Bill Richardson - a diplomat
Richardson spoke about many things during his brief opening and extended Q&A session. He focused quite a bit on foreign policy and on the need to dialog with the governments of countries we don't get along with. Given his background, I believe he would be able to do this better than any of the other candidates.
However, I tend to see issues like national security, terrorism, immigration, environment, etc. as interconnected and wasn't satisfied that Richardson intends to adopt an integrated foreign policy that addresses the root causes of these concerns. He seemed a little too 'top-down.'
He was also more conservative on immigration than I would like.
His plan to get ALL troops out of Iraq was convincing, premised on the idea that our presence is so inflammatory as to prevent achieving peace.
Climate change was the only environmental issue he spoke of, at least that I can recall. This is not unique to Richardson, but I wish he or another leading candidate would put all environmental concerns higher on the agenda.
He promises to fill his cabinet with people who have relevant backgrounds - Secretary of Education will be an educator; Secretary of Labor, a union member; and so on. I like the idea.
I am not ecstatic about Richardson but think he would be a capable President who could connect rather than divide people, domestically and internationally.