Richardson: Voters Decide, Not Big Shots

Says Party Superdelegates Should Not Overrule Popular Will Of Voters In Choosing Nominee

(CBS)  To the suggestion that his recent endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination showed personal disloyalty to Sen. Hillary Clinton, Gov. Bill Richardson said that in deciding between love for country and love for the Clintons, he chose his country.

He also criticized the "personal venom" of some Hillary supporters, like James Carville, who criticized Richardson for his announcement of backing Obama, saying they feel a sense of entitlement, "that the presidency is theirs.

"I think loyalty to the nation, loyalty to the party is a lot more important than personal loyalty," Richardson, D-N.M., told Face The Nation host Bob Schieffer. "I owe the Clintons a lot. I served in the president's cabinet. That loyalty is to President Clinton. That doesn't mean that I'm going to for the rest of my life be in lockstep with whatever they do."

To underscore his point, Richardson pointed out, "I ran against Senator Clinton. I was a presidential candidate."

With regard to recent suggestions on how to resolve the tight race between Clinton and Obama, a race that may come down to the party's superdelegates choosing a nominee, Richardson said a meeting of superdelegates (who could convene to make their choice known weeks before the August convention) was an "interesting" idea but should not overrule the choice made by voters.

"What you don't want is for the big shots in the party, the superdelegates, to determine the nominee," he said. "It should be voters. It should be delegates chosen according to proportionality.

"But, maybe, what can happen is some of the major party leaders like Governor Dean and Speaker Pelosi, Al Gore, John Edwards … find ways that superdelegates can have discussions, can have some kind of consensus emerging so that we don't have a bloody convention where we're weakened.”

Also appearing on the program was Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, D., who said discussions about vice-presidential options for the Democratic ticket were “getting the cart before the horse” before the remaining primaries - including Pennsylvania's - are done.

"Let's try to stay focused on the election at hand," Nutter said.

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Read the full "Face the Nation" transcript here.

[obamasgranny]

The American people have been duped,especially the African Americans!!

http://kennethelamb.blogspot.com/2008/02/barak-obama-questions-about-ethnic.html

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by maymok at 09:00 PM : Mar 31, 2008

lol, Richardson was a sucker! When Obama winked VP to him, he jumped ship before the primarires were over. Now Obama''s dumped him like a hot potato and is woeing Bloomberg for the VP slot now that he has the Richardson endorsement.

As I said before, poetic justice.

[maymok]

Richardson knows what kind of mean-spirited people the Clintons really are. Their Kitchen Sink strategy tells it all. They are so money and power-hungry that they will destroy everything to get back to the White House.

[obamasgranny]

Richardson is like the guy working across the street sweeping floors,..you hire him and take him under your wing, you befriend him, pay him more, promote him, train him, guide him and then after you teach him the trade and promote him to a better position,...somebody else offers him $0.10 more an hour and he''s gone!! Loser. Self serving loser.

NOBAMA 08

[obamasgranny]

Blah Blah Blah,....Let me sum up Richardson for you,.."Do as I say, not as I do"

NOBAMA 08

[obamasgranny]

Richardson is an idiot!! How can you go against the voters in your own state and then tell people they shoud honor the voters? This guy has got some b_lls!!
Richardson has set the standard by which all superdelegates should follow,...vote your mind (in this case ,backroom deal) and forget what your constituents say!!
I can''t wait to see the superdelegates go for Clinton,...they will say "Kerry did it!! Kennedy did it!! Richardson did it!! and I don''t want to hear any whining from the Obama-bots!!

[udaipur-2009]

Mr. Richardson is not very smart. The creation of superdelegate had a different reasoning. A superdelegate is independent of the primary election. A superdselegate is an idiot, if he decides on the basis of a primary election. No wonder Gov. Richardson is an idiot. The people who created Caucus system are also a bunch of idiots. this system is for young activists or hooligans. It is not for decent people. Barak Obama is more a hooligan than a sensible politician. This is the reason that he was winning mostly caucuses. I am ashamed of this cunning person.

[jesterbelle]

Gov. Richardson is absolutely right! MN Senator Klobuchar has just endorsed Barack Obama. Let''''s get this done. The neo-cons are planning on how we can invade Iran just like they were planning this war in Iraq....while Democrats squabble over their nomination.


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Posted by wyzguy11 at 03:51 PM : Mar 31, 2008

No,Richardson is wrong.It is better for Obama in the long run if Hillary stays in and self destructs.Think about it,She takes the heat off him with her antics.When she loses after going all the way,the Clinton people won''t have anything to whine about,and most will still vote for Obama.We also get the added bonus of seeing Hillary as the biggest dope ever for taking it all the way.It will ruin her chance of ever being president,and may end her career as a senator.She needs to stay in until she is destroyed.Richardson and others need to shut up.

[pepperwood2]

Rendell (former DNC president & fund raiser for Bill ) is sure his Old Guard Rednecks will see to it that Obama will be put back in his place in Pa.

Go Hillary - Our Great White Hope.

[fjfjdvdv]

I really hope Hillary stays in the race. She%u2019s worked so hard to discredit Senator Obama and to turn her supporters against the Democratic Party. They%u2019re now convinced that Obama is the devil and McCain would make a good president. So she needs to hang on until she is fully, 100% discredited. Until it is blatantly obvious that she is acting purely out of personal ambition. Until she becomes such a longshot that even her most tenacious supporters are embarrassed for her.

So you go, Hillary. Run like you''ve never run before. Launch your "kitchen sink" attacks on fellow Democrats. Convince your donors to threaten Pelosi. Tell your supporters to vote Republican. Regale us with stories of your heroism Bosnia. And have your surrogates play the sexism card -- that should be good for a few votes. Don''t hold back. Simple failure is not good enough -- you need to go out in a blaze of inglorious silliness, and you seem to be making every effort to do so.

The Democratic Party can still come together -- it can come together over the smouldering remains of Hillary Clinton''s political reputation.

[pepperwood2]

Rendell (former DNC president & fund raiser for Bill ) is sure his Old Guard Rednecks will see to it that Obama will be put back in his place in Pa.

Go Hillary - Our Great White Hope.

[jesterbelle]

Obama''s writing another book.It''s title is "The Audacity of Hillary".

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by DGUffelman at 12:49 PM : Mar 31, 2008

You''re absolutely right! And those people asking for Hllary Clinton to step down just want an easy win for Obama instead of making him earn it!

Gov. Richardson was a fool to make a backroom bargain with Obama for the VP slot, before a nomination was made! It was the height of bad judgment. Obama has since dropped him like a hot potatoe after getting his endorsement and is now woeing Bloomberg for the VP slot! Poetic justice, what?

Sorry I feel no shame for any of my statements against a corrupt shill trying to get an easy win out of this nomination.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by ssskfrancis at 11:06 AM : Mar 31, 2008

Well said!

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by bobnjersey at 08:14 AM : Mar 31, 2008

8,700 people being taught anti-American separatism by Rev. Wright plus another few million who read Obama''s books that honor and speak to Rev. WRight''s teachings.

LOTS of ''em!

[dguffelman]

I think Gov. Richardson''s endorsement of Obama was a courageous act and reflects his honest views of which candidate is best for the country. It is to his credit that he values his honest opinion as more important than which candidate has tossed him the most political favors.

Richardson has acted with class, dignity and courage. Isn%u2019t it disloyalty for Carville, owing so much to the Dems, to disparage a top Democrat? How can that possibly help the Dems win, whoever the eventual nominee turns out to be?

It%u2019s revealing that some view loyalty as owed in proportion to political favors previously given. That is old-style, corrupt politics. "Who-owes-whom-what?" How about some new-style politics where we focus on what''s best for America, not what''s best for the Clintons or the party bosses? Quite frankly, we shouldn''t be focusing on what best for any particular interest group or demographic sub-group either.

No one is entitled to the Presidency. No one is entitled to a single vote. Support must be earned through character, ideas, leadership and honesty. That%u2019s why I''m an Obama supporter %u2013 it%u2019s my honest view that he%u2019s best for America in 2008.

I do not disparage anyone who has a contrary view. But shame on those who have posted venom-filled hate messages in this forum. Whoever you are, you are not helping whatever candidate you purport to endorse.

[gunownerdan]

Dirty democrats and rotten republicans will destroy America ...
IF WE LET THEM!

[ssskfrancis]

HILLARY ARE WITH YOU: Hillary, you should continue your fight against the sexists, racists and anti-American elements forces in this election. Do not listen to the Obama cronies who try to disfranchise the millions in FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN and try to steal the election from you. %u201CIF YOU DON%u2019T LEARN FROM HISTORY YOU ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT IT%u201D (SANTAYANA) Remember 2000 election.

[abuclaflin]

When will you post the Hayden interview?

[betty521]

Maybe you''ll see Richardson flip back over to Clinton?? I think the super delegates can change their vote at any time. Unlikely, but with Richardson, you never know.