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The Pro-Familia Candidate
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The taskmaster father died, after a battle with Alzheimer's, in 1972. The younger Richardson writes in his memoir that he and his father had a loving relationship, and he dismisses suggestions made by friends that his father was emotionally abusive. But in the interview he hinted at wounds that never completely healed:
"He was very stern. He was a lot older than my mother. I was 23 when he died. I was mainly sent away to school."
Richardson writes that, like his father, he tends to be too demanding of his subordinates, and that he's too likely to say, jokingly, "You're fired," rather than "Good job." But he also prides himself on his diplomatic skills, particularly his ability to deal with dictators. For example, in 1995, as a congressman, he negotiated the release of two Americans imprisoned in Iraq. He succeeded after a tense meeting in Baghdad with Saddam Hussein (the testy dictator briefly stormed out of the meeting because Richardson crossed his legs, thus revealing the sole of his shoe, which is considered an insult in Arab culture).
"The fact that I was brought up in a bicultural background helps me be a negotiator as a diplomat, as a politician," he said.
Recently someone in California asked him to do a fundraiser for Huntington Hospital, where he was born, and talk about his California roots.
He answered, "My roots are about three hours."
But he's becoming more of a native son as the primary gets closer. California has moved its primary to Feb. 5, early enough in the calendar to be pivotal. His résumé can add another credential:
"I say I'm a Californian."
