New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) has been one of the more sought after endorsements in Democratic circles over the last month or so, with aggressive lobbying from both the Clinton and Obama campaigns. It’s not hard to figure out why — Richardson is a popular governor of a key swing state, and arguably the highest profile Latino politician in the country.
After hemming and hawing for quite a while, today Richardson will back Obama at a rally in Portland, Oregon.
In an e-mail to supporters, Richardson said Obama will be a “historic and a great president, who can bring us the change we so desperately need by bringing us together as a nation here at home and with our allies abroad.”
Richardson also said in the e-mail that he was touched by Obama’s recent speech on race in America, saying he “understands clearly that only by bringing people together, only by bridging our differences can we all succeed together as Americans.”
Richardson is the nation’s only Hispanic governor. Hispanics have tended to support Obama’s rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
This comes as a mild surprise, given that Richardson seemed to favor Clinton when he was still a candidate — no one came to her defense more during the debates — and the fact that Richardson joined Bill Clinton for a recent Super Bowl party, interpreted in some circles as a hint of his intentions.
Indeed, with the background in mind, the Clinton campaign will likely perceive today’s endorsement as something of a betrayal.
I’m reminded of this exchange in January.
The preternaturally jolly [Terry] McAuliffe is a good mad to have spinning for you in a pinch. But his good cheer dimmed when I asked him about Bill Richardson, who appears to have made an 11th-hour deal to throw his supporters to Obama [in the Iowa caucuses].
“How many times did [Clinton] appoint him?” McAuliffe marveled. “Two? U.N. Ambassador and Energy Secretary?” He looked at me, half-glaring, awaiting confirmation. “I don’t know,” I joked, “but who’s counting?” “I am,” McAuliffe said firmly.
As for the current campaign dynamics, the AP noted, “Richardson’s endorsement also could help Obama pick up support among Hispanics, who are the nation’s largest and fastest-growing minority.” That’s likely true, though there are fewer Latino voters in the next few contests (Pennsylvania, Indiana, Oregon, Kentucky, West Virginia) than the last few (Texas and Ohio), but given Clinton’s edge with this key constituency, Obama will welcome the help.
More importantly, though, I suspect this might help shift the broader narrative a bit. The impression has been of late that Obama, due almost entirely to the Jeremiah Wright controversy, has been on his heels, playing defense. A high-profile endorsement like this one gives the media something new (and positive for Obama) to talk about.
And, of course, Richardson is a superdelegate, making his endorsement all the more significant.
With that, attention now shifts to some of the other uncommitted heavyweights, including John Edwards and Al Gore.