For nearly three months now, New Mexico governor and former Democratic Presidential candidate, Bill Richardson, has been saying publicly that he hadn’t made an endorsement because he felt that his endorsement would be insignificant.
“I don’t think that endorsements are really all that important,” Richardson told Chris Matthews, just prior to February 5th’s Super Tuesday. “I may endorse, I may not. I don’t think that anything I have to say will actually make a difference.”
Recently, Richardson did make an endorsement, announcing that his support is now behind Barack Obama.
When asked for comment, Clinton advisor Mark Penn said, “The time that he could have been effective has long since passed,” he continued. “I don’t think it is a significant endorsement in this environment.”
This statement is true. Richardson’s endorsement could’ve been substantial prior to Super Tuesday when a number of states, including New Mexico, held their nominating contests. Instead of endorsing, Richardson watched football with his former boss, President Bill Clinton.
Had Richardson’s endorsement immediately followed his withdraw from the race, what little national support he had garnered may have given a small boost to the endorsee. However, at this late stage when the campaign has become focused on a few small states, the endorsement of a New Mexico governor probably has no affect on the decisions that voters will be making in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Puerto Rico, and North Carolina.
Despite the truth that logic and reason clearly outline, and in the face of his own words, Bill Richardson chooses to attack the Clinton campaign with the card that his new friend, Obama, has been using for quite some time: The divisive politics of race.
Gov. Richardson could’ve acknowledged that, other providing Obama with one additional superdelegate, his endorsement means little at this point. However, he did not do that. Instead, he lobbed unfounded racially charged allegations, where no racial implications previously existed.
“I resent the fact that the Clinton people are now saying that my endorsement is too late because I only can help with Texans – with Texas and Hispanics, implying that that’s my only value,” Richardson said.
I’m sorry, Governor, but perhaps your sense of self-importance is tad bit over inflated. It seems that Hillary Clinton has not needed your support to win handily in Texas’ democratic primary. In fact, New Mexico appears to be a state where Clinton won as well.
