Days before the second-quarter fundraising deadline, Gov. Bill Richardson is arguing that he’s become a top-tier candidate.
In a news release that was headlined “Governor Bill Richardson officially breaks into top tier,” Richardson’s campaign pointed out late Wednesday that Pollster.com added him to the list of the top Democratic presidential candidates.
Pollster.com explained the change by stating that Richardson is the only Democratic candidate making a substantial gain, and even though it’s concentrated for now in Iowa and New Hampshire, those are early, important primary states.
“… his is the only trajectory that is clearly moving up,” the site states.
Also Thursday, WHDH-TV in Boston and Suffolk University released a poll showing that Richardson and John Edwards are tied at 9 percent in New Hampshire.
The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent, had Hillary Clinton in first at 37 percent and Barack Obama in second at 19 percent, with 16 percent undecided.
“We’re not just feeling the momentum anymore, we’re seeing the evidence,” Richardson Campaign Manager Dave Contarino wrote today in an e-mail to supporters.
It does appear that Edwards’ decline and Richardson’s rise are about to intersect in the same spot. Which brings us to the money game – specifically, the Saturday deadline for second-quarter fundraising.
According to Richardson’s Web site, he has raised almost $963,000 this week, just under half of his goal of $2 million. Edwards, meanwhile, has raised about $1.4 million toward his goal of about $2.3 million.
Edwards is at $8.1 million for the quarter. Richardson won’t release his total until the quarter ends, but there’s a real chance his fundraising will keep pace with or surpass that of Edwards this quarter.
Coulter attack gives Edwards a boost
Edwards’ last-minute push for additional cash is being boosted by this week’s public spat with Ann Coulter. Edwards’ wife got into an argument with the ultra-conservative politico this week on television, and the Edwards’ campaign has sent out numerous e-mails asking for money to support Edwards in the face of Coulter’s statement that she wished Edwards would be “killed in a terrorist assassination plot.”
Her words, according to the Associated Press, are motivating Democrats to give to Edwards.
Regardless, Richardson is on track to pull in $2 million this week, and the campaign, which knows full well the health of his bank account, is making increasingly confident statements about Richardson being a top-tier candidate.
The statements appear to be building to something big. Why would the campaign make such confident statements a week or two before Richardson’s fundraising total becomes public if the number is going to disappoint?
I don’t think the fundraising total is going to disappoint Richardson supporters.
Dana Milbank of the Washington Post has an alternative theory. Noting that Richardson and Clinton gave similar speeches on Iran at the same time on Wednesday, he speculates that Richardson is angling to be Clinton’s running mate.
It isn’t the first time such speculation has reared its head. But Milbank doesn’t back up the assertion that well, writing that Richardson is “a distant fifth for the Democratic presidential nomination.”
Who’s fourth? Al Gore? He isn’t even in the race.
Richardson is in fourth place. He still has a way to go to even come close to reaching third place, but he is the only candidate gaining significant ground other than Clinton. His poll numbers are rising across the nation, even if the gain is only slight outside of Iowa and New Hampshire, and I’m guessing we’re about to learn that his fundraising base has increased significantly.
Debate tonight; Las Cruces visit on Friday
Richardson has another chance to prove he can hold his own in a room with the big dogs tonight at the PBS Democratic presidential candidate debate, which is from 7-8:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. You can watch it on PBS or by clicking here.
Because of his tireless grassroots campaigning, Richardson can keep rising in the polls despite mediocre showings at these debates, but to actually beat Clinton, Obama and Edwards in the primary, he’s going to have to start performing better. Will we see improvement tonight?
Tonight’s forum will address domestic issues, so Richardson won’t be able to rely on his foreign policy experience. We’re likely to hear him say the words “as governor” a lot as he pulls out canned responses to questions.
He’ll follow up the debate with one fundraiser in El Paso and three in Las Cruces on Friday, the day before the fundraising deadline. One of the Las Cruces events is hosted in part by state Reps. Mary Helen Garcia and Joseph Cervantes and their spouses; another is hosted in part by Rep. Joni Gutierrez and lobbyists David Kimble and Domonic Silva.
Days before the second-quarter fundraising deadline, Gov. Bill Richardson is arguing that he’s become a top-tier candidate.