Suited for the Job?

This just in from Peter Drivas, a student at Williams College. As you will see, Peter's views differ slightly from ours--although we all hold Governor Richardson in high regard, Peter feels his talents could be better used in offices besides the presidency. While the goal of the site is to promote Bill Richardson's presidential campaign, we cannot have only pro-Richardson-for-president views. All we'd be doing is preaching to the choir. We want to generate meaningful discussion on this site, and the best way to do this is to bring in outside views. So read on, and take in Peter's insightful opinion.

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First off, big thanks for tapping me to contribute to the blog. It’s a great idea, and although I’m not a Bill Richardson supporter myself (mostly because of the Iraq issue), I hope my insight will add something.

I’ll admit that, as far as 2008 presidential candidates go, there isn’t much to dislike about Bill Richardson. In fact, while few Democrats would name him as their first choice for the party’s nomination, most likely fewer would put him at the bottom of the list. This mostly has to do with his record: from his time in Congress, to his service as US ambassador to the United Nations, to his tenure as governor of New Mexico, his credentials are just about as good as they come, and certainly better than any of the Democratic front runners. However, this is my main issue with Richardson as a candidate: he’s proven so often, and with such great success, that he is a valuable asset to the country that he may be best used in an office other than the presidency.

Take a look at some of his career highlights: negotiating a cease-fire in Sudan, overseeing the largest return of federal lands to a Native American tribe in US history and taking part in peace proceedings between Israel and Palestine. Clearly, Richardson has a prodigious talent for negotiation and communication. This talent would most likely be far better used in a cabinet or ambassadorial position, where he wouldn’t have to be bogged down by the partisan politics, domestic issues, and intense public scrutiny that come with the presidency.

The United States has a huge asset in Richardson. As disheartening as it may be for those who support his candidacy, I wouldn’t like to see that asset wasted in the Oval Office.