New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson
brings his presidential campaign to South Florida but finds that
support from fellow Hispanics is not universal
WASHINGTON
(By Lesley Clark, Miami Herald) February 24, 2007
Although he says he is not seeking the presidency as
the ''Hispanic candidate,'' New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is
proving a rock star among the Spanish-language press, and
Democrats hope that his presence among presidential contenders
will fire up Hispanic voters.
Still, his popularity is not
translating into unified support among prominent Hispanic
Democrats, many of whom have signed on with Sen. Hillary
Clinton, despite voicing pride in Richardson's candidacy.
Observers say the two-term
governor has an impressive rιsumι a globe-trotting diplomatic
troubleshooter and former seven-term member of Congress who
served as a Clinton-era energy secretary. He has personality and
garrulousness to spare.
But sheer political calculation
and loyalty to Clinton and her husband are trumping ethnic ties,
as Hispanic Democrats such as longtime former National Council
of La Raza leader Raul Yzaguirre and 2004 Kerry campaign
co-chairman Josι Villarreal sign up with the New York senator.
''A lot of people are thrilled
with the historic significance for Gov. Richardson,'' said
Villarreal, a San Antonio lawyer who was deputy campaign manager
for Bill Clinton in 2092. "But for a lot of us, our political
identity is wrapped around the Clinton experience.''
The situation mirrors that of
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who is competing with Clinton for
support among black Democrats. An ABC News/Washington Post poll
last month showed her with a 26-point advantage over Obama among
black voters, and this week she picked up the backing of Rep.
Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, who said he didn't hesitate to
endorse Clinton, "a personal friend.''
''There's no way you can look
at her candidacy without looking at her husband's, and he had a
proven track record in both communities,'' noted Shawnta Walcott
of the polling firm Ariel & Ethan, which specializes in polling
ethnic groups.
Richardson, who makes his
official debut in Hispanic-rich Florida today, faces similar
territory in South Florida. Clinton has hired Sergio Bendixen,
an influential Miami pollster who worked in 2004 for the New
Democrat Network, an independent group that ran a Hispanic voter
outreach effort. And she has tapped prominent local Hispanic
donors: developers Jorge Perez and Miami builder Paul Cejas and
his wife, Trudy, who contributed to her Senate campaign.
AN UNDERDOG
Richardson, 59, whose father
was white and mother is Mexican, readily acknowledges his
underdog status. But the first primary, he notes, is still more
than 10 months away.
''Stay loose,'' he said to
activists at the Democratic National Committee's recent winter
meeting in Washington. "We've got a year to go.''
In a telephone interview with
The Miami Herald, Richardson said he is comfortable with his
campaign's pace. He is raising money locally capping a week
in which he raised $2 million at a single fundraiser for a
campaign that is expected to cost hundreds of millions.
Tonight, Richardson headlines
Broward County's Jefferson Jackson dinner, where he'll have the
opportunity to speak before 700 party activists and donors
many of whom have yet to commit to a candidate.
''Obviously, the big rock stars
are gobbling the attention, but we've really gained momentum in
recent weeks,'' Richardson said. "Going head-to-head with the
other candidates, what is increasingly evident is I've got the
best background, the best tools for the job. What I need to do
is get around the country and share that.''
'SECOND CHOICE'
Richardson said he is not
worried that high-profile Hispanics are aligning with Clinton,
noting that he visited with Perez, who told him that he was
easily his "second choice.''
''That's fine with me,''
Richardson said. "My objective is not to create a list of
big-name endorsements. My message is I'm a governor who is
prepared to be president.
"I'm not running as a Hispanic
candidate. Hispanic voters should not vote for me just because
I'm Hispanic; they should vote for me because of my record of
getting things done.''
He leaves it to others
recently, several Spanish-language reporters who cover the
Spanish-fluent governor as closely as any first-tier candidate
to suggest that his status as a potential Hispanic
history-maker has been overshadowed by the media fascination
with Clinton and Obama.
''It just shows the U.S. is a
leadership country,'' Richardson said of the possibility of a
first female, black or Hispanic president. "I'm proud three
minority candidates are serious contenders.''
THE SECOND TIER
Richardson earned raves for his
speech at the Democratic National Committee meeting, and his
performance this week at the Democrats' first candidate forum
had some suggesting that he is well positioned to move out of
the second tier of candidates should the top contenders stumble.
''He's definitely someone you
don't want to discount,'' said Josι Cancela, who heads a
Miami-based Hispanic consulting firm and has yet to commit to a
candidate. "The possibility of peaking early is high on
people's radar, and Richardson has the rιsumι and the tentacles
down here to respond.''
Richardson on the campaign
trail positions himself as the only candidate with executive and
international experience. He followed seven terms in Congress
with stints as energy secretary, U.N. ambassador and governor.
He has tangled with dictators and secured the release of
political prisoners in several countries, including Cuba.
As governor, he touts as his
achievements increases in teacher salaries and the promotion of
renewable energy, including tax credits for using wind, solar
and biofuels.
He advocates pulling troops out
of Iraq ''by the end of the year,'' but not without convening a
regional conference with Iraq's neighbors, including Syria and
Iran, to help stabilize the country.
His Cuba platform: He supports
increased contact with dissidents on the island, reversing a
Bush administration policy that restricts families from visiting
the island.
''Raϊl Castro has started to
make some overtures toward the U.S.'' he said. "Let's challenge
him to show his sincerity by releasing Cuban political
prisoners.''
