Richardson Endorses Obama Now?

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson endorsed Barack Obama today. There was speculation if he would back a candiate before the all important Texas primary on March 4th. It will never be known if Richardson's support would have helped Obama with Latino voters in Texas, but the fact is they were most responsible for Clinton's popular vote victory.

Richardson picked the the least effective time to endorse Obama. In the Southwest, where such an endorsement would have most impact, every state has already voted. The next contest (Pennsylvania on April 22nd) is a month away. That's a very long time in a rollercoaster of a race. Following Pennsylvania, there are primaries throughout May and into June. Why endorse a candidate now, in the middle of this "dry spell"? It doesn't make much sense unless you had a motive.

My theory is that Gov. Richardson has a high level of respect and admiration for the Clintons. The timing of his edorsement will have the least voter impact, considering he probably doesn't want to feel responsible for ending Hillary's candidacy. The weight of Richardson's support will be felt if the primary season ends without a clear winner, and the superdelegates decide what to do. He may also be positioning himself as a Vice Presidential choice. Richardson would be more attractive on an Obama ticket than he would be on Clinton ticket.