Why I support Bill Richardson

There's a video going up in the next couple days in which Alex and I discuss the role partisanship is playing in American politics. Essentially, my view is that our elected officials spend too much time trying to make their opposition look bad, and not enough time working with their political opponents to pass meaningful and effective legislation. And this, more than anything, is the biggest problem afflicting our nation. Inevitably, the political process becomes a high profile game of "he said, she said." More and more, it doesn't matter who we elect to federal-level positions, because as soon as they reach office, all the promises of change and progress are disregarded in favor of partisan tactics which, in the end, do little but get a 30-second sound byte on the news and continue the downward spiral of American politics. That doesn't mean there are no politicians doing meaningful work--there are. But they are few and far.

I support Bill Richardson because I believe he is one of the few public servants from either party that is above such petty actions. He has refused to involve himself in the mud-slinging, and recently called on his fellow Democrats--people he has never, and will never attack--to stop bickering. He has maintained a purely positive campaign, and is arguably the only presidential hopeful to do so. I find this particularly striking, especially because other candidates have called themselves bipartisan and yet cannot elevate themselves past fighting within their own party. This must change and the only way it will is if we elect a chief executive who is a unifying, and not a dividing figure.

Check out this article from ABC.com. In it, Governor Richardson calls on his fellow Democrats to stop their bickering. It's a good start, and we must ensure that we elect the one candidate who will fix our reprehensible political climate.

The New Mexico governor, who joined "Good Morning America" today from Concord, N.H., criticized the past week's "nastiness," saying the Democrats have gotten into "irrelevant food fights about who said what in kindergarten."

"This is demeaning the process and I think Democrats hitting each other now, it's just going to be ammunition for the Republicans in the fall campaign," Richardson said.

This partisanship is a good reason why voters don't go to the polls--only 50% of eligible citizens vote. In the end, Governor Richardson may benefit from such fighting, as voters recognize that he, and only he has pledged to be above these childish actions.

"My campaign is moving up," he said. "I'm getting huge crowds here in New Hampshire. I got big crowds in Iowa. I'm in and out of double digits. This race isn't over."

It is clear: we, the American public, are sick of our current leadership. We don't want more of the same: we want someone who can rise above and bring together political opponents. We are, without a doubt, the world's greatest and freest country. Our elected officials should reflect that.

"Attacks are not what voters want," Richardson said.

Damn straight.

--Wyndam