Richardson Endorses Obama

Well, it was no big surprise today when New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson endorsed Obama. In his endorsement speech he alluded to the fact that he and Obama both sprung from the loins of mixed-race parents, and therefore, they both understood that things had to be changed to do things not the Democrat way, not the Republican way, but the American way.

He went on to say that that was the reason we won the cold war - because we confronted them in that context. Certainly, other events led up to the collapse of the "other side", but I was around, and I could have sworn that Reagan was the man that kicked them out of the saddle. I'm pretty sure Reagan was a conservative Republican.

Bush Cruel to Immigrants

Richardson also informed the audience that the Bush administration has kept its boot firmly on the backs of immigrants. I'm sorry, Bill, they're not immigrants, they're illegal aliens. Immigrants "emigrate"; they don't sneak across the border. And Bush has been anything but hard on them. Believe me, I live in a sanctuary city.

Clinton Adviser Downplays Richardson Endorsement

Of course, the Clinton camp was quick to respond. And well they should. They've been counting on courting the Hispanic vote, and this endorsement has tapped them soundly in the solar plexus.

Senior Clinton strategist Mark Penn explained, “I think the time that he could have been effective has long since passed. I don’t think it is a significant endorsement in this environment.”

I beg to differ. Ever since Richardson dropped out of the Democrat primary, both camps have been courting him. The fact that he drifted to Obama's side speaks volumes. Like it or not, both Blacks and Hispanics think of themselves of being out of the mainstream - no matter how wealthy or privileged they might be.

It would be easy for them to join forces against the uber-White Clinton. In so doing, it's not a far reach that they could form a sort of coalition of voters as the last primary states make the delegate hunt more critical. Time will tell.