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COLUMNISTS
TODAY'S STORIES
04.04.2008
The Richardson Follies


Bill Richardson ran for president. He was nice to Hillary. Maybe he was angling for veep? Then in Iowa he threw his non-viables to Obama. The Clintonites raged about betrayal. Then he watched the Super Bowl with the other Bill and all was well. Then he was "genuinely torn" about who to endorse but didn't like a phone call he got from a Clintonite. Then he endorsed Obama. Then Carville called him Judas. Then he called Carville a character assassin. Then they said he'd promised not to endorse Obama. Then he denied that. Then he said Hillary said Obama can't win. Then Hillary's people said he said Obama isn't ready. Then he denied it. Then she seemed to deny saying what she supposedly said. Then her people said she didn't deny saying that but won't say if she did say it.

This primary is too long.

--Michael Crowley

Posted: Friday, April 04, 2008 11:21 AM with 9 comment(s)

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adaglas said:

Yeah, well you should totally hear what Richardson told me about Hillary in the cafeteria after P.E.

April 4, 2008 11:57 AM

jhildner said:

The Richardson business only makes Hillary and Bill look petulant and repeatedly calls attention to a significant Obama endorsement.

April 4, 2008 12:54 PM

WaltB said:

So why is anyone considering this news????  Billary is still Billary after all these years.

April 4, 2008 1:26 PM

Wandreycer1 said:

I heard Obama ate a meatball hero yesterday.

April 4, 2008 2:43 PM

stgla said:

Mike, that was hilarious.  Richardson got more than his 15 minutes, more than his money's worth.

April 4, 2008 6:43 PM

psantillana said:

but who has he got in that headlock?

screw trying to be evenhanded, though: richardson endorsed obama, and has been repeatedly attacked ever since. He's responded to those attacks [lies as well, if you believe him], not elbowed his way in front of the cameras.

April 4, 2008 7:51 PM

matthawk said:

It is very, very interesting to contrast the heavy handed treatment that the Clintons have given to African American superdelegate John Lewis, and Hispanic former presidential candidate Bill Richardson for getting off the Clinton plantation, as opposed to their treatment of, say, Chris Dodd for doing exactly the same thing. What does this suggest about the way the Clintons define "ownership" and who can be "owned" by them?

April 5, 2008 3:19 AM

matthawk said:

P.S. -- Memo to Hillary Clinton: You of all people should know better than to run a campaign based on denying a people's hopes and dreams. The Clinton machine's strategy with the super delegates, which appears to be to suggest that Obama's "race" makes him unelectable, only serves as a provocation to those who are now determined to prove the Clintons wrong. And now, even if Hillary were to get the nomination, it is questionable as to whether or not the bad taste in the mouth will linger into the fall as potential supporters remember the Clintons' springtime message to African Americans: "You are not quite ready for prime time yet."

Clinton's behind-the-scenes suggestions that Obama's "race" makes him unelectable increases the likelihood that those who interpreted Bill Clinton's New Hampshire comment "Gimme a break. This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've every seen," really had more to do with the idea of an African American making a successful run for the presidency than it did about Obama's withdrawal strategy for Iraq.

A Clinton nomination by the super delegates prior to this summer's convention could well mean that a lot of people will stay home in November and allow McCain to walk away with the election.

April 5, 2008 3:31 AM

Annabella2 said:

Could someone please explain to me what the strategy is supposed to be?  Do they think this can work?  If not... what is the purpose of the game?  And does Bill perhaps want Hillary to lose?

April 5, 2008 4:12 PM