Though I love my Governor, as Governor of New Mexico, he’s really come to help me appreciate that he didn’t make it as far as he would have liked in the Presidential race. Further, in this particular moment, I find myself hoping that his influence on the nation is minimal.

A year ago I signed up online to receive emails from the “Bill Richardson for President” campaign. Often these emails were dry though I found myself reading most of them and rarely even watching the included videos. I did not vote for Bill, nor did I donate to his campaign, mostly because I like what he’s done for New Mexico, and (selfishly) want to keep him in, or as an advocate, of New Mexico alone. No, I’m not proud that I was a supporter of Richardson at one time, but I thought and still think he has some good ideas and plans, but I’d really like him to continue the economic and social progress he’s helped cause in NM.  We are a state that is ridiculed, under appreciated, and needs help. By all standards, we are in the lowest class of US states and need all the assistance we can get.  More importantly, I love Hillary Clinton, thus why I would not vote for Bill when it came time to (and he dropped out directly prior to the NM primary, so I didn’t even have the option, lol).

Anyway- after his campaign for the nomination ended, he sent an email to all his supporters stating basically “As a supporter of my campaign I want you to be the first to know who I’m endorsing…. no one.”

Well- It’s old news by this point (nearly 7 hours….), but at 2:10 AM I got a rather annoying email from the Governor endorsing the ol’ Barack Obama.

As a supporter of Hillary Clinton and someone who drastically disagrees with Richardson’s reasoning for choosing Barack, I must say I am disappointed. However, I have included the email for your benefit and I will leave you with probably the only upside to this situation for me, a comment from JK:

“Bill should have more loyalty to her. Which is ironic, since he’s not the only Bill that needs to.” Oh Bill Clinton… I love that man.

*************

Dear Natalie,

During the last year, I have shared with you my vision and hopes for this nation as we look to repair the damage of the last seven years. And you have shared your support, your ideas and your encouragement to my campaign. We have been through a lot together and that is why I wanted to tell you that, after careful and thoughtful deliberation, I have made a decision to endorse Barack Obama for President.

We are blessed to have two great American leaders and great Democrats running for President. My affection and admiration for Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton will never waver. It is time, however, for Democrats to stop fighting amongst ourselves and to prepare for the tough fight we will face against John McCain in the fall. The 1990’s were a decade of peace and prosperity because of the competent and enlightened leadership of the Clinton administration, but it is now time for a new generation of leadership to lead America forward. Barack Obama will be a historic and a great President, who can bring us the change we so desperately need by bringing us together as a nation here at home and with our allies abroad.

Earlier this week, Senator Barack Obama gave an historic speech. that addressed the issue of race with the eloquence, sincerity, and optimism we have come to expect of him. He inspired us by reminding us of the awesome potential residing in our own responsibility. He asked us to rise above our racially divided past, and to seize the opportunity to carry forward the work of many patriots of all races, who struggled and died to bring us together.

As a Hispanic, I was particularly touched by his words. I have been troubled by the demonization of immigrants–specifically Hispanics– by too many in this country. Hate crimes against Hispanics are rising as a direct result and now, in tough economic times, people look for scapegoats and I fear that people will continue to exploit our racial differences–and place blame on others not like them . We all know the real culprit — the disastrous economic policies of the Bush Administration!

Senator Obama has started a discussion in this country long overdue and rejects the politics of pitting race against race. He understands clearly that only by bringing people together, only by bridging our differences can we all succeed together as Americans.

His words are those of a courageous, thoughtful and inspiring leader, who understands that a house divided against itself cannot stand. And, after nearly eight years of George W. Bush, we desperately need such a leader.

To reverse the disastrous policies of the last seven years, rebuild our economy, address the housing and mortgage crisis, bring our troops home from Iraq and restore America’s international standing, we need a President who can bring us together as a nation so we can confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad.

During the past year, I got to know Senator Obama as we campaigned against each other for the Presidency, and I felt a kinship with him because we both grew up between words, in a sense, living both abroad and here in America. In part because of these experiences, Barack and I share a deep sense of our nation’s special responsibilities in the world.

So, once again, thank you for all you have done for me and my campaign. I wanted to make sure you understood my reasons for my endorsement of Senator Obama. I know that you, no matter what your choice, will do so with the best interests of this nation, in your heart.

Sincerely,

Bill Richardson

Apparently it is weird to have an absentee ballot for a caucus? I don’t know if it is or not, but that’s what I’ve been told.  Anyway, the New Mexico Democratic Party allows for it. Since I’m away at school and I can’t be there to battle it out for Hillary on Super Tuesday (Feb. 5th), I requested an absentee ballot a while ago for it. This morning I was suddenly concerned I would miss my deadline to postmark it, only to realize I had another week. However, I had pulled the ballot out anyway so I decided to vote.

Looking over the ballot, I had to wonder if they were sending a different ballot for the people who registered after me. The reason I wondered is because Biden, Dodd, and Richardson are still on it. What happens to the votes for those ex-candidates? I suppose that like the write-in option, the votes are counted but don’t mean much in the grand scheme.  I don’t actually believe they sent out a different ballot.

My favorite part of this ballot, however, has to be the option of “uncommitted.” Let me get this straight- you were sitting at home, or work, or wherever it is that causes you to request an absentee ballot, found yourself a stamp, and sent back a ballot that says- “uncommitted.” That’s basically saying- “Hey, I’m over here, and I don’t really care that much who wins. Just thought you should know.” I suppose it might hinder someone from getting delegates if there was only one option or something… it just sort of boggles my mind as a choice.

I’m pretty sure I’ll be super bummed when Feb. 5th rolls around. It’s going to be a rough week for many reasons… that I really don’t want to get into right now.

Let me preface this whole entry by saying that I am a born and raised New Mexican who has a lot of pride for her state, but at the same time recognize that we are not high on the national priority list. That being said, I often have to defend my state against opposition from anyone from, basically, anywhere else. I win some, I lose some. In this case, New Mexico lost. ::shakes head:: Why God?? Why???

Now the entry….

This morning I got an instant message from Talli-

2:41 i just saw a commercial
2:41 advertising NM tourism
2:41 and it said
2:41 that it was the best place in the universe.
2:41 i laughed. real hard.

Upon hearing this- I had to look it up. Could it be true?

Then I found them- the worst tourist ads EVER. For your viewing pleasure I present to you the greatest misrepresentation of New Mexico that ever existed. It includes no actual information about the state but DOES provide a moderate disclaimer in the last statement with a “might be” thrown into the middle of ‘New Mexico, it just might be the greatest place in the universe.”

My response to Talli after viewing them myself-

2:43:57 AM Nat: of course we can’t have REAL tourism commercials
2:44:10 AM Talli: well, maybe it’ll spread word that it’s a STATE

But then I see the “related” videos and realize that the situation only gets worse- local news got locals to respond, inadequately and spliced together for emphasis, on how we should show more pictures of the landscape. I guess I can’t really explain the fumble by the local media- so I’ll let you see it yourself:

::shakes head::

I suppose they must have finally followed the suggestion brought on by none other than Bill Richardson himself when he ran for reelection for Governor in 2006.  I won’t comment on his chances in the primaries for president, ::cough:: ::cough:: NONE ::cough::, but I will say that he should just get back to what he’s doing well at- helping New Mexico catch up to the other states.

On a final note I should include the fact that I like Bill Richardson as Governor and he has done some great things as such, but I am waiting for him to lose the primaries and get back to what he does well.
Oh- and if you’re thinking about traveling to New Mexico I highly recommend it. Even though you didn’t get to see them very much in the ads, the landscapes are beautiful and there’s some cool shit to see…. besides aliens.