"The race is shifting dramatically. Now New Hampshire voters will see Richardson stand out as the most experienced and capable of creating the real change our country so desperately needs," Goepfert said.

They're going to WHAT?

See, THIS is why drive-thru state-run liquor stores at highway rest stops are BAD ideas.

Now, don't get me wrong here, because I think that most of the time the frontrunners are corrupt and evil, but seeing people just jumping between 3rd tier candidates is goofy. It's the same kind of elitism that manifests itself in Mac users.

Almost all of the western and mid-western states have 3 electoral votes each. A good non-California candidate has a chance.

Echoic: Now, don't get me wrong here, because I think that most of the time the frontrunners are corrupt and evil, but seeing people just jumping between 3rd tier candidates is goofy. It's the same kind of elitism that manifests itself in Mac users.

Elitism? As in 'choosing something that doesn't suck'?

stupid. throw your vote away. at least vote for obama edwards or clinton if you actually want to affect some sort of change.

Ugh...I'm sick and tired of the phrase 'creating change'. Every farking Democrat is using it in their campaign slogan - even Huckafark was up on stage spouting off about 'creating change'. Let's just cut the horseshiat Obama; if you want to stand out, don't talk about generic change, talk about improvement.

Supporters of who are doing what now?

depmode98: at least vote for obama edwards or clinton if you actually want to affect some sort of change.

Clinton...change....Clinton....change....

Yeah, those two just don't really go together.

Richardson is the most experienced in the Dem field. Unfortunately, that hasn't counted for too much in almost 200 years. He would still be a great VP choice, however.

It will be interesting to see how long Richardson holds out until he throws in the towel.

This is all about the veepstakes. The three frontrunners need someone with actual policy credentials who isn't going to steal the limelight. Maybe one who's a secret latino.

Course, New Mexico isn't in play, so maybe they'll just set him up with a nice ambassador post.

It's a shame the Dems backed them into a corner by making the choice between Obama or Hillary. Richardson is probably the only one in the group that would have chance to beat the Republican candidate in the general election.

the "american idol" culture makes celebrity and charisma more important than experience and qualifications.

given the increasing power and influence of the VP in recent generations, Richardson will be a great VP.

Both Biden and Dodd had a good deal of support in New Hampshire, and, it a majority of their supporters move into Richardson's camp, then Richardson is still in play as a co0ntender for 3rd place.

The majority opinion, however, of Biden and Dodd supporters is "anyone but Clinton" and that makes her goal of placing top three, let alone winning the state, harder still.

If Richardson takes a solid 3rd place in New Hampshire, and then finishes strong in Nevada (totally doable) then he is in a good position to ride his momentum into a strong finish in South Carolina.

The burden, therefore falls to Iowa's top three finishers.

CLINTON - has the most work to do in the next couple of days. She had to be fierce without attacking Obama. She probably would have won Iowa if she'd focused on the need for change, sincerely distanced herself from some of her bad decisions as a Senator over the years and let The President out more often to stump for her.

EDWARDS - Needs to keep up that "Stumping with a smile" seriousness that he does so well. He's a good candidate and he needs to spend time playing to his strengths. No whining.

OBAMA - Don't say or do anything stupid and pray that there isn't a scandal hiding among your staffers. Daily message briefings to EVERYONE about how to talk to the press, because, as the #1 guy in Iowa, the media jackals are going to desperate to find a staffer who will say or do something dumb.

depmode98: stupid. throw your vote away.

'Throwing your vote away' would be resigning your first choice and voting 'either obama or clinton' because you think everyone else is going to.

I absolutely abhor religion and all the kooks that inevitably come with it.

Imagine if a large majority of the 90+% of religitards in this country only followed through the rituals of it because they didn't want to upset loved ones. (See YouTube of that kid who recorded his renunciation and the explosive retort by his mother, that he would burn in hell forever.)

phillydrifter: Imagine if a large majority of the 90+% of religitards in this country only followed through the rituals of it because they didn't want to upset loved ones.

Ummm...I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but I'm pretty sure that describes approximately 70-80% of regular churchgoers.

The conventional wisdom has been that Richardson was angling to be Hillary's VP choice, but apparently he's sensing something, because after months of defending Clinton in the debates, Richardson ripped her a couple of weeks ago on her Iraq stance, and there were reports (which he denied) that his camp was encouraging their Iowa caucus supporters to switch their votes to Obama if Richardson didn't make the 15% threshold. As the only Democrat in the race with actual executive experience and a hands-on international affairs background, Richardson's a likely VP candidate for whoever gets the nomination.

To the poster who said New Mexico isn't in play: the state went for Gore by a few thousand votes in 2000, and for Bush by a few thousand votes in 2004, it's definitely in play -- and is, in fact, a likely blue state in 2008.

Shaggy_C: I wish.

You've never been to the deep south (USA), have you?

His candidacy is even more disappointing than Fred Thompson's. He i snot the rockstar that Obama is, but he has qualifications beyond people like to hear him talk.

generaltimmy: he has qualifications beyond people like to hear him talk

Liking to hear him talk is the only qualification that matters for getting elected. For actually doing the job, this is not an especially important qualification.

Obama has it, Richardson doesn't.

sad but (mostly) true

I believe Richardson needs a change in direction regarding his campaign...people aren't listening to what he's said thus far - mostly because the message isn't reaching them due to the media suck job on edwards, obama, and clinton, so why not tout how he took NM from a 3rd world country into its most prosperous era in recent history (mostly due to tax cuts for film makers...adding a living minium wage...and adding high paying jobs).

EVERYBODY likes money...He's fiscally conservative and can contribute to change in ways that this country needs - foreign policy, the economy, and energy...he has experience and relationships in every aspect.

screw VP or SOS...President Richardson is on the horizon if people don't buy the hype...and besides, this race is still early and most voters haven't made up their minds yet.