"While Richardson is now a staunch opponent of electoral anarchy -- even a believer in Iowa's divine right to hold the nation's first presidential vote -- he was not always such a traditionalist.
It was Richardson, after all, who scrapped New Mexico's traditional June presidential primary back in 2004, opting for a Democratic caucus to be held on Feb. 3, the same day Arizona held its presidential primary.
And it was Richardson, who while chairman of the Western Governors' Association in 2004, pushed for a resolution calling for Western states to hold their presidential primaries and caucuses on the same date -- either in January or February of 2008, according to an earlier Albuquerque Journal report.
While still an undeclared candidate in August 2006, Richardson felt it necessary to reassure voters in New Hampshire (!) that he would vigorously support New Hampshire's right to hold the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, even though he supported adding a Nevada caucus to the early-voting schedule, the Journal reported at the time.
Interestingly, in the light of Monday's remarks in Iowa, Richardson told New Hampshire voters in 2006 that even if New Hampshire moved its primary up to be ahead of Iowa and Nevada in the schedule, he'd support that too, the Journal reported.
"You're still the number one primary, and there is a difference between a caucus and a primary," Richardson told his audience. "New Hampshire will retain the importance it always has."
A man for all seasons...errr...reasons.
Just covering(pandering) to call the bases.
Just covering(pandering) to all the bases.