(Re)Introducing John McCain

Keep trying, something’s bound to stick. Years ago, I used to like this guy; now, I think he’ll say whatever he thinks might get him elected. Though I suppose that’s not so different from the rest of them . . .

Bill Richardson sells well when he is given a chance, but he is neither black nor female. He’s half Mexican, bilingual and diverse in his approach to life. Not only that, he was decent pitcher at Tufts University, where he earned an advanced degree in international relations.
He’s the governor of New Mexico, elected to a second term by 68 percent of the votes in a very Republican state. His treasury, though, is hardly a tenth of that of Obama or Clinton.
I made sure I spoke first in this old-fashioned stump exercise, and I laid out the main reasons I want Bill Richardson to lead our nation.
I want a friendly person with a soft smile, but with the steely resolve to negotiate with the world’s toughest leaders. I want a person with experience at many levels of government who understands the diverse needs of our domestic society as well as having international experience and respect. I want a person who has sat across from the world’s leaders and touched those in need in the state where he governs.
Bill Richardson in a nutshell:
● Served 15 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the United States in Central and South America, Cuba, India, China.
● Served three years as ambassador to the United Nations.
● Served three years as secretary of education after being approved unanimously by Congress.
● Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize after negotiating in the Sudan and later winning the release of prisoners from Iraq and North Korea.
● Was the first governor in the United States to veto eminent domain reform legislation.
● Lowered state income tax and tax on food, yet balanced the New Mexico budget and has given his state one of the biggest budget reserves in the country.
● Has established a statewide pre-kindergarten program.
● Recently negotiated the uneasy truce in Darfur, which still holds.
● Led nuclear talks with North Korea at their insistence.
● Made New Mexico the first state to provide $400,000 in life insurance for active duty National Guardsmen.
● Has said he’ll take down the fence between the United States and Mexico immediately and begin serious negotiations with Mexico about the immigration problem.
This is Ol’ Clark’s man. His record was heard by the committee for the first time. No one had spoken for him in the past. He has no paid staff in Mid-Missouri. I might be his only spokesman.
When a vote was taken after the stump speaking, Richardson was the winner. Obama was second and Clinton third.
When facts, not hype, are given to the thinking public, things change. In our rush to a presidential primary solution as quick as we can do so, we bow to the dollar and to marketing and find ourselves caught up in what might well be a beeline to failure.
The smoke-filled rooms at political conventions for a century and a half produced more statesmen and leaders than recent popularity contests. Our nation has suffered accordingly.
Ol’ Clark doesn’t smoke, but he’d endure a smoke-filled room if it brought us the leadership of a person with the qualifications of Bill Richardson.
A Republican friend of mine who served on the Santa Fe City Council and voted for Richardson said: “We’ll be able to keep him as governor here because the Democrats aren’t smart enough to nominate him.”