Interesting piece in the Sunday NY Times magazine on Bill Richardson. I now have a much better understanding as to why he is a frontrunner for Kerry’s VP spot.

He mentions this idea of the Dems putting aside the obsession to win the South and instead focus their efforts on the West, or even selectively the Midwest. Granted, this notion is in Bill’s self-interest, however the strategy appears to make sense. Obviously, an electoral vote counts the same no matter what state it comes from, so why the need to devote precious resources to a group of states that pose as a tough win? Over the years, in general the South has become very conservative. Dems Miller and Breux are actually Republicans in disguise and look what happened to Max Cleland in Georgia. It would appear that for many of these entrenched states, Kerry would be throwing away money in trying to gain the upper hand. A convincing case is made in the article that it would be better to focus time & energy on states like Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico, in addition to going after the Hispanic vote in an aggressive manner.

Unfortunately, my impression of Richardson is one of a Mr. Nice Guy and if he is to be successful debating crass & snide VP Cheney, he’ll have to get much meaner and be able to go for the jugular when appropriate. We cannot let these win-at-all-costs folks in the current administration to get a free ride! Bush has provided ample ammo for his own demise. Let’s just see if Kerry and his eventual VP have the courage and fortitude to load the gun and fire.