Bill Richardson Speculates On A John Kerry Presidential Run

[DonViejo]

Posted: 12/29/2013 1:07 pm EST | Updated: 12/29/2013 1:13 pm EST

Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) said on Sunday that people shouldn't rule out John Kerry as a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, particularly after his successful first year as secretary of state.

"I think John Kerry is the big political surprise, and by that I mean, you know, maybe he makes another run," Richardson said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "Well, this is just me, but I think he's got the credentials. He's run before, he's been a superb secretary of state."

Kerry, then a senator from Massachusetts, ran for president and lost in 2004. He took the job of secretary of state earlier this year after Hillary Clinton, a likely 2016 contender, left the post. Some have speculated whether Kerry's recent foreign policy successes could dwarf Clinton's accomplishments.

"Meet the Press" host David Gregory asked Richardson whether he thinks Clinton is "vulnerable to criticism as secretary of state, especially compared to Kerry."

"I don't think so," said Richardson, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in the late 1990s. "I think she's been a good secretary of state. The one that has really positively surprised me is John Kerry. ... He doesn't care about any risk. Going into the Israeli-Palestinian issue, going into the Iran issue, going into these quagmires in Africa -- he has been a superb secretary of state."

:::snip:::

full article
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/29/bill-richardson-john-kerry_n_4515835.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

[TwilightGardener]

1. Oh Christ. This is not going to happen.

[FarPoint]

4. Ditto...ditto...ditto

OMG NO Kerry Campaign!

[montanacowboy]

2. OMG Back to the future

no a thousand times no

[frazzled]

3. He has found his true calling as SoS ...

let's leave it at that.

I've always admired John Kerry, but having been one of his constituents, I can say with some honesty that "senator" was not entirely his strong suit (yes, he was great on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and usually voted correctly on legislative matters, minus that one huge freaking mistake called Iraq; but no one who lived in MA will say he or his office was good at constituent services at all).

John Kerry was meant to be Secretary of State, and he's doing a very fine job of it. I'm proud of him. And though I think he would also be good at being president, I don't think he should run for the office again. Of course, I'd support him fully and faithfully if he were to win the nomination, but I honestly don't want to go through it again.

[Xyzse]

11. I can understand and feel the same way.

He was the last Presidential Candidate I fully supported.

[frazzled]

13. Can't say I "fully" supported his presidential run

I hadn't supported him in the primary, and I was still steaming mad—not just about his Iraq vote, but about the way he and his office went about handling it with MA voters. And I wasn't made more comfortable by my several personal brief meetings with him. I did make phone calls for the campaign in the general, and of course voted for him. But there was not a lot of love there.

[Xyzse]

14. I did once he won the primaries.

I didn't know most of them during the time. When I got to know Kerry, I thought he had the right temperament and a nuanced enough world view that he could actually solve problems during the time.

Nowadays, I don't know who would work well.

[karynnj]

12. I know plenty of people from Masschusetts who personally knew people

he helped. It is true that the media constantly repeated the claim that he was not good at constituent services --- though there was a Massachusetts article that mentioned the loss of his ability to help Massachusetts - which he did, especially through his seats on the Commerce committee, the Finance Committee and the Small Business Committees. (There were also many articles for years of his connection with the MA high tech community - many of whom he had testify to the small business committee. Seriously, the Boston Herald to the contrary, these companies far preferred Kerry to Brown.)

Kerry also was there - in Massachusetts - when there were tornadoes, floods and other disasters and he efficient in getting the federal help needed. Other than the media, I think the difference is that he was the junior Senator to Kennedy, who seriously became one of the 5 best Senators of all time.

[frazzled]

15. He wasn't interested in local efforts

and was stingy with either showing up at meetings of groups involved in environmental or health issues, or others; or he fell asleep if he did come (I heard stories, too, as a resident). He almost never sought resources or staff for progressive efforts; Kennedy almost always did, lending expertise and physical bodies to state efforts he believed in. Yes, perhaps it was the comparison with Kennedy--people always said, "If you need something done go to Teddy; Teddy's the go-to guy."

I was a founding member of my local Progressive Democrats of MA chapter, and got to know people who had been working in state politics for decades. High up in state politics in some cases. There was not huge love, if I can be blunt. Once I was seated next to a State Representative at a political fundraiser, who admitted to me that he would prefer to support another candidate in the presidential primary, but couldn't, because of the state party.

Look, I'm not trying to be mean here. I'm just telling the truth. And when I said I think he is doing an excellent job as Secy of State, I truly mean it: it's a much better fit for him, and it's what drives him.

[karynnj]

19. On health issues, Kennedy chaired the committe

Last edited Wed Jan 1, 2014, 10:02 AM - Edit history (1)

He had plenty of staff who could be involved in the state as well as federal efforts. However, Kerry was not uninvolved and Teresa and her foundation had a conference annually on women's health in both Boston and Pittsburgh. In addition, her foundation helped develop the MA prescription drug benefit.

As to the environment, Kerry was ALWAYS involved in that from the first earth day on. In fact, Dukakis had him work with the NE governors on the acid rain problem and he led on the development for the cap and trade solution that became the proto type for the GHWB signed program nationally. (Kerry was on the committee in the Senate that worked on this then.) He also made the environment an issue in his campaign - even more than Gore did. In 2007, he and Teresa wrote a book that spoke of the people they met who fought environmental dangers on there own. (This included women from Cape Cod who identified that there was heightened breast cancer in their area. I went to a Barnstable election eve event where people from that area mentioned how helpful that chapter of the book was.)

Not to mention, following the JK group, there were plenty of articles of Kerry attending many local meeting to resolve some complicated flooding issues - where the cause was in one town and the problem in another.

As to whether he fell asleep in meetings, I never saw that on CSPAN and at 70 he seems to stay awake, alert and involved in meetings on very arcane details that are reported to last 5 hours or so. I don't doubt that it happened - I do doubt it was common. Why? How many times would the Boston Herald alone have printed the photo?

[Purveyor]

5. I'd take him over Hillary, indeed! eom

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. Um - No.

Kerry won't run.

[karynnj]

7. Stupid Richardson comment that is passively anti H - and it seems to be a DU excuse to attack Kerry

Kerry is 70 years old and his wife is older and has had medical problems. There is no way he would put her through the grueling ordeal of running again. He has said absolutely nothing to cause anyone to think he is planning to run. Not to mention. he cannot raise money while in the cabinet. Anyone running needs to start raising money at least by the beginning of 2015. This means that he has to quit his job.

I agree with Richardson that Kerry is doing a superb job -- and I assume that Democrats would greatly prefer he continue doing so. In fact, it would be selfish - given the ability he has and the fact that Obama gave him the job - to quit after 2 years to run for President. Not to mention, there is no call for him to be President.

What Richardson said was that Kerry was a superb Secretary of State - in contrast he gives Clinton faint praise for her job as SoS in comparison. However, there is NO contest here. The best SoS does not get the prize of the Presidential nomination. Not to mention, praising Kerry's work does not have to mean that Hillary Clinton looks worse in retrospect. It is NOT a zero sum game.

I would say to many attacking Kerry's 2004 run that he had 1/10th of the positive media coverage that Clinton has received, he would have won in 2004.

[blkmusclmachine]

8. HA HA

No f/ing way. Kerry had his chance, and blew it big time against Shrub in '04. Kerry simply didn't want it bad enough.

[karynnj]

10. I guess spending time in Iowa weeks after major cancer surgery is not "wanting it bad enough".

My take, the powers that be - especially in the MSM, were unwilling to play fair and condoned a character assassination of both John and Teresa Kerry. Not to mention, the reason people like Hillary did not run in 2004 was Bush was at 60% even in late 2003. Kerry came extremely close to the biggest upset in over 50 years - in spite of the media making it hard to even get his biography and message out.

[former9thward]

9. Kerry, Clinton, Biden -- all on Social Security.

Boomers you have had your time to lead. Time to hand it over to a new generation.

[Capt. Obvious]

16. I would support that

though I think it's not going to happen.

He was a great Senator - we miss him here.

[Beacool]

17. Richardson can't get over the fact that Bill C. won't talk to him.

[Myrina]

18. Oh Goddess not again ...