Will guv’s personality win over or turn off voters?

Following a new poll that shows him only two points behind John Edwards in New Hampshire, Gov. Bill Richardson’s campaign is declaring him a top-tier candidate.

The poll, which I wrote about on Monday, has Richardson at 10 percent and Edwards at 12 percent, with Hillary Clinton leading the pack at 36 percent and Barack Obama at 22 percent. I wrote at the time that Edwards and Richardson now make up their own second-tier in New Hampshire.

But Richardson Campaign Manager Dave Contarino told The Hill it means the governor is in the top tier, saying recent polls placing Richardson at about 10 percent in Iowa and New Hampshire represent a “clear trend.”

“A few months ago, people didn’t even know who Bill Richardson was,” Contarino told the publication.

The article was one of several in national publications to come out this week. The popular liberal blog the Huffington Post ran a piece by Paul Abrams declaring that, though Richardson is “not a great debater… every time he meets voters, he impresses, he shifts people’s perspectives, he wins adherents.” Abrams writes that, if Richardson hones his debating skills, the Big Three should be afraid of him.

Another article in The New Republic plays off the same theme but is not so flattering, declaring Richardson as “the paper candidate” who has a great résumé but other problems that will doom his candidacy, including his infamous touchiness.

The common theme here is the Richardson New Mexicans know: Fabulous experience, the knowledge and determination to get things done and a personality unlike most in Washington. He is someone who likes to touch, but he’s also personable and likes offending the powers-that-be if it wins the hearts of the electorate.

It’s why Richardson is great in a crowd or small group but not in a debate. He impresses those he meets, except when he crosses a line and gets a little too touchy.

The New Republic recounts an incident in a ballpark while Richardson is shimmying out of an aisle and past two young, attractive women. After they smile up at him, he “reaches down and places his fingertips on the head of one of the women, tickling her scalp as he opens and closes his hand. Then, as he reaches for the next scalp, his hand suddenly aborts its mission, as if the governor realizes this wasn’t such a good idea after all.”

No offense, guv, but that should have been something you thought of before you touched the first woman’s head.

The author of the article, who followed Richardson in Iowa, also recounts his inability to resist hot dogs and other food. Clearly, touchiness and food are Richardson’s personal weaknesses.

Some call that a professional strength: “I’m Bill Richardson. I’m an average guy, and I want to be president.”

Others think that, in the end, it will mean he’s not taken seriously.

We’ll see. This early in the game, voters are clearly warming to him, as evidenced by his rise in the polls. As crunch time nears, will those supporters stick with him or side with a more traditional candidate?