Self-pity may not ultimately get Gov. Bill Richardson elected president, but it sure is getting him a lot of attention on YouTube.
Last Tuesday, the New Mexico Democrat's campaign posted this political ad on YouTube, in which a bedraggled Richardson is sitting for a job interview, fielding questions from a highly skeptical interviewer. His interlocutor reads through a litany of policy successes that Richardson has apparently listed on his résumé, and then says: "So, what makes you think you can be president?"
As of Friday afternoon, the ad had received over 93,000 views on YouTube and was the most linked-to video on both BlogPulse.com and Technorati.com, two barometers for the blogosphere.
The video also includes a second installment, in which Richardson's would-be employer, after running off a few of the candidate's achievements as governor, informs him that, "For what we're looking for, you might be a little overqualified." Richardson, who also served as the ambassador to the United Nations under President Clinton, polls at around 5 percent or less among other Democratic hopefuls and has currently raised about $6.25 million, good enough for fifth place in the money race (Sen. Hillary Clinton has raised $36 million).
Richardson is getting a lot of free publicity from the ad, but he might not win a lot of converts with the subtle message that makes this spot so unique: American voters, represented by a mercurial and out-of-touch middle manager, can't recognize competence when it hits them in the face.
--Chris Wilson
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