him step away.
Now that Biden and Richardson are out of the race the field is lighter with folk with real life experience.
January 10, 2008 6:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
steve,
I disagree slightly. He has many other supporters (as well as, of course, a sizable latino block) and his rhetoric for bipartisanship etc. has been more on par with Obama. I would expect at least a 60-40 split in favour of Obama.
January 10, 2008 7:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wake up. While it may be comfortable to think that things are on the up and up. The reality is they are clearly not. The super rich own the media. The media owns the polls. With no oversight, the polls can say whatever their owners want. As a result, anyone who favors the poor and middle-class [90% of us] usually loose the polls. They are not going to let the wrong person into office without a serious fight.
There is no referee anymore Since the demise of the fairness doctrine, and the Supreme Court put Bush into office, getting the better candidate is not going to win it. Dirty tricks have to be expected. Lying polls, biased press, and stolen elections. All of this I think, can be overcome, but not if we pretend they are not there.
January 10, 2008 9:06 PM | Reply | Permalink