Just heard Richardson he's great.

[cooolandrew]

These are my top 2 candidates now. I hadn't heard what Richardson speak but his reputation was excellent. I am just listening to him via cspan road to the whitehouse podcast, he's fantastic he's got a clear world view and breaks it down for the average joe. Obama/Richardson or vica versa would be a perfect ticket with some fresh energy.

[wryter2000]

1. A friend of mine lives in NM

She's low income, and she gets health care through the state. It sounds like great coverage. She adores him. I'd love it if he came out on top.

Still hoping Gore will run, though. :)

[skipos]

5. Richardson leads in the NM primary polls

unlike most other "2nd tier" candidates (Biden, Dodd, etc).

The people who know him seem to like the idea of President Richardson.

[On the Road]

6. Richardson Leads in New Hampshire?

That's a shock. That really gives him a shot.

[Czolgosz]

7. Richardson leads in New MEXICO, his home state, not New HAMPSHIRE

Richardson is a decent guy but he's awfully conservative.

[cooolandrew]

9. Well the main candidate out there pushing for paper ballot...

yes dems won 06 but only by overwhelming nubers safe voting is the first and last issue overall I would say. Also prior to Arnies environment inititives, Richardson had the best record on the emissions for his state, so there is a lot to get excited about.

[Czolgosz]

19. Richardson's also the only candidate to shut down a ballot challenge and wipe the e-voting machines

while there was an on-going controversy about the e-vote in New Mexico despite the fact that New Mexico had the nation's highest rate of presidential undervotes.

[skipos]

10. Damn, here's Czolgosz bringing the hate to another Richardson thread

It's a free country and all that, but yeesh.

[Czolgosz]

12. Calling attention to Richardson's positions on issues is hate? Why don't you defend his positions?

[cooolandrew]

13. To my mind Richardson has all the qualities they say Gore has and we know he is running.

[Czolgosz]

16. Gore is 180 degrees from Richardson on tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations and Gore is better

on public school financing rather than private school vouchers.

Here are my Top 10 Problems with Richardson (please evaluate the issues for yourself)

1. Pro-NAFTA/Pro-CAFTA/Anti-Fair Trade;

2. Supported Vouchers for Private Schools (draining public school funding);

3. Shut down presidential recount despite suspicious circumstances;

4. Supported medical savings account approach to broken health care system;

5. Hawkish on military bases and homeland security;

6. Supports revenue reduction via tax cuts for corporations and the ultra-wealthy;

7. Supports giving churches access to federal funds to provide faith-based social services;

8. Has much praise for Bush's immigration plans;

9. Richardson is a favorite of the DLC; and

10. Weakness on Civil Rights (see below)



Richardson's Top 10 Civil Rights Weaknesses (So Many, I Need Another Top 10 List)

1. Richardson’s support for mandatory jail time, even for non-violent offenders;

2. Richardson’s support for the death penalty;

3. Richardson’s vote to abolish habeas corpus in death penalty appeals;

4. Richardson’s opposition to offering the option of life-without-parole as an alternative to the death penalty;

5. Richardson’s support for prosecuting minors as adults;

6. Richardson’s support for expanding the number of federal crimes punishable by death;

7. Richardson’s support for eliminating parole for anyone convicted of a violent crime;

8. Richardson’s support for eliminating automatic citizenship for all children born in the USA;

9. Richardson’s support for limiting access to our court system for people hurt by negligent hospitals; an

10. Richardson’s vote in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act against gay marriage.

Sources NOT affiliated with the campaign spin:

http://www.ontheissues.org/Bill_Richardson.htm
http://www.whereistand.com/BillRichardson/16327
http://vote-smart.org/npat.php?old=true&can_id=H2505103&npatform_id=11

An interview with Richardson: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,151631,00.html

[skipos]

15. I am using "hate" playfully

It is just that you make an appearance in almost every Richardson thread I see. I don't need to defend his positions because I am not going to change your mind on him.

It seems you are so in hate with Richardson that you click on every thread you see about him. No one is going to persuade you, and I doubt you are looking to be persuaded.

[Czolgosz]

17. Here's what I said: "Richardson is a decent guy but he's awfully conservative." You set a low bar

for "hate." If you do not agree that Richardson is running to the right of most of the field, show me why you think that. I have changed my mind on other candidates in the past.

I favor a progressive candidate rather than a conservative one. That puts me at odds with Hillary, Biden, and Richardson. If there were pro-Biden threads, I would post in them to express my issue and policy based objections to Biden's candidacy. I also post in Hillary threads (see http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x301350).

I post issue based questions about Richardson and Hillary to focus the debate on their stances on issues. I will support either one if either gets the nomination, but on ideological grounds I prefer anyone else over Hillary, Richardson, or Biden for the nomination.

[On the Road]

21. That Makes More Sense

NM instead of NH

[Perky]

2. Obama Richardson make so much sense

New Blood and steady hand in foreign affairs with Richardson.

Shores up the credibility gap and takes Florida off the electoral map.

[cooolandrew]

3. Exactly with a latin american guy and african american you have Dems base mobalised...

plus you have the experience of Richardson and the vitality of Obama.

[Czolgosz]

8. That completely did NOT WORK in Texas in 2002 when the TDP counted on a Latino gubernatorial

candidate and an African American senate candidate with the hope of boosting turnout.

Turnout was lower than ordinary and the ticket tanked state wide. I hate to see a candidate selected based on race.

[Stevepol]

18. Not a good example. TX counts the vote with out-of-control machines.

[Czolgosz]

20. Not in 2002.

[asjr]

4. I don't want to detract from

any of the other Democratic candidates, but so far Richardson is the only one that makes any sense. The media have not been focusing on Richardson as they have Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama. I like both of them but I think they may burn out simply because of the media coverage. The media are in the "gotcha" mode now and they never let up. I want to listen to their ideas and plans to bring this country back to what it once was. I would love to see one of them come right out and call the media out on what they are doing. But that might be the kiss of death to whomever does it. I don't like government by media and pundit and that seems to be all we get.

[Czolgosz]

11. Richardson makes sense if you love NAFTA, the death penalty, DOMA, and the DLC. Sources:

http://www.ontheissues.org/Bill_Richardson.htm
http://www.whereistand.com/BillRichardson/16327
http://vote-smart.org/npat.php?old=true&can_id=H2505103&npatform_id=11

An interview with Richardson: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,151631,00.html

[bigtree]

22. It's interesting just how many Democrats support(ed) the issues you've highlighted

Richardson's views are well within the mainstream of our party at the present

[Czolgosz]

23. But which of the current candidates supports all these issues? Being the most conservative Democrat

in the race isn't a slur against Hillary, Richardson and Biden - it is a simple fact from what I can see. If you have a different evaluation of the candidates based on their positions on the issues, share it. I don't dislike Richardson as a person or as a political appointee; he's just more conservative than the nominee I hope we select (and I'm open minded, I'll take Edwards, Kucinich, Dodd, and Obama - plus Gore or Clark if they run).

[Norquist Nemesis]

14. IMO, he's the real 'dark horse' candidate

He has a resume that would be the envy of any candidate. He also is geographically in the region that is reasonably being speculated as the place that has to be won in order to take it all.

It's all going to come down to the money, unfortunately.