Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton tossed an intriguing teaser into Saturday night's Iowa Brown and Black Presidential Forum: Bill Richardson as vice president?
When the New Mexico governor referenced Bill Clinton's old job as governor of Arkansas, he said to Clinton, "Don't you think governors make good presidents?" according to the New York Daily News.
Clinton's answer -- "Well, Bill, I think they also make good vice presidents" -- left Richardson briefly speechless.
Speculation about Richardson as VP has been fueled by his refusal to criticize Clinton, and his willingness to defend her.
If you'll recall from our post on possible Vice President selections for Hillary, we noted that Bill Richardson is the only democratic candidate with experience in the executive branch. As much as we'd love to see the possibility of a Hillary & Bill dynamic duo, we also think the White House could use some fresh blood in the office. Richardson also offers a vast amount of experience with foreign relations as the former Secretary of Energy. Plus, it's no secret that Bill Richardson has been the only candidate with enough integrity to not attack Hillary Clinton during the debates and press releases. He has shown that he knows better than to do that, and I don't see him as someone who would get in the way of Hillary's proposals while in office. Let's face it, Hillary and Bill can take care of the White House just fine on their own. Whoever the Vice President happens to be, we shouldn't fool ourselves into thinking that they are anything more than a fill-in for a required position. The real reason Hillary should choose Bill Richardson? The Latino vote. In this day and age, alienating this important demographic is political suicide. The naming of Bill Richardson for VP along with her plans on immigration reform will by the winning combination for capturing the hearts and votes of Latinos across the nation.
