Richardson: Clinton "Acting As If She's Won" The Nomination

AP:

Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson said Saturday that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is "acting as if she's won" the nomination.

"I think this is a time when voters start making up their minds and we draw contrasts," the New Mexico governor told reporters after addressing a union picnic in Las Vegas. "This race is not over. ... We've got three months to go."

Read the whole story: AP

Comments

[truthyguy]

What do I and 60% of all Americans have in common?

We all hate Hillary.

[OETKB]

There is a difference between political discourse and political action. The former is a parlor game and the latter tries to get somewhere.

We do not get good leaders without good follower-ship. If Senator Clinton has anointed herself and the voting public goes along with it because some candidates, although well qualified, lose out because they struggle with a national campaign, we pay a price for that.

It is glib enough to urge people to run a more effective campaign, but, you know, that should challenge us to enter the process.

The problems we face today surely need a deeper kind of experience in foreign affairs and executive judgment. Sure Hillary battles well with Republicans and even can get elected in a weak Republican field, but what have we accomplished for ourselves as we will have to wait as she gets her on the job training.

Governor Richardson is making some headway but too slowly. He will need help from those who understand his strengths and his ability to develop true bipartisan foreign policy and turn appropriate attention to our domestic problems.

Instead of blowing him out of the water on endgame non-substantive issues although politically important crafting of a successful campaign, we who have not done so need to get involved in campaigning. If it is to be Hillary then sit back and enjoy the show.

Thomas Paine said it best: "These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."

[Moshe]

Curious isnt' it? Not a single vote has been cast, and already the MSM has declared Hillary the winner.

That is because they have learned that to people plugged into the tube, and disconnected from the real world, if you say it's so enough, it's so. Why report reality when you can create it to suit your own agenda.

The mega-rich emporeror/oligarchs, including the Bush Family, want Hillary as the next president because it will give the appearance of change without any real risk of change. Hillary will be different in rhetoric, but virtually identical in substance, giving the current ruling class a chance to blame the failure in Iraq; soaring national debt; etc., on the DEMS, without in fact turning over any real control to anyone outside the current Belt-Way Oligarchy, their vision of "democracy."

Meanwhile, what was good about America is disappearing along with the Rule of Law, the American Middle Class, and any pretense of social justice, all giving way to the police state/banana republic juggernaut of making a handful of billionaires into trillionaires over the broken lives and bodies of the other 6 billion people on this planet.

[DocSarvis]

When Vladimir Putin recently stuck his thumb in Condoleezza Rice's eye, I wondered which of the current crop of candidates would have the balls to deal with him.

After all, the war on tourism is a capital-draining sideshow to the ongoing rivalry between the United States and Russia. The last moves in the Great Game have not yet been played.

With Putin strengthening ties to Iran, making claims to Arctic resources, promising to target nuclear missiles at Europe if the West puts missile defense technology in Poland, and publicly mocking the Bush administration, we need to remember who America's real adversaries are: Russia and China. And we need a president capable of dealing with them.

I have concluded that Bill Richardson is the only one currently running from either party who is capable of doing the job.

[Moshe]

Hi Doc. Those that sell war, weapons, and police states for fun and profit desperately need a boogieman. Otherwise, without a state of crisis and chaos, the people would insist on spending limited resources on things like education, health-care, decent housing, clean food and water, etc.

Bush, Putin, and all similar internatioanal snake oil salesmen have this in common also: They desire absolute power and will only bow to unstoppableforce, not the Rule of Law, having absolute contempt for the People and their laws.

It is very difficult to defeat these fascist tyrants for this reason: If the people are passive, they win; if the people resort to violence, that becomes the excuse for a crack-down, expanded powers, and the fascists win again.

That leaves non-violent massive resistance as the means of defeating these fascist tyrants, but as long as they can play divide and conquer with the people, and keep the people too frightened and fragmented to think and respond, they win again.

If we are to keep democracy and the hope of a better future alive, the people must educate themselves, gather enough courage to stand up for their own future, and come together to actually do so: Knowledge, courage, and solidarity. That is the path to a better future, but it is also the greatest fear of those that have very different plans for our future.

Shalom to all.

[DocSarvis]

Nice post. I agree wholeheartedly.

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Peace

[ConcernAmerican]

And now, they're begging for Al Gore to run again for President?!?!?! How stupid can you people get? You did not support him in 2000!!!!

SO FUCK OFF!!!!!!!

[hugs4u]

He was supported in 2000, and he actually won the election. It was only because of gw bush brother screwing up the votes in Florida that king george was annoited by the supreme court.

[ConcernAmerican]

If some nitwits out there did NOT vote for Nader, Bush wouldn't have been selected by the USC, we won't be in Iraq right now.

I HATE NADER!

[MalloMel]

It is true that Nader and the people who voted for him are responsible for all this crap that is going on, but so are all the a@@holes who voted for Bush... How does it feel knowing that all of you helped do this to our great country.

People should be very afraid. The harm that is being done to our country, and to the world, is not over. We still have 14 months of this to go... perhaps longer.

God help us.

[ConcernAmerican]

Its easy for anyone here to claim to be "democrat" and not voting for Hillary if she's the nominee for democratic party.

C'mon don't kid us. Those of you who says you're not voting for her are actually republicans and neocons at that pretending to be democrats. Being anonymous keeps your true indentity unknown in the internet.

SOOOOOOOOOOOO............stop the bullshit!.......Hillary Clinton scares the bejesus out of the neocons......PITIFUL....hahahahaha

[MalloMel]

I know... they are scared sh@tless. Hillary being nominated and then elected will not make them disappear. They will still be there.

They will come back another day... that is certain, knowing a bit about human nature. We will continue to weather these storms, hopefully, until the human race will no longer exist, and that will not be God's doing, but mans.

Some can continue to blame God's will for the way things are going, but the solution is within us. Either we stop this crap, or it's lights out... maybe not for us, but our kids. The question could be... How much do we love our kids.

I'm afraid of the answer to that.

[MalloMel]

our kids?

[BoBoBolinski]

Hillary don't scare me and I'm a supporter of Rudy. Rudy versus Hillary its a win-win against the libs.

[MalloMel]

What the hell is this about libs? It's the conservatives that have done this to us. Where have you been? Probably listening to Rush.

I pray that God will deliver us and our children from this. I really do, but I feel that God is not listening. Maybe he has given up on us.

[mongus]

Nice try.

Keep on thinking that 'wishful' thinking. Do you really believe that most of Edwards and Obama's supporters will happily join Hillary's 'Clinton Machine'? Ha !!!

Many Dems are not going to support her for a variety of reasons, there are so MANY to choose from. Take your pick.

Regardless, Hillary's name will be added to the likes of Mondale, McGovern, Dukakis, Gore, and Kerry, as our "One Time Wonder" candidates.

How fitting. We will always 'wonder' what were they thinking when they supported such a divisive candidate.

The nice thing about her getting defeated is that the American public will regard her as a 'loser', and you can stick a fork in her, because she's 'done'. I'll bet she will not be able to win back her senate seat when she comes up for re-election.

I hope you folks enjoy wasting your time, energy and NORMAN HSU's money on a flawed candidate.

Hillary, the 'swiftboaters' are waiting for you. That should be fun.

You are bringing so much 'BAGGAGE' for them that they will be able to energize the Republicans to make short work out of you.

I guess we will have to wait ANOTHER four years to finally get a Democrat that MOST of us can support.

[Moshe]

No disrespect intended Concern, but you can't be serious: If you don't support Hillary that makes you a republican or a neo-con?

That is patently absurd.

I don't support Hillary. Of the current candidates, I support Obama. That hardly makes me a republican or a neo-con. Read my posts. You will find that there are no more vigorous opponents of the Bush/Cheney/neo-con agenda here on HuffPo than I. I spend a fair amount of my time daily working to remove the cancerous GOP/neo-con cancer from our common government.

My objection to Hillary is that she is far closer in fact to the Bush/Cheney/neo-con agenda than I am comfortable with. Check her voting record which confirms that this is in fact the case.

But in fairness to Hillary, I hope that you are not representative of the persons supporting her, as respectfully, you seem to have a rather extreme position: Either you support Hillary or you are a republican/neo-con. That sort of absolutism should be both distasteful and frightening to most Americans. It is to me, and I suspect I am not alone.

[Moshe]

p.s.

I think Gov. Richardson is also a very promising candidate, and his resume and experience are unmatched in the field.

My only hesitation about Richardson was my concern over his prior relationship with the Clintons, who seem far too cozy with the Bush Family. But Richardson's statement here may be a promising indicator that he is genuinely not in the Clinton camp.

I object to Hillary because we desperately need positive change, we don't need a continuation of the decades of Bush/Clinton rule that brought us NAFTA and the devastation of the American Middle Class, which is vital to future democracy and prosperity in this Nation.

We are in serious trouble folks, and some incremental, nuanced version of more of the same will prove disastrous. My concern about Hillary is that despite the rhetoric, we would just be getting a "kinder, gentler" version of George W. in Hillary.

(My apologies for the double post)

[Moshe]

No disrespect intended Concern, but you can't be serious: If you don't support Hillary that makes you a republican or a neo-con?

That is patently absurd.

I don't support Hillary. Of the current candidates, I support Obama. That hardly makes me a republican or a neo-con. Read my posts. You will find that there are no more vigorous opponents of the Bush/Cheney/neo-con agenda here on HuffPo than I. I spend a fair amount of my time daily working to remove the cancerous GOP/neo-con cancer from our common government.

My objection to Hillary is that she is far closer in fact to the Bush/Cheney/neo-con agenda than I am comfortable with. Check her voting record which confirms that this is in fact the case.

But in fairness to Hillary, I hope that you are not representative of the persons supporting her, as respectfully, you seem to have a rather extreme position: Either you support Hillary or you are a republican/neo-con. That sort of absolutism should be both distasteful

[PollM]

One word - Intriguing....

What do you believe is driving Hillary Clinton's huge lead of 21- points over her rival Barack Obama? -----> http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=709
.

[Veleria29]

That is Hillary's right to act in this manner. Perhaps she is psychic and already knows that she will be elected President. The power of positive thinking works, perhaps instead of complaining Richards should try it. It is time for a women to sit in the office of President a women who is elected by the people and not a man who was put into office by the Supreme Court.

[truthyguy]

It is interesting that most of the posters to this story are Dem and most do not want Hillary - or, at least, she is not their first choice for a variety of reasons.

But most of the press, doing its usual disservice to the American people that the American People have come to expect these last 7 years, keeps running stories on the inevitability of Clinton's nomination. And, I bet, the GOP leadership could not be happier because it gives those republicans who are considering a change in direction or who would otherwise simply not vote only one choice in November 2008 and it ain't Clinton. Clinton is a uniter, not a divider - unfortunately she is uniting the GOP.

[MalloMel]

"It is interesting that most of the posters to this story are Dem and most do not want Hillary - or, at least, she is not their first choice for a variety of reasons."

Then what's to worry. If all the Republican's and most of the Democrats don't want Hillary, then what's the problem?

Actually, Hillary is going to be your next president, so you'd better stock up on antacids. You're going to need them. Sorry to break it to you that way, but someone has to.

[sheine]

Sorry Bill, she is right. The only hope for the Democratic Party and the American people would be for all other candidates to withdraw in favor of Al Gore. It is not going to happen. Hillary will be the next president and the special interests will continue to reign.

[EvSmith]

Hillary Clinton is the ultimate heart breaker.

She will break the hearts and betray the trust of all those constituents that really love and believe in her.

Ask the people of a litte place called New york.

While we're at it let's all read up on the 2005 case of industrial tire burning called TDF(tire-derived fuel) at the Ticonderoga International Paper mill.

A plan to incinerate 144,000 lbs of old car tires per day was pushed hard and heavy by Senator Clinton to the New York DEC, contrary to the wishes of the little people affected by the toxic, poisonous emmisions being unleashed into their air, water and land by this abominable practice.

Another example with many, many others on the record since, that Senator Hillary feels little else than utter contempt for those that have loved, supported and relied on her in the past.

Paper mills are notorious for putting profits and outrageous pollution deregulation demands before the little people and their little kids lifelong health and well being.

Hillary and Bill Clinton will place political favors before human interests EVERYTIME.
It's who they are.
They just seem like decent people when compared to other politicians(GOP).

I will never vote for those who act and govern in such irresponsible, inhumain ways.

She may promise the world, literally with respect to serious and effective climate change related proposals. In the end however, I honestly fear that she will sell us all out.

With them your trust will be misplaced.
It's called no scruples, none.

(btw. sorry, you're going to have to type this in yourselves.)
http://www.vpirg.org/pubs/2005.05.04_7D_Davis.php

[EvSmith]

Or not, your choice.

[YellowPanties]

No kidding, Richardson, you dumbass.

If you had been running a halfway intelligent campaign maybe your numbers wouldn't be in the cellar. Give it up, go home.

I liked you better when I knew less about you.

[OETKB]

Interesting comment. I was thinking of supporting Richardson. Can you tell me what has driven you to this intense reaction?

[Pdubya]

she didn't win?

[SensibleAmerican]

Just a matter of time Bill ... Richardson that is! Most of the recent Republican debate was "dedicated" to Hillary
Barack Hussein has been losing it recently and Edwards ... the guy just cannot get ahead!

Last bastion of the desperate and the obvious reasons why Hillary is so INEVITABLE!

[kevenseven]

These guys had best get it up or HRC will have this locked before the first primary vote.

[wndrwrthg]

The Bitch of Chapaqua loses 20-25% of the dems if nominated.

[kevenseven]

Oh, bullshit.

[Lisette]

kevenseven--no its true-most people do not like Hillary, or the fact that we will have to put up with Bill in the White House again---been there, done that!!

[hugs4u]

I am one democrat who will never vote for Hillary, and I have voted straight democratic since 1964.
Hillary is just an extension of gw bush.

[SensibleAmerican]

kevenseven we need more sensible people like you! Keep up the good work!

Incidentally and just to clarify, these rants you hear from "Democrats", are really the Nader-herd wearing "Dem skin"! Hillary's approval rating amongst Democrats most likely to vote is 84%!!!

The far right and the far left looney fringes are the ones who keep foaming/frothing at their mouths ...

[kevenseven]

Thank you, I've christened them the Purity Brigade.

These are the people who preferred Nader to Gore.

And a million people have died violently thanks to that bit of stupidity.

To be clear:

I'm not wild about HRC's associations with various interest groups, and I wish one of the other Dems would get his head out of his ass and take the nomination away from her.

But I'll be damned if I do not vote for the Democratic Nominee in November.

I'm a Democrat.

[TurnThePageGA]

TO: SENATOR CLINTON
FROM: Member of the "INTEGRITY" Brigade

FYI. I voted for Wesley Clark during the last election cycle and like others in this blog we have loyally voted Democrat all of our voting lives. On one of the most important foreign policy decisions of our time, she made a Huge political miscalculation. At the time it seemed the expedient thing to do if you wanted to "Man Up" for a future run at the WH. She was not the only one to get it wrong in this campaign. They have acknowledged that their votes were a mistake. She has yet to do so. "If We had known then what we know now" does not qualify. She may end up with the nomination. She will not get my vote until she looks into the camera and says with NO TRIANGULATION "My Vote To Give This President The Authority to Invade Iraq Was A Mistake". Nothing Less. Integrity Matters!

[TurnThePageGA]

FYI. Not a member of that "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" and I did not vote for Nader in 2000. In fact here is my voting record:

1976 - Jimmy Carter
1980 - Jimmy Carter
1984 - Fritz Mondale
1988 - Micheal Dukakis, Dick Gephardt in the Primary
1992 - Bill Clinton
1996 - Bill Clinton
2000 - Al Gore
2004 - John Kerry, Wes Clark in the Primary
2006 - Primary Obama and ABH (Anybody But Hellary...Oops that wans't nice....Hillary)

[ResidentChimp]

Richardson is just figuring out the difference between a winner and a loser. There's no doubt that he is in the loser category.

[kevenseven]

Isn't there a cross burning you need to get to?