Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

COLUMN: President Bill Richardson?
By Osvaldo Castillo
Spartan Daily (San Jose State U.)
09/05/2007

(U-WIRE) SAN JOSE, Calif. — Chances are that history will be made in this country in a little more than a year — the Republicans have screwed up so badly on numerous issues that the Democrats are in a good position to regain the White House.

In November 2008, for the first time in our nation's history, we may elect a female or black president. I am of course referring to Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama. Sorry, John Edwards — you had your chance in 2004.

Upstart Obama is charismatic and energetic. He is a breath of fresh air. Clinton has already lived in the White House and has seen how the White House deals with foreign and domestic issues firsthand. She is also in her second term as a U.S. senator from New York.

But Obama just does not have enough political experience and Clinton always seems to be looking after the most important issue in her life: herself.

So who is really the best candidate for president?

The answer is New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Richardson has a wealth of experience. He was a United Nations ambassador where he met and dealt with people such as Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro. Richardson was the U.S. Department of Energy secretary under Bill Clinton's administration and a congressman of New Mexico.

For those of you fascinated by the fact that Obama is half black, consider this: Richardson's father, William, married Maria Lopez, which makes Richardson half Hispanic. To be more accurate, he is half Mexican and is fluent in Spanish. This is something to consider since the U.S. is dealing with difficult decisions over immigration with Mexico.

Last summer, I was fortunate enough to attend a public discussion with Bill Richardson at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San Jose.

At the time, all that I knew about Richardson was that he was the governor of New Mexico, served under the Clinton administration, was running for president and was half Mexican.

I was expecting to hear another candidate promote himself and repeat what every other candidate has said about the war in Iraq, the economy, health care and education. What I heard was a man who took time to use his knowledge and experience to provide reasonable solutions for these issues.

He believes our country should not be a unilateral loner. The current Bush administration has isolated the U.S. from most of the world. What if we once again find ourselves in a difficult situation like Sept. 11? We would obviously need the help of the rest of the world. We would need a president with legitimate foreign policy experience.

Richardson has a seven-point plan for Iraq. His plan includes getting our troops out of Iraq in six months and uniting Iraqi factions to rebuild the country. He also wants to involve neighboring countries in reconstruction instead of allowing insurgents to enter Iraq through their countries.

On the issue of immigration, Richardson believes we should put more patrol guards on the border to prevent the flow of illegal immigrants into the country. He said he would also work with the Mexican government to develop programs that will help Mexico's economy. This will help Mexicans live decent lives in Mexico instead of leaving them with no option but to illegally immigrate to the U.S. to survive.

In 2004, it was "Howard Dean" mania. We were excited about his personality and what he stood for. But then we came to our senses and realized that John Kerry was the more legitimate and experienced presidential candidate.

Richardson's ideas do not leave one wondering, "What if?" He confronts each issue from every angle. He believes in a safe and secure country. But he also believes in diplomacy and that the U.S. can make a positive contribution to the world. These are the things that many Americans want. His 25 years of public service will help restore our country's image.

Yes, it would be great to have our first female president in 2008. And yes, it would be great to have our first black president. But we should take some time to consider who is really the most qualified presidential candidate in the Democratic party.

Or you could wait for the lesser qualified Clinton or Obama to get the nomination.

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