by Steve Painter
Daily Lobo columnist
A little more than two weeks ago, Gov. Bill Richardson announced he was running for president. I just stopped laughing.
Richardson has little to no chance of winning the Democratic candidacy, much less the presidency. He believes he has much to offer the people of the U.S. But I'm not so sure.
Richardson loves to talk about his ability in foreign relations. In Richardson's speech on Jan. 21 to announce his formation of an exploratory committee, he said, "Our next president must be able to restore our standing in the world. With my diplomatic and foreign policy experience, I am the best candidate to make America a respected international leader again."
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Among those who support Richardson as a great diplomat is the Chinese business paper the Standard, which says its ideal foreign policy ticket would include President Hillary Clinton, Vice President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Bill Richardson. It's nice to see that a communist country admires Richardson's foreign policy ability.
In the announcement of his candidacy, Richardson said it is America's job to "become the international leader in fighting poverty and promoting democracy." That is what President Bush is trying to do in Iraq. Yet, Richardson said he is against Bush's plans to add more troops to Iraq. Perhaps Richardson is saying that only a Democrat should promote democracy around the world.
Moving from the international level, Richardson believes he can add something to America's domestic life. He claimed in his announcement speech that governors are leading the way on issues such as education.
If Richardson believes governors are leading the way in education, he should take a look at his state. Three of the high schools in Las Cruces are on probation. APS is a joke. UNM is listed by U.S. News & World Report as a third-tier university. NMSU is listed as a fourth-tier university. Compare that to the schools in New York where Sen. Clinton is from or the schools in Illinois where Sen. Obama is from, and you will see that Richardson has no leg to stand on when it comes to education.
Moving away from the issues, Richardson faces a stiff battle to gain the Democratic nomination. Could Richardson become another Jimmy Carter and come out of nowhere to win? Probably not. Although Carter was a long shot to win just like Richardson, he was an out-of-work governor who could focus on campaigning. Richardson is still the governor of New Mexico and does not have the resources other candidates will have. Clinton has the resources to gain the nomination, because she has been in the public's eye since Bill was president. Obama has become a media darling lately and should be able to quickly raise funds because of it. Another Democratic challenger is Sen. John Edwards, Sen. John Kerry's vice presidential choice in the last election. That recognition alone should give the senator from North Carolina more resources to work with than Richardson.
If Richardson gains the Democratic nomination, he would have to beat the Republican candidate. The Republicans boast two candidates who are more qualified and noticeable than Richardson. Sen. John McCain has been in politics for a number of years and is recognizable to the majority of Americans. He has taken a strong stance on the Iraq war and was a possible presidential candidate in 2000. Perhaps his stiffest competition for the nomination is former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani has been called America's mayor and has already proven that he can lead a large number of people in a time of crisis. These two candidates would have a huge advantage if Richardson won the Democratic
nomination.
Steve Painter is a UNM communication and journalism major.
