Profile: Richardson takes 'job interview' to voters
For Democratic presidential candidate and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the middle of the road is the place to be.
“I would call myself a moderate, because I am not predictable,” Richardson said. “On the one hand, I’m fiscally very conservative — I balanced budgets, I cut taxes — but I’m socially very progressive. I would say moderate is sensible.”
He notes he has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association but supports abortion rights and describes himself as a strong advocate for gay rights and environmental protection.
Brian Kingsolver, 22, of Shenandoah is the youngest Democratic Party county chairman in Iowa, and said Richardson is the moderate in the field.
Kingsolver has endorsed Barack Obama, but his runner-up choice was Richardson, who he said has “a sense of fresh air” unlike Washington politicians.
He said people unfortunately focus on the top three polling Democrats in Iowa — Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards — to the detriment of Richardson.
But Kingsolver also said people are tired of listening to the bickering going on among the top three candidates and Richardson’s candidacy could benefit from that fatigue.
“He will surprise a lot of people on caucus night,” Kingsolver said. “I could see him pulling second (place) or third.”
Richardson said his impression is the Jan. 3 caucuses are wide open. He’s focusing his campaign on Iowa more than any other state, with 100 staffers here.
“I see my momentum growing, and it’s because I’m going grass-roots and visiting every county, almost every little town,” Richardson said.
With a Dec. 3 visit to the Copper Lantern Restaurant in Sigourney in Keokuk County, Richardson finished his goal of campaigning in all 99 Iowa counties.
He calls his campaign stops “presidential job interviews” and ran some early television ads showing him being interviewed in an office for the presidency.
At the time, he was a mere blip in polls, but the humorous ads helped Richardson get attention. By August, he rose to 11 percent in the polls, although he hasn’t gained much since.
R.J. Laino of The Woodlands, Texas, is a 35-year friend of Richardson. Laino said Richardson is a formidable candidate, having lost only one campaign — his first run for Congress, back when Laino was his campaign manager at age 25.
Laino recalled that Richardson was taking on six-term Hispanic incumbent Rep. Manual Lujan Jr., and with predictions of a 30-point loss, Richardson lost by a slim margin.
The outcome, Laino said, showed Richardson is an effective campaigner.
“He met every voter in the district face-to-face so he could personally share his vision for New Mexico,” Laino said. “(Richardson) has been the one Democrat that consistently polls high among Republicans and independents due to his moderate positions, Western values.”
One of the key factors with Richardson, Kingsolver said, is his easy demeanor, leaving people with the impression that Richardson is like them.
While at Sioux City’s Morningside College, Richardson joked about himself more than any Democratic candidate who has appeared in the city. Richardson said the use of humor isn’t a focus group recommendation, but who he is.
“A way to connect with voters is to be yourself,” he said. “I’m not a canned, consultant-driven candidate, and I’m comfortable in who I am. I use humor, I use self-deprecation.”
Born in California, Richardson is tapping into his Hispanic roots. He was one of the few candidates who participated in a Spanish-language debate, and in August, Richardson created Mi Familia, a 145-chapter grass-roots organization working to mobilize the Hispanic vote for him in 18 states.
Richardson thinks the most important issue with Iowans is the war in Iraq. He said there is overwhelming sentiment to get the troops out, and he’s giving the quickest pull-out timetable of the Democratic candidates. Richardson has said his aim would be to pull all troops out in six to eight months with no residual troops left behind.
Health care reform, reducing dependence on foreign oil, immigration policy reform and protecting the financial position of the middle class are the other issues of importance to Iowa Democrats, Richardson said.
He would require that greenhouse gas emissions be cut 80 percent by 2040 and that cars achieve 50 miles per gallon by 2020. He noted automakers have technology to have SUVs with energy-efficient engines but don’t make them.
All the candidates are talking about change, Richardson contended, but he’s different.
“I’ve done it, I don’t just have position papers like the other candidates,” he said. “I haven’t been in Congress and failed to address these issues.
“As a governor, I’ve made my state a clean energy state, I’ve created jobs, I’ve balanced budgets. As a diplomat, I negotiated with foreign countries, brought countries together, brought hostages home, cease fires. As secretary of energy, I know how to make us energy independent. I guess it’s my direct experience, and I believe I’ve brought more change than any other candidate.”
BIO BOX
Name: Bill Richardson
Born: Nov. 15, 1947, Pasadena, Calif.
Career: Congressional staff member in 1970s; New Mexico congressman, 1983-1997; U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, 1997-98; U.S. Secretary of Energy, 1998-2001; New Mexico governor, 2003-present.
Education: Tufts University, B.A., 1970; Tufts Fletcher School of Law, M.A., 1971.
Family: Wife Barbara (Flavin) Richardson, married 35 years;
no children.
Religion: Catholic.
Looking at
the candidates
The Quad-City Times is profiling presidential candidates who are running active campaigns for the Iowa caucuses, with campaign headquarters and staff members based in the state.
Wednesday: Chris Dodd
Thursday: Barack Obama
Friday: Hillary Clinton
TODAY: Bill Richardson
Tuesday: John Edwards
Wednesday: Joe Biden
Thursday: Mitt Romney
Friday: Mike Huckabee
Dec. 17: Ron Paul
Dec. 18: Tom Tancredo
Dec. 19: Rudy Giuliani
Dec. 20: John McCain
Dec. 21: Fred Thompson
Bret Hayworth can be contacted at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.