Richardson bows out
Bill Richardson will drop out of the race for president -- freeing up his whopping 19 declared superdelegates. No word on whether he'll endorse anyone.
With Richardson joining Dodd and Biden in the graveyard of campaigns that never got off the ground, we've reached that odd point in every primary season where the second-tier candidates have all dropped out, leaving only the first-tier candidates and the fringe candidates. In this case, that would be Clinton, Obama, Edwards ... Kucinich and Gravel. Heh.
Meanwhile, it appears that Mitt Romney is putting all his eggs in one basket, and that basket is called Michigan. He's pulling his ads from South Carolina and Florida to focus on the Wolverine Skunkbear State. "We feel the best strategy is to focus our paid messaging in Michigan," says a spokesman. I guess he doesn't want another "silver."
If Romney is focusing on one state, he is toast. Just like Giuliani became toast when he decided to focus on Florida at the expense of everything else.
Posted by: Mad Max, Esquire | Jan 9, 2008 8:19:44 PM
How long until Fred Thompson dips out?
Posted by: Marty West | Jan 9, 2008 8:41:34 PM
Any Republican would be crazy to drop out at this point; the race is so unsettled that who the heck knows what could happen. But presumably Thompson needs a win or at least a good showing in South Carolina to justify continuing his campaign.
Posted by: Brendan Loy | Jan 9, 2008 9:06:39 PM
I always thought Richardson was a plant by the Hillary campaign to suck anti-war votes off of Obama.
Posted by: PenguinSix | Jan 9, 2008 9:11:53 PM
Brendan, your Independents/Obama/McCain theory got noticed in Slate. (#4, Congestion Alert Effect)
http://www.slate.com/id/2181118/nav/ais/
Posted by: JD | Jan 9, 2008 9:20:38 PM
Yeah, I know. Though, it wasn't really "noticed in Slate" so much as "noticed by Mickey Kaus," who reads InstaPundit (and gave him a hat tip; he found me via the Instalanche), and who has linked to me a few times before. But anyway, thanks for pointing it out. :)
Posted by: Brendan Loy | Jan 9, 2008 9:27:22 PM
Romney is Not Toast Yet but I think he's getting a little worried about all that Brown showing around his Edges :> But like I said on another thread, in Michigan he needs to take care lest he get Stung by the Hucka Bee. Again. :} Yes, all the Eggs in One basket can simply Simplify the task of the sly Fox ;>.
And speaking of foxes (foxen? :), don't be too sure that Roo-DEE! isn't Crazy like one. Even if he Does lose Florida ~ which if it happens would most likely be, to the good Pastor (again with the rampaging Hucka Buck, running Rampant through the Panhandle and on down the landlocked [albeit Swampy :] Peninsular Middleground :) ~ still watch out for Hizzoner's Comeback Kitsch grabbing the Grizzlybear's share of the Northeastern-banks'
fishiesdelegates [MA, CT, NY, NJ, DE] on Grouper Blooper Striper Cypher Tuesday :) ~ plus who Knows what the hell the quixotic Land of Lincoln, and/or fey Califor-nye-yay, might Up and Do that fine day ;>.Brendan: fwiw, tonight Keith Olberman :) declared that the Richardson Withdrawal reports are False.
Posted by: Joe Loy | Jan 10, 2008 12:28:53 AM
"How long until Fred Thompson dips out?"
Marty West, until (if At All :) the start of September, at which time it will Become Clear whether the hopelessly Gridlocked GOP Convention wants to (a) turn its Lonely eyes to the Least Inauthentic [and, concomitantly Enough, the Sleepiest :] Conservative in the contest; OR, to (b) just say oh the Hell with it & nominate their dynastic-little-ol'- Hearts' Desire from the Getgo: Governor Jeb.
(Hey, you Asked :)
Posted by: Joe Loy | Jan 10, 2008 12:55:30 AM
We all know Richardson was running for Veep anyways...
Posted by: Scientizzle | Jan 10, 2008 1:34:41 AM
Right now I'm tied with Thompson and Guilliani and I haven't spent anything yet.
Posted by: Sandy Underpants | Jan 10, 2008 2:54:01 AM
the hopelessly Gridlocked GOP Convention
If we reach that point, the nominee will be Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi.
Posted by: Brian Foster | Jan 10, 2008 9:04:56 AM
I'll say this about Richardson. He was the only one who had sensible proposals regarding illegal immigration. None of the other Dems will even discuss the issue.
Posted by: Angrier and Angrier | Jan 10, 2008 9:22:19 AM
"If we reach that point, the nominee will be Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi."
Hm! Sounds pretty shrewd, Condor. And now that you Mention it, I wouldn't Doubt it. / Hm, again. Suppose we get Barack vs Haley. Holy crap. Katie bar th' Door. :|
Now that I mention it :), let me just Spice that up a little further. Hm. Runningmates. Let's see now. Both prospectives POTUSes will need some Gravitasional pull :> to offset their own foreignpolicy/nationalsecurity lightweightiness. Plus of course a little Constituency-conscious Ticketbalancing is also nice. Hmmm...GOT it! / Barack Obama & Jane Harman versus Haley Barbour & Condoleezza Rice. Woo Hoo :)
Posted by: Joe Loy | Jan 10, 2008 11:34:20 AM
Sounds pretty shrewd, Condor.
Ahem.
:)
Posted by: Brian Foster | Jan 10, 2008 12:10:12 PM