Debate Question: Which Presidential Candidate is Most Qualified for the Job?
Richardson might not be the best-known candidate - for now, anyway - but he might have the best credentials. His resumé includes U.S. congressman, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy and governor. He served in Congress under three presidents: Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.I think what strikes me is the fact that his credentials seem to fit well with what the country needs right now in a leader:
- Experience with foreign policy
- Experience with energy and conservation issues
- Experience as an executive
- Experience with immigration issues
Update: Came across a fascinating article entitled "Why isn't Bill Richardson's presidential candidacy taken seriously?" which suggests that Richardson does, indeed, have the best credentials of any candidate in the race. However, the author argues that being famous, more so than experienced, is necessary to garner the attention of the media and the public. Here's an excerpt:
Traditionally, Americans have turned to governors to serve as president, thinking that experience in executive office and with complicated managerial tasks outweighs the experience with federal policy issues that members of Congress can count in their favor. Happily, Richardson spent over a decade in the House of Representatives before becoming governor. In between, he was America's ambassador the United Nations, wracking up a level of national security experience that none of the other contenders can match. And did I mention he was also Secretary of Energy? Too bad nobody thinks energy independence and global climate change are important policy areas in which it would be good for the chief executive to have some knowledge...Is Bill Richardson the most qualified candidate for the job? If not, who else is?
The point about Richardson is that in many respects he's exactly the sort of person -- a popular governor -- who was taken seriously as a presidential contender in the very recent past. The list is long and familiar -- Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush. The difference is that Richardson is also super-experienced...
In retrospect, however, Bush was less the last of the governor presidents than a transition to the new era in which, to be president, you need to be a famous celebrity. Mayors of New York City are always famous, because the people who run the media live in New York. Hence, Rudy Giuliani is a serious candidate (and even Michael Bloomberg is considered a more serious possibility than he should be). John McCain spent all of 1999, 2000, and 2001 chasing positive press and became famous in the process -- so he's a serious candidate. Barack Obama has an extremely interesting personal story and was one of the only Democratic successes in 2004, so he became famous and now he's a serious candidate. John Edwards got famous running on a national ticket, so he's a serious candidate. Hillary Clinton's husband used to be president (you may have heard), so she's famous and she's a serious candidate. Most absurdly, Mitt Romney happened to preside over the Massachusetts gay marriage controversy, thus becoming famous and, therefore, a serious candidate.
Apogee Tags: bill richardson, barack obama, ron paul, youtube debates, presidential debate, democratic candidates, rudy giuliani, john mccain, john edwards, hillary clinton, mitt romney, republican candidates