When are we going to come to our senses and get firmly behind Bill Richardson? Here we have the first election in decades where voters are actually looking for experience and substance, and we have the likeable guy with the proven record and tailor-made resume stuck in 4th place!
Why he'll make the best president:
Job #1 for our next president will be to restore America's respect, credibility, and influence in the world. Long hard work, right? Wrong! We accomplish this overnight by electing Richardson, who is already widely respected, trusted, and influential among world leaders. The two most important issues for the next president to tackle will be foreign policy and energy, which happen to be Richardson's areas of expertise. He is the only one with the proven diplomatic ability to help engineer the necessary political solutions in Iraq and Israel/Palestine.
Why he's the most electable:
As mentioned above, this is an election where experience and qualifications will matter big time for a change, and Richardson crushes any possible Republican on that. That being said, the stupid "do I wanna have a beer with him" crap will still count. But the good news is that Richardson also passes that test with flying colors, giving off the regular guy vibe despite the elite background and qualifications. Not to mention that senators may win nominations, but only governors win general elections, especially when they are from swing states.
Moreover, a possible achilles heal issue for Democrats is guns. While I am generally pro-gun control, the issue is not anywhere near the top of my priorities and is one I am certainly willing to compromise on for the greater good. Also, gun laws mostly end up being a local gov issue anyway. Well, Richardson actually has gun-rights credentials stronger than Giuliani or Romney, and probably equal to McCain. This could give us Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Nevada, Montana, and New Mexico (which he'll win anyway, but still).
The flaws in the so-called top 3:
Hillary: Has no platform(her website is the only one on either party that does not say a word whatsoever about any issue) and is unelectable.
Obama: The experience thing will hurt, both in effectiveness as president and electability, despite his foresight on the war.
Edwards: Gets credit for having the most detailed policy plans, but who is to say he can accomplish any of it since he has never achieved anything in public life. His only record is a terrible term in the Senate where he did essentially nothing other than co-sponsor the Iraq War resolution! He now regrets the vote, so I guess as long as he has the benefit of hindsight before making big decisions he will make a great president. In fact, I have heard Edwards talk several times about votes he regrets (War, free trade deals, etc...) but never once heard him mention one good thing he did in the Senate. The guy writes he's own attack ads.
Anyway, hope I convince some of you