Thursday, May 10, 2007

Richardson's New Political Ad

It's a funny ad- not a common thing in political advertising. It also highlights a serious point. Richardson should be a very serious contender for the White House. He's had solid experience in both domestic and foreign affairs. And, most of all, he's a person who has been able to find a way to facilitate agreements between parties that seem incapable of reaching such agreements (wouldn't that be a useful skill in Iraq right now?).

Why can't he break through? Is the American Idol of politics (Obama) such a shining start that he's blinding people from looking at Richardson? Is the Hillary machine to hard nosed to stop and impossible to catch? Is the media too in love with the top money makers in politics to give Richardson any ink?

I don't know the cause of the problem, but it's a problem. Richardson is a solid candidate who deserves a hard look from all Americans. I fear he won't get it.

This is not an endorsement, but rather a lament. The more candidates are examined by the public, and the more strenuously they are examined, the better off our republic will be. Such a serious examination will more often lead to the best electoral outcomes. Serious examination is not what we are getting right now. Not in the media with their horse-race mentality, and not among the public who seem, in general, to be more focused on image than substance.

We may get lucky. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. We could stumble upon the right President. But... you can't count on being lucky.

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