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A cluck issue, but Bill needs cockfight ban


By INEZ RUSSELL | The New Mexican
September 5, 2006

Not that Bill Richardson makes a habit of seeking Martin Chávez’s political advice— but last week, the Albuquerque mayor made a point about politics our governor would do well to heed.

A national candidate for president needs to know where he stands. And that’s as true for big issues such aswhether the United States must go towar or a smaller, yet character-defining debate on whether cockfighting should be banned.

Chávez’s point to Richardson was simple. For a presidential candidate, support for cockfighting is a deal-buster — nomatter that cockfighting has deep roots in our state and plenty of important politicians who still back the custom.

No, a candidate for president must be against cockfighting.
Obviously, the issue of cockfighting — a “sport” in which roosters fight to the death while grown men bet on which chicken will win— isn’t up there on the scale of what really matters.

Voters, we’re sure, will be more wor*ried about a candidate’s stance on the war in Iraq, stopping nuclear prolifera*tion, developing a sane energy policy or helping the uninsured.

But cockfighting is just the type of small issue to take the wind out of a candidate’s sails. Worse for Richardson, when asked in the past about cockfight*ing, he answered that he hadn’t made up his mind about the blood sport.

A presidential-level candidate shouldn’t have to think twice to announce forcefully that breeding chick*ens to fight and die isn’t a good idea. And a governor with as much clout as Rich*ardson could have pushed a cockfight*ing ban through the Legislature— if he really wanted one.

Richardson’s uncharacteristically lame answer got him noticed on the Tonight Show, where host Jay Leno spoofed the governor, saying: “New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson says he’s undecided about cockfighting, which is not banned in New Mexico. He says there are good arguments on both sides. Really?

“What’s the good argument for cock*fighting? It keeps roosters off the street?

It gives those roosters without any skills a chance to make it?” Unless Richardson makes sure New Mexico bans cockfighting next legisla*tive session (that’s assuming he wins re*election and remains governor), he’ll be answering a lot of questions in Iowa and New Hampshire about why cockfighting is a good thing.

Every question he faces on cockfight*ing is another question he won’t be answering about his successes in New Mexico or his plans to pull troops out of Iraq or his vision for lifting people out of poverty. And candidates who aren’t setting their own agendas, talking about their issues, tend to be also-rans.

Those cockfighting questions will be piled on top of the sure-to-be-fired shots about New Mexico’s messy politicians: Our state treasurer scandal, the auditor candidate’s leaving the ballot over accu*sations of sexual misconduct and several of Richardson’s not-so-hot appointments.

A little dash of cockfighting indeci*sion, a little drib of scandal, and before you know it, presidential ambition is dead in the water.

Modern presidential politics is brutish: An errant microphone in Iowa broad*casting a strange scream left Howard Dean the loser in 2004. Gerald Ford’s famous Poland-is-autonomous gaffe dur*ing the debates in 1976 was considered a major factor in his defeat at Jimmy Carter’s hands. Poor Ed Muskie, back in 1972, appeared as though he was crying because of a wayward snowflake. His candidacy fizzled.

Richardson has a governor’s race to win. But hewants a bigger office. To get there, he’ll have to make sure little, pesky issues don’t get in theway. Because on the national stage, second chances are rare.
Inez Russell can be reached at inezrussell@msn.com