Las Vegas – Presidential candidate Bill Richardson finds himself in an interesting political spot.
Not among the three Democratic front-runners, he also is no longer considered squarely in the second tier of presidential hopefuls. He’s somewhere in the middle, his black cowboy boots straddling the gap between the upper echelon and the also-rans.
Richardson – whose autobiography, “Between Worlds,” recounts his experience as the son of an American businessman father and a Mexican mother – is balanced in this position “with the objective to stay above those in the second tier until we can move into the first.”
“Is there a magic bullet? No, but I’m going to break out,” said the 59-year- old New Mexico governor during a 24-hour campaign swing in Nevada last week.
The key will be to avoid missteps while building his strength.
In the past few weeks, his poll numbers jumped into double digits in the critical primary and caucus states of Iowa and New Hampshire. He officially announced his candidacy in Los Angeles in both English and Spanish. And clever television ads in early- primary states and on the Internet created a small buzz and highlighted his wide-ranging résumé, which includes the titles of governor, congressman, ambassador and energy secretary.
But a recent performance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” was harshly criticized by bloggers and the mainstream media, and Richardson failed to break out in a national debate last week. Additionally, some political observers say the usually affable, rumple- haired, boots-on-the-desk Richardson appears to be following a more traditional candidate script that is suffocating his natural appeal.
“He’s a funny guy, a put-his-arm- around-you guy, and a straight shooter, but he’s not that right now,” said Peter Fenn, a Democratic strategist who has known Richardson since the 1970s and believes he has a shot at catapulting into the first tier.
“He seems overprogrammed. He’s not like the others, and he shouldn’t try to be.”
Other than reminding him to get regular haircuts, Richardson’s campaign said it’s not “handling” him.
“We don’t want him to be scripted,” said his spokesman Pahl Shipley.
Coming from behind
Richardson doesn’t have to look hard for examples of other Democrats who trailed early on but managed to push through when it counted. Going into the 2004 primaries, Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts was behind in Iowa and trailing Howard Dean in New Hampshire by double digits. Even so, Kerry won both.
Jimmy Carter, a peanut farmer and governor of Georgia, was virtually unknown by the nation when he started his presidential campaign in 1975. Running in the wake of Watergate on a platform of change and moderate politics, and touting his status as a Washington outsider, Carter’s grassroots effort in New Hampshire paid off with a win.
“It’s been done, but it’s tough,” said Dean Spiliotis, a political science professor at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire. “Richardson needs to be strong and consistent, and probably needs one of the top candidates to stumble.”
Speaking Wednesday to a diverse group of 150 Democrats in Henderson, Nev., Richardson appeared prepared but didn’t look stiff. Joking about his long-windedness, he laid out somewhat-detailed goals for the first week he’s in the Oval Office: end the Iraq war, move toward energy independence, universal health care and preschool for all kids, increase funding for veterans, and close prisons like Guantanamo Bay.
He received two standing ovations.
Kudos from New Mexicans
Sonya Martinez, a teacher in Henderson, and her mother, Deborah Martinez, who was visiting from New Mexico, both gave Richardson a thumbs-up.
“He has done such a good job for us in New Mexico, increasing teacher’s pay, opening up jobs with the film industry,” Deborah Martinez said.
Her daughter agreed but said she was concerned Richardson wasn’t being forceful enough in public debates.
“He looks like he’s being timid. I’m not used to seeing him quiet. He needs to speak up,” she said.
Iowa, New Hampshire and, to a lesser extent, Nevada can expect to hear a lot from Richardson over the next few months. Most of the $6 million he raised during the first quarter, and an equal amount he expects to rake in this quarter, will go toward campaigning in those states, said Richardson campaign manager David Contarino.
Though his total is millions less than the top three candidates – Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina – it is enough to keep experienced people on the ground in each of those states and continue running ads in Iowa and New Hampshire.
“He has had some success here with TV advertising, and that sort of sets him on the right path,” said Peverill Squire, a political science professor at the University of Iowa. “Now, he needs to spend a lot of time in relatively small venues, at homes and the county fairs, to generate talk among activists.”
Richardson said there are three big issues that he will continue to stress: getting out of the Iraq war with no residual troops, universal health care and energy independence.
“No matter where I go, questions about those issues keep coming at me,” he said.
The strategy, Richardson said, is if he can do well in Iowa and New Hampshire, then an increase in national attention and momentum should sweep him into Nevada. That state has a high percentage of Latino voters whom he is actively courting, and many are expected to lean in his direction.
Nevada could help propel him into Florida and California, also states with a high percentage of Latinos.
“Those are good for me,” said Richardson, right after finishing an interview in Spanish with Telemundo.
Sitting in a sweltering hot car on the way to catch his plane, Richardson smiled as he thought of another political tool in his shed.
“You can’t forget about fate,” he said.
Staff writer Karen Crummy can be reached at 303-954-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com.
Richardson, Democratic front-runners not far apart on key issues
Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson says he is focusing on three big issues on the campaign trail: the war in Iraq, universal health care and energy independence. Here is how Richardson compares with the Democratic front-runners:
Bill Richardson
IRAQ: Congress should immediately assert its constitutional authority and pass a resolution de-authorizing the war. Then, pull the troops out within six months of de-authorization. There should be no residual U.S. forces left in Iraq. America should promote an Iraqi Reconciliation Conference to seek compromises and to begin confidence-building measures, including the end of militia violence.
HEALTH CARE: Would open up existing sources of affordable, portable coverage to more Americans. Working families and small businesses will be able to purchase coverage through the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan. Americans 55 and older will be able to purchase coverage through Medicare. Lower-income Americans will obtain affordable coverage through expanded Medicaid and State Child Health Insurance Program.
ENERGY: Would cut oil demand 50 percent by 2020. That means reducing oil imports from about 65 percent to 10 to 15 percent. He proposed getting a 100-mpg car into the marketplace. Also proposes dramatically reducing greenhouse-gas emissions – by 90 percent – by 2050. The U.S. must return to the international negotiating table and support mandatory worldwide limits on global warming pollution.
Hillary Clinton
IRAQ: Has proposed legislation to end authority for the war. The president should be required to come to Congress to seek new authority. As president, she would end the war. She opposes permanent bases in Iraq. She believes we may need a vastly reduced residual force to train Iraqi troops, provide logistical support and conduct counterterrorism operations, but she does not plan a permanent occupation.
HEALTH CARE: Wants to lower costs by modernizing the nation’s health care infrastructure, which also will reduce errors and improve patient care. She wrote the legislation that guarantees that new prescription drugs are tested for children as well as adults. In the Senate, she has continued work to expand access to health insurance to all Americans.
ENERGY: Calls global climate change one of the most pressing moral issues of our time. She supports policies to reduce carbon emissions and other pollution that contribute to global warming. She would invest in clean energy technologies, establish a national market-based program to reduce pollution, increase fuel efficiency and restore the U.S. as a leader in international efforts to address the problem of climate change.
John Edwards
IRAQ: Has apologized for his initial vote to authorize the war in Iraq. He would immediately withdraw troops, with the complete withdrawal from Iraq within 12 to 18 months, allowing the Iraqis to assume greater responsibility for rebuilding their own country.
HEALTH CARE: Believes the U.S. needs to reform health care system to provide universal coverage. He has released a plan that would require businesses and other employers to either cover their employees or help finance their health insurance, make insurance affordable by creating new tax credits, expanding Medicaid and SCHIP, reforming insurance laws, and taking innovative steps to contain health care costs.
ENERGY: Believes the country should invest in clean, renewable energies like wind, solar and biofuels to create a new energy economy, develop a new generation of efficient cars and trucks, and put new energy-saving technologies to work in buildings, transportation and industry.
Barack Obama
IRAQ: Opposed the war from the beginning. He has called for a time frame for a phased withdrawal of troops, for the Iraqi government to make progress on forming a political solution, for improved reconstruction efforts and for engaging the international community to become more involved.
HEALTH CARE: Has outlined specific principles, including tackling medical inflation and spiraling health care costs, developing new mechanisms to extend portable, affordable coverage, and reforming health care delivery so that it emphasizes prevention and efficiency.
ENERGY: Would establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard. He led a bipartisan effort to raise fuel economy standards and plans to reintroduce a bill that would set a 4 percent annual increase in efficiency as a target. He would expand the use of E85 and other renewable fuels and establish limits on greenhouse-gas emissions.
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