Bill Richardson - A Mixed Bag
by lunareclipse on August 25, 2007
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When I went to see Bill Richardson, I had no preconceived notions, having read very little about him. A few things stuck with me from hearing his speech and the Q&A following. In his introduction, I was impressed to learn that he's been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four times. This resonated with me because, even without knowing any details, it indicated a person of careful thought and deep ethics. I found his style to be relaxed and open -- he was very likeable -- and yet there were times he avoided answering a question by answering something related but different (for example, he needed to be asked twice to confirm whether he would consider an attack on Iran).
His "Apollo Program" on reduction of fossil fuel use by 50% was exciting to consider, I think both because this is an important issue for me and because he sounded highly committed to the idea, enthusiastic about making it happen. He mentioned needing to make sacrifices, and in this age of SUV's being used to drive half a mile to the corner store, I flashed to a picture of families walking to buy that gallon of milk, companies eagerly designing green buildings, compact fluorescents the norm, all of us united in patriotic zeal to meet the goal of independence from coal and oil. That said, when he admitted to being an NRA member with an A rating, and added that he favored no further gun control laws, the energy in the room deadened noticeably as people took that in. I'm keeping my options open... looking forward to the next candidate's visit.