Gary Cohen: Anddd Russert peers into the catcher to get the sign...shakes his head yes. Richardson digs in at the plate....Russert in his wind up....it's a fastball....Richardson swings!!! He's strikes out again!!!!Keith Hernandez: Boy, with a swing like that it's hard to believe he was ever drafted!
Gary Cohen: He wasn't, he just says he was!
Ralph Kiner: Garble Garble
Open Bar's top pick for the democratic nomination was on Meet The Press this weekend and his performance was HORRENDOUS.
I don't really feel strongly about him one way or the other but I found myself feeling embarrassed for him.
Here are some lowlights that stand out for me:
- He seems to have done some...evolving on issues recently, which is one thing but he didn't seem even remotely prepared for Tim Russert, who routinely asks tough questions.
- He had been for the Iraq Invasion and against pulling out, now he is for pulling out immediately? When asked why, he stumbled around for a while and really couldn't find a convincing answer.
- Russert pointed out that New Mexico ranks at the bottom of all the states on things like education, poverty, etc. Bill, again, stumbled around for an answer but to no avail.
- He presents himself as the 'greenest candiate'. But Bill, you worked for oil companies after the Clinton Administration, including one whose CEO celebrated the high oil prices. His answer, 'Well, Tim, I don't apoloize for that. I had to earn a living.'
- He often quotes a woman whose son died in Iraq. He claims at the son's funeral, the mom pulled out his 'death benefit' check for $11,000. She claims that never happened and can't believe he's using her son as campaign propaganda. His answer? Again, fumbling around, then saying they just have different recollections. Does he apologize for it? 'Ummm, I'm kind of sorry but not really, but really I do feel bad, but I'm not really sorry.'
- He claimed in the past that he was drafted by a pro baseball team but he wasn't. 'Well, you know, I thought I had been drafted'. Turns out he was offered a contract but not drafted.
- "I've always been a Red Sox fan", he claimed. "But", Russert pointed out, "in your book you say you're a Yankees fan". "Well, I'm a big Yankees fan too". At that point, even Russert was incredulous.
Now, I know Richardson is a smart dude and I have no doubt that he has accomplished a lot in his career. I also understand that politicians often switch positions based on changing conditions and, more regularly, changing political winds.
What I can't understand, however, is how he could go on Meet the Press and be so utterly unprepared for these questions that he should have known were going to be asked of him.