Bill Richardson for President -- Maybe?

New Mexico's Bill Richardson is a popular, moderate governor of a Western swing state. He has a lot going for him. He has a long resume in foreign policy and has served more than 10 years in Congress. Did I mention that he's half Hispanic? Let's take a look at his background and accomplishments.

Bill Richardson is the son of an American banker and Mexican mother. He grew up in Mexico City, but he got his education here in the United States. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Tufts University near Boston. Before moving to New Mexico in 1978, he worked several years for the State Department in Washington and several more for the Senate foreign relations committee. He moved to New Mexico to run the state Democratic Party. He successfully won a seat in the U.S. House in 1982 and later was named ambassador to the UN in 1996 by President Clinton. He became Energy Secretary in 1998. In 2000, he returned to New Mexico where he ran for and won the governorship in 2002.

One of his campaign promises while running for governor was a promise to cut taxes. He was able to do that by slashing the income and capital gains tax rates. The state budget expenditures increased but were covered by a rise in oil prices. This helped to keep the revenue up while expenses increased.

"Richardson is the most popular governor the state has had in many years," said José Garcia, professor of political science at New Mexico State University. "Nobody is better than Bill Richardson in front of an audience, and that can be an audience of two or an audience of 2000," Garcia said. "Whether he wins or loses really depends on external factors -- whether Hillary falters, whether Obama continues his meteoric rise."

It appears that his vast experience and popularity would put him first on the list of candidates for president. What is it about him that puts him in fourth place behind Hillary, Obama, and Edwards? At this point, he can't seem to break into double digits with his poll numbers. While he has a relaxed personal style that works well in New Mexico, he is not known for his charisma. At this point in time, many Democratic donors and voters only seem to think of him as a great running mate. His career average rating from Americans for Democratic action is 73. Edwards is 78, Clinton's is 96, and Obama's is 98. This places him squarely in the moderate camp. Richardson's tax cuts as governor don't do much for Democrats. He believes in gun rights. That's another issue the Democrats aren't crazy about.

Is he carrying too much weight by being a moderate in a left leaning Democratic Party? Is the Hillary Clinton machine too powerful for all the other candidates? Is the Obama charisma leaving Richardson in the dust? Is the fact so many people perceive him as a great running mate hurting? Is his stand on taxes and gun control leaving fellow Democrats shaking their heads?

The good news for Richardson is the calendar. There is plenty of time to improve his poll numbers and plenty of time for the other candidates to falter.

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