No Respect

Jim Henley notes the very small gap between John Edwards and Bill Richardson in fundraising and argues that "surely Richardson’s dough means that he’s at least as credible an alternative to the Big Two as Edwards now. It’s either a two-person race or a four-person race, but it’s not a three-way." The difference, it seems to me, is that Edwards has mostly been leading in Iowa polls.

That said, while I'm not exactly persuaded Richardson should be the nominee, I am sure I wish he would get more respect and attention. Richardson has staked out the best positions on both Iraq and climate change, and a Richardson boomlet would indicate to the other candidates that these are important issues to their constituents. The effect here on Iraq, in particular, could be large. What's more, in crass terms, Richardson is well-positioned to damage Hillary Clinton in two of her major pockets of support -- Latino voters and voters who place a high value on "experience."