The timeline is becoming clearer for Gov. Bill Richardson’s expected January announcement that he’s forming an exploratory committee to begin a 2008 White House run.
He has said he’ll make a formal decision before the Legislature convenes on Jan. 16. And he told Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican that he would make the announcement in New Mexico.
According to the South Carolina Democratic Party’s Web site, Richardson is scheduled to be in that all-important state on Jan. 13 – the Saturday of the Martin Luther King holiday weekend – as the keynote speaker at the annual Governors’ Appreciation Dinner honoring former Democratic governors in the state.
The only question is whether Richardson will make his announcement before or after this trip. Conventional wisdom suggests doing it during a weekday, when there will be more people paying attention to media coverage, but Richardson has, at times, been one to make a splash over the weekend, when he’s the only game in town to cover.
But over the Martin Luther King Holiday weekend? Don’t bet on it. People are traveling, not watching television.
So it seems likely Richardson will head to South Carolina having already made the announcement – unless he plans to hold a press conference hours before the Legislature convenes at noon on Jan. 16.
The timeline is becoming clearer for Gov. Bill Richardson’s expected January announcement that he’s forming an exploratory committee to begin a 2008 White House run.