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About two weeks ago, I attended the Young Democrats of America’s (YDA) spring conference, held in Omaha, Nebraska. The keynote speaker for the conference was New Mexico Governor and Presidential Candidate Bill Richardson.

The opening speaker mentioned that no Presidential candidate has campaigned in deeply Republican Nebraska since 1968. And who was that candidate in ’68? Robert F. Kennedy.

We started by watching Richardson’s new TV spots that were airing in Iowa, only a few miles away (where every Presidential candidate since 1968 has campaigned). The ads were ingenius – they highlighted the little known fact that its Richardson, not Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden, that is the most experienced of the Presidential candidates. In the ads, Richardson is being “interviewed” for the job of President, with the catch line being “You might be overqualified.”

The problem is, Richardson doesn’t exert experience. Has this guy really negiotiated with Kim Jong Il, Saddam Hussein, Qaddafi, the rulers of the Sudan, been energy secretary, a Congressman, and a successful Governor? Where is that poise that was used to broker a ceasefire in Darfur? There is a bit of a disconnect between Richardson’s past and the man that we see up there.

Richardson acknowledged this. “We’re learning”, he said about campaiging and his low, but rising, poll numbers. But he comes through as someone who wants to do things. He spoke about his first 6 days in office, where, it seemed, he planned to save the world, make America energy independent, and take a day off. Day 1 – end the way in Iraq. Day 2 – solve global warming. He might want to sound a little more realistic, perhaps expand that to his first 6 weeks, not days. But the point is clear, Richardson has a clear plan about what he want to do once he becomes President, and has the record to back it up.

Richardson has pledged to run a clean, positive campaign, and in his 15 minute speech, never mentioned any of his opponenets by name. “I may not be a rockstar”, he said in obvious reference to Barack Obama, the man he helped bring to fame as the chief organizer of the 2004 Democratic Convention where Obama’s keynote speech made him an overnight sensation.

Overall, I found Richardson appealing. If he keeps to his pledge to run a positive campaign, I would like to see him reach the top tier as I believe his presence can only enhance the image of Democrats as being the party that represents America. This is a great field we have in ’08 and Richardson sharing the stage with Obama, John Edwards and Clinton will only strengthen the party.

To learn more about Gov. Bill Richardson, visit his website here.

This past week, I participated in the first Camp Obama. So, you ask, what is Camp Obama, besides the obvious fact that it is somehow connected to Illinois Senator and Presidential Candidate Barack Obama?

Camp Obama is an attempt to train and equip hundreds of new, young, and mostly inexperienced activists who want to help get Barack Obama elected as the next President of the United States, but don’t neccesarily have the skills to turn passion into positive action. The Camp, a work in progress, was four days of intense training with some of the best minds in the field, and I was lucky enough to participate.

What really struck me was how the campaign is willing to take us, relative unknowns, recent graduates, college students with academic skills but who have no idea what the deal is with Iowa. Yet, the campaign took us all and brought us into their confidence, though, there really was no dirt to tell. Obama is who he says he is, young, inexperienced in Washington politics but very experienced in real politics – working on the grassroots, as we will do in Iowa, Nevada, South Carolina, and New Hampshire, the early states that will determine who the Democratic nominee for President will be.

Tomorrow, back to Kansas City. I’ll post some photos from Camp Obama once I return home, and post a review on Gov. Bill Richardson, whom I saw speak last week.

Welcome to my new political, environmental, and social blog. Taking over where WorldTrippers left off, this blog will catalog my adventures in the real world, from training in the midwest, to hopefully working on an ’08 campaign.

Let’s get it started.

This weekend I’ll be heading to Omaha for a Young Democrats of America conference, in Nebraska, possibly the least Democratic state in the union. Should still be a good time, though. Bill Richardson is the keynote speaker.