Of course Bill Richardson has the right to endorse anyone who he wants to endorse, but...

[The Night Owl]

Of course Bill Richardson has the right to endorse anyone who he wants to endorse, but does anyone really believe that he endorsed Barack Obama for anything other than selfish reasons? I don't.

[TwilightGardener]

1. I do. I think he likes Obama.

[Seabiscuit]

2. My thoughts as well, he's job hunting and not fooling anybody. nt

[polichick]

4. JE isn't fooling anyone either.

[onenote]

3. selfish? explain further please?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. self-ish

as in thinking as an individual self, seeing that Hillary is a liar, a serial liar, and recognizing that Obama would be a far better president.

[Levgreee]

5. I do. Do you believe Hillary is staying in the race for anything other than selfish reasons?

I do think she has other reasons, but see how easy it was for me to pigeon-hole her? Richardson and Clinton are entitled to their opinions and political positions.

[dkf]

6. Selfish reasons? You mean like he thinks Obama would be better for the country than Hillary?

Isn't voting used to express your opinion and isn't that a selfish act in itself?

I don't know where you are going on this.

[olkaz]

7. Explain this post please.

Did you see his speech? He gave a lot of reasons.

He has already lost a lot for helping Obama. If selfishness was his MO, he would have stuck to the status quo.

So, anyway explain yourself.

[The Night Owl]

19. Yes. I heard Bill Richardson's speech about why he endorsed Barack Obama.

I bought none of it. The guy wants a job in the Obama administration or is so delusional that he has convinced himself that Obama supporters will lavish him with support and money when he attempts to run for president again in 4 or 8 years.

[olkaz]

29. Are you even listening to yourself?

"I bought none of it"

Okay, I guess it's your right to believe or not believe in his stated motives. But he was very clear, to be sure.

"The guy wants a job in the Obama administration or"

He would have gotten one in a Clinton administration. This point is moot. He's risking lifelong alienation from the Clintons for this, a MUCH more risky proposition.

"is so delusional that he has convinced himself that Obama supporters will lavish him with support and money when he attempts to run for president again in 4 or 8 years."

Are you being serious? You think anybody is going to remember an endorsement in two years, let alone four or eight?

Try again.

[leftofcool]

8. Bill Richardson for VP 2008

[PVnRT]

9. Would it have been unselfish to endorse Hillary?

Hmmmm?

[Demit]

10. Like how voters will be voting for whomever they vote for, for selfish reasons?

Or do you plan to support whomever you're supporting for some other selfless, altruistic reasons?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

11. Hmm.

Does anyone believe that you're criticizing Richardson for anything else but sour grapes?

[stellanoir]

12. He has always come across as very sincere and not at all selfish.

He explained in detail how difficult a decision it was.

I don't see him as selfish at all.

[polichick]

13. I think he likes Barack AND he knows which way the wind is blowing...

Good for him ~ I imagine the Clinton slime machine looks pretty ugly to him about now.

[leftofcool]

18. obviously not or he wouldn't have back a dead horse

[polichick]

22. You do realize that Obama is winning??

[rucky]

15. If he were being selfish...

he would've waited until we had a clear nominee, then try to get the VP slot.

this way, he's not really hedging his bets. And as a pro poker player, I think he's checked the odds.

[MethuenProgressive]

16. Bill's my "guy". but he did wait until it was almost certain Obama was going to win.

This isn't Bill's first rodeo.

[tabasco]

17. Yes, he's selfish, He wants the USA to become a better country.

How selfish of him.

:eyes: :dunce:

[thereismore]

20. No. He selfishly likes Obama better than Clinton.

I think if it were between Bill and Barack, he'd choose Bill. But Hillary? Please.

[LisaM]

21. Everytime someone has to explain a decision IN DETAIL

You know that there's something going on with that decision.

I stopped liking Bill Richardson when he thought that the Great Lakes were so awash in water they could spare some for the Southwest.

I also thought it was pretty crappy of him to announce his endorsement, then simultaneously call for an end to bickering, and demanding that we choose a nominee now. Not only has he been disloyal to his old friends, for whatever reason, but that it pretty disingenuous. "I've made my choice! Now everyone else fall in line!"

In the meantime, there is a big primary shaping up in Pennsylvania. I suppose Richardson thinks Pennsylvania has water to spare for his air conditioners and golf courses too?

[DJ13]

23. I think Richardson was trying to tell his friends its over

He probably had been expressing his doubts that Hillary could still win (or that she should stay in the race) to the Clintons in private for weeks before he gave up and endorsed Obama.

Sometimes you have no choice in life but to tell your best friends how wrong they are.

[jgraz]

24. Wait -- a politician did something for selfish reasons? ALERT THE MEDIA!!!!!!1111oneone111

Edit: 1111111111111111

[John Q. Citizen]

25. Richardson isn't stupid. He knows dragging out the inevitable is just hurting the party.

And why side with the loser when the loser is wrong?

[onenote]

26. lots of endorsements of both candidates by lots of elected officials

Yet, this one stands out to you as "selfish". Why is that? What makes this endorsement different than, say, Ed Rendell's endorsement of HRC?

[Adelante]

27. I actually believe him

He likes Obama. He sees that Obama has brought a great deal of excitement to American politics and broad appeal to the Democratic Party. He wants to be part of it. That's what he said basically. I believe him.

[walldude]

28. Funny how this Progressive Governor has become

A selfish Judas because he dared to stand against Hillary. Never mind all the things he's done in the past for us. One of the few to stand up to the Bush administration, on multiple occasions. Now he's "dead" like Olbermann, Maddow and Rhodes. Hillary and her supporters must be proud, they have reached the heights of "throw anyone who isn't marching in lock step under the bus. Then blame Obama and his supporters for "splitting the party". Gee where did they learn that tactic?

[The Night Owl]

30. Bill Richardson may be dead to James Carville, but he isn't dead to me.

Bill Richardson may be dead to James Carville, but he isn't dead to me. I just don't believe that Richardson has been honest about why he endorsed Barack Obama.

[Warren DeMontague]

32. And don't forget the mountain of crap Ted Kennedy caught.

Obviously, there's someone who is not a "real" Democrat. :eyes:

[stray cat]

31. I'm voting for my candidate for selfish reasons - I want a good country

I suspect Richardson has similar base selfish motives...

[LisaM]

33. So it sounds as if everyone just thinks Bill Richardson is a front runner

Just endorsing whomever he thinks will win. Well, some people are that way. You see it a lot in sports announcing.

[bklyncowgirl]

34. Well I don't know and you don't know either

Unless you're a close friend of the man you'll pretty much have to take him at his word or take Clinton loyalists like James Carville at his word.

Jumping on the Obama bus at a time when it was pretty much stalled indicates to me that it was for other than selfish reasons--he could have sat on his endorsement and waited until the dust cleared from the Pastorgate whirlwind before making a decision--it would have been the politically smart thing to do. He's caught a boatload of crap from outraged Clintonites, that's for sure. While Barack Obama is surely grateful, that doesn't necessarily translate into a great job offer.

One more thing--Richardson seems more passionate about promoting Obama than he ever did about promoting his own candidacy.

But what do I know. I've never met the man so I have no special insight into this.