Did Bill Richardson Get a Raw Deal?

It was a bold move. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were running neck and neck for the Democratic presidential nomination. Every vote of support from fellow Democratic leaders mattered. He had close ties to the Clinton administration. He had developed a friendship with the former President and First Lady. Hell, he even went to Bill Clinton's superbowl party.

Then Bill Richardson went and threw his support behind Barack Obama.

In the days that followed, Richardson made the 24 hour news show rounds. He talked about how it was a tough decision, how tense his phone calls to Bill and Hillary were, and how he hoped the friendships he had fostered over the past 20 years would not be damaged. Most of us watching at home were thinking, "If Obama wins, Bill Richardson is in for a great big 'Thank You' gift."

Then Obama did win, and the speculation began flying: Where would a man with an impressive resume like Bill Richardson fit into an Obama administration? Secretary of the Treasury? Secretary of Homeland Security? No, no. His work as U.N. Ambassador and his Nobel Prize nomination for negotiating hostage release pointed to only one prize.

Secretary of State? Nope, apparently Secretary of Commerce.

Did Bill Richardson get hosed? A lot of people seem to think so, but let's break this down. First of all, Obama doesn't want to fall into the Bush trap of rewarding loyalty for loyalty's sake. Putting people who worked on your campaign (or even just random friends) into positions of governmental power as a payoff is what fostered our current environment of cronyism in the first place. This isn't to say tha Bill Richardson isn't qualified. He certainly was my first pick. But Obama is too savvy a politician to waste his honeymoon period with the electorate by obviously favoring the people who aided him and snubbing the people who opposed him.

Secondly, Hillary Clinton is very qualified for the position. I don't like the fact that she decided to make video games her "this is what's wrong with our kids" pet project, and the way she let her campaign run amok was positively shameful, but let's look at her qualities as a politician: Smart, tough, savvy, and perhaps most importantly, the Clinton brand name. Meeting with foriegn heads of state means confronting a lot of big egos, and big ego is something Hillary has vast amounts of experience handling. Both Hillary and Richardson are competely capable for the task, so we then look at what makes the bigger statement: Hillary as SoS says about Obama "I'm willing to mend fences and make compromises to ensure the right person gets the job." Bill Richardson as SoS says "I reward those who have been with me from the beginning." Since Obama built the majority of his campaign on his ability to be a bridge-builder, Hillary makes a lot more sense as a message.

And let's remember what the Commerce Secretary actually does. He is the government liason for business and industry. With the American economy in the crapper, Richardson has the tough, but potentially very rewarding job of guiding government and business on a course to right the ship of commerce and getr us back on our feet. If Obama is going to propose a "New" New Deal, Richardson will be a major factor there. And if it succeeds, Richardson will also recieve a great deal of credit. Don't forget, the vast majority of the electorate was concerned with domestic issues when they walked into the voting booth on November 4th. The recent attacks in Mumbai have brought foreign issues back into the American conciousness, but most people in this country are still more concerned with keeping their jobs through the end of 2008. If Bill Richardson can forge a concerted coalition between government, business, and industry to climb out of the economic hole we find ourselves in, the position of Commerce Secretary could be a bigger starmaker than SoS.

Yes folks, Bill Richardson will be just fine. And for those of you who still are upset about his "snubbin'", take heart in the fact that there's a possibility Hillary won't want to serve 8 years. After all, Condi Rice took over after Colin Powell left (hmmm, bad example). Besides, Bill Richardson already has impressive foreign policy credentials. The gig as Commerce Secretary adds a new demension to his domestic experience, and makes him an even more viable candidate for President after Obama. Beacuse I've got to tell you folks, unless some brilliant young Democratic superstar comes out of the woodwork, I think you're looking at candidate Richardson in 2016.