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 News from Around the Americas | May 2007 
Richardson Makes a Pitch to Latinos
 Nedra Pickler - Associated Press
| | New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and wife Barbara Richardson are introduced as Richardson officially announces his bid for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination in Los Angeles May 21, 2007. (Gus Ruelas/Reuters) |
Democrat Bill Richardson officially entered the US presidential race Monday with a naked appeal to Latinos, saying in an interview that it's "rudimentary politics" to make sure the country's fastest growing voting bloc knows he's one of them.
Richardson announced his candidacy in both English and Spanish in Los Angeles, the heart of the U.S. Latino population. The event was held about 10 miles from where Richardson was born in 1947 and where he spent just a few hours before returning to Mexico City, where he was raised by an American father and a Mexican mother.
Richardson told The Associated Press that he's not running exclusively as a Hispanic, but as the American governor of New Mexico who is proud to be Latino.
"One of my potential problems is that one of my potential bases - Hispanics - don't know that I'm Hispanic, so I'm trying to change that. It's just rudimentary politics," Richardson said in an interview. "When my name recognition among Hispanics is below 10 percent, I've got to accentuate it, because it's a potential base for me."
Richardson said he's not well-known among Latinos because he lives in a small state and is not as famous as some of his rivals. He is running against Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden; former Sens. John Edwards and Mike Gravel; and Rep. Dennis Kucinich.
"Some are rock stars," said Richardson, a former congressman who served as President Clinton's energy secretary and ambassador to the United Nations. "I am not, but I have a proven record."
"With pride, I hope to be the first Latino president of the United States," he said in Spanish, with cheers from the many supporters in the room who speak the language.
In the interview, Richardson said his goal is to "somehow break out" in the first two nominating states of Iowa and New Hampshire, but not necessarily win.
"I believe if you don't do well on the first four you're finished," Richardson said. He said he was increasing his television advertising in Iowa and New Hampshire on Tuesday to continue building his support in those states. "I don't want to predict victory anywhere, but if I can have good showings, especially in Iowa and New Hampshire, I believe that can propel us to the mega-states." |
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