For months, Bill Richardson has been trying to stand out in the field of Democratic presidential candidates by insisting that an Iraq withdrawal will only take a few months and should include all residual troops.
He finally got the chance during Sunday’s debate in Iowa when the moderator asked each candidate what they thought of Richardson’s plan. Though none agreed with Richardson’s stance, he successfully articulated his view for the first time, and it happened on national television.
It was a major victory for the fourth-place candidate, his first strong debate showing of the campaign.
While all the Democratic candidates are calling for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, most say it will take a year, and they would leave some “residual” troops in Iraq to help with rebuilding and other non-combat missions. Richardson has stood alone for months by insisting a withdrawal can take place in as little as six months and should include all troops except the handful necessary to guard the embassy.
The exchange on Iraq, the focus of the debate and the topic listed as most important by most Americans, began with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News’ This Week pointing out that a new Joe Biden ad claims he’s the only candidate with a plan to get American troops out of Iraq and keep them out. When Richardson said he also has a plan, and laid it out, Biden suggested the governor was being disingenuous and told him “it’s time to start to level with the American people.”
The two argued about how long a withdrawal would take. When asked, Hillary Clinton said Biden’s assertion that it would take a year to get troops out “is right.”
“This is a massive, complicated undertaking,” she said.
Stephanopoulos asked if any agreed with Richardson’s timeline. None did.
Richardson defended his assertion by saying “many generals” agree with him and talking about the speed at which the United States rotates troops in and out of Iraq through Turkey and Kuwait.
Then he clearly explained, for the first time, why he believes all residual troops should be withdrawn. Because they’re not combat troops, they won’t be able to protect themselves, he said. But by removing all American forces, “all our troops are no longer targets, and then al-Qaida and the insurgents, both that see American troops as their prey, will now turn on each other,” he said. That, Richardson predicted, would force negotiation and open the door for diplomacy.
Richardson then took charge of the debate by directly challenging Clinton and Biden. Both said they would leave residual troops behind but withdraw all combat troops. He asked how they would protect the non-combat troops left in the country without the presence of combat troops.
Biden didn’t directly answer the question, but said residual troops would be necessary to protect “a minimum of 4,000 civilians” who would be left in Iraq.
Clinton wasn’t given an opportunity to answer.
It was the first time Richardson has taken charge in any debate and a rare demonstration of his fleeting ability to think on his feet and hold his own in such a situation.
Richardson’s other strong moment
Richardson had one other strong moment in the debate, at the beginning. Stephanopoulos tried to get others to weigh in on the fight over whether Barack Obama is too green and Clinton too divisive to be effective presidents.
While others squabbled about whether Obama represented change or inexperience, Richardson stayed above the fray.
“You know, I think that Sen. Obama does represent change. Sen. Clinton has experience,” he said, while making a balancing gesture with his hands. “Change and experience. With me, you get both.”
That comment became the focus of an Associated Press analysis of the debate and got a laugh out of the audience. When he later displayed experience by holding his own on the Iraq debate and illustrated the change he proposes by articulating his view on Iraq, Richardson backed that statement up.
Richardson’s performance was far from perfect. He failed to answer some of the questions he was asked, which has been a problem for him from the start.
Obama won the debate
Richardson didn’t win the debate. Obama, whose poll numbers have stagnated in recent weeks and who has become a punching bag for other candidates, needed a strong showing. He got it.
Obama’s best answer came during the Iraq debate and overshadowed Richardson’s challenge to Clinton and Biden. He agreed with many of the statements made by other candidates during the Iraq debate, then said it would have been nice if they – meaning Clinton, Biden, John Edwards and Chris Dodd, the very candidates who have been attacking his inexperience – had asked the questions before they voted to authorize the war that they’re asking now.
He then turned the tables on those candidates on stage who are repeating over and over – including Richardson – that their experience makes them the best candidate.
“Nobody had more experience than Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney and many of the people on this stage that authorized this war,” he said.
Brilliant.
Like Richardson, Clinton, Edwards and Biden all did well. But Obama won this round.
You can watch video of that Obama statement by clicking here. You can watch other video clips from the debate by clicking here and read a transcript by clicking here.
Update, 3:50 p.m.
Here’s the video of Richardson talking about change and experience:
For months, Bill Richardson has been trying to stand out in the field of Democratic presidential candidates by insisting that an