By THE NEW MEXICAN

Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:31 pm

The big Mo

Gov. Bill Richardson is running fourth among the Democratic candidates in most states, but James Boyce, writing in The Huffington Post says the governor might actually be poised to jump to second place.

“The state poll most recently out of Iowa shows me three things,” Boyce wrote.

“I like John Edwards personally and politically, but there is something missing this time around. He is rolling the dice on Iowa and as more and more people go on air there, he is losing ground not gaining it. I think the campaign is well run by smart people but maybe he has been too front and center for too long, but I see a continued fade there.

“I also like Barack Obama and he has some great people working for him. But both nationally and in states where he is focusing, I don't see any upward momentum. Same with Christopher Dodd.

“However, Richardson is the only one who is moving up where he is focusing time,” Boyce said. “He has some, modest momentum. If he finished a strong second in Iowa, he would have some momentum. Will he ever overtake Hillary? That's a long shot but if I was going to pick a horse other than Hillary, I would be picking Bill Richardson.



A “Master Lesson” in debating

Deborah White, About.com’s “Guide to Liberal Politics: U.S.” praises Richardson’s debating skills in Sunday’s debate in De Moines.

Richardson, she said, “delivered a Master Lesson in political debating, as he effectively and efficiently delivered his message in the mere 8 minutes he was allotted. ... (He) connected well with the Iowa audience, both on the Iraq War and on No Child Left Behind, in large part because he communicated his ideas simply, understandably, and with passion, and because he strongly differentiated his views with the other candidates.”

But that might not be enough to get him the nomination, White said.

“Is it too late for Bill Richardson? Will his energetic, pragmatic words and deep, long track record catch on with caucus goers and primary voters?

“Sadly, it might be too late. If true, that would be a shame.”



The biggest disappointment

Steve Kornacki is not impressed with Richardson. In an opinion piece called “The Richardson Letdown” published in this week’s issue of The New York Observer, Kornacki says, “There are 18 candidates for president between the two parties, and Bill Richardson might just be the biggest disappointment of all of them.”

Wrote Kornacki, “If anyone had the makings of a dark horse who could threaten the serious-candidate-tier monopoly of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards, it would be Mr. Richardson. Or so the thinking went.

“But the hesitant, confused and jarringly inarticulate man the country has met this year is a far cry from the savvy and confident leader that his résumé might lead one to expect. Mr. Richardson struggles — painfully at times — to express himself in public settings, particularly in debates, where he seems to alternate between reciting elementary platitudes and veering into off-the-cuff remarks that invariably raise serious questions about his intellectual habits.”



The total package

For the second time in less than a week, Jon Stewart on Monday lampooned Richardson on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show.

“If the story of the campaign is that Obama is too hot and Hillary is too cold, whose porridge is just right?” Stewart asked sarcastically.

He then played a clip from Sunday’s debate in which Richardson said, “I think that Sen. Obama does represent change. Sen. Clinton has experience. Change and experience: With me, you get both.”

To which Stewart, using a voice that doesn’t really sound like Richardson, said, “Obama’s a man, Hillary’s a woman. I ...“ (Stewart pauses for comic effect) “I have the genitalia of an earthworm. I’m a hermaphrodite, I’m tellin’ ya, I’m the total package!”