On Friday, March 21, New Mexico Governor and former Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson has given his endorsement to US Democratic frontrunner Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. This was at a rally in Portland, Oregon.
Democratic co-frontrunner Senator Hillary Clinton of New York had downplayed Richardson’s support of Obama. In the case of Obama, support from Richardson could possibly bring more superdelegates over to his side.
“Barack Obama will make a great and historic president,” Richardson said in his support for Obama. He adds: “[It] is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our nation and you are a once-in-a-lifetime leader.”
Obama replied by giving compliment and praise to Richardson. “He’s done the kind of work that you want from your public servants, somebody who’s driven not just by raw ambition, not just by an interest in personal aggrandizement,” Obama said praising Richardson.
It is unknown how this will affect the Latino vote. Richardson is the first and only Latino governor in the United States let alone the state of New Mexico.
In unrelated and similar notes, New York has recently had its first African-American governor in David Paterson who was the then-Lieutenant Governor before the prostitution scandal which forced then-Governor Eliot Spitzer to resign.
The US has also got its first Indian-American governor in Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.
Richardson said that as a Hispanic-American, he feels that Obama understands people like him. Still, it remains unknown how the Latino vote will be affected. The Latino voting bloc as been a key bloc for Hillary Clinton. Still, he said that he is still friends with the Clintons.
Also, Richardson is one of the superdelegates.
Also, none of those that have dropped out of the Democratic race have given their endorsements to Clinton. Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut was the first candidate to drop out to endorse Obama. Richardson is the second candidate to endorse Obama.
However, it is unknown who Senator Joe Biden of Delaware and former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina will endorse. So far, both have remained neutral. Clinton and Obama have been seeking their endorsements.