Val Kilmer is pondering running for governor of New Mexico in 2010, when Democrat Bill Richardson’s second term ends. ‘I’m just looking for ways to be contributive,’ Kilmer told The Associated Press on Thursday. ‘And if that ends up being where I can make a substantial contribution, then I’ll run.’” The decision, though, is ‘really day to day,’ he said over tea at a local restaurant.

How friggin’ cool would that be at a gubernatorial debate? I can see it now: Even though his opponent has him on the rhetorical ropes, Kilmer breaks out the Iceman’s swagger, leans into his podium and offers some snarky quip. Then looks straight into the lens of the television camera and does that jaw-snappy thing and clicks his teeth together. Twice.

Then suddenly, over the loudspeaker the audiences begins to hear the chorus of Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone…

[cross-posted at ThePajamaPundit.com]

Yet another Bush 2004 state goes to Obama.

5 electoral votes.

IT IS OVER!

This is a state that Bush took by only 1% in 2004, and barely lost in 2000.

The details…

• Hispanics for Obama and self-identified libertarians for Barr make McCain a distant second.
• Hispanics make up 30% of the sample, and they choose Obama over McCain, 59%-24%.
• Libertarians are 10% of the sample, and 64% go with Barr.
• They join 6% of conservatives who are also with Barr.
• Obama even leads McCain by 7% among white voters.

It’s hard for me to believe that McCain is this far behind, but if Barr is really almost in double digits, that would make sense.

Also, I wonder what Barr’s % is among white voters, because if that’s in double digits it would go a long way to explaining why Obama’s leading McCain with a demographic he usually doesn’t capture.

More as it develops…

Last month it was 50% to 41%, so Obama has a net -1 loss this month, but this is still significant enough to make his campaign confident that New Mexico could turn blue again.

The demo details…

As in most states, Obama polls better among women in New Mexico than men. He has an eleven-point lead among women, and just a seven-point lead among men. Those numbers have shown little change since last month.

Obama’s support comes from 72% of Democrats in New Mexico and 15% of Republicans. McCain is backed by 76% of Republicans and 18% of Democrats. When it comes to unaffiliated voters, Obama has a 41% to 34% advantage. The results in that demographic are nearly identical to last month’s numbers.

Again, women make the difference…as they will this fall.

I stole the pic and line from Ezra, but what about Bill?

After all, he’s got the swing state, gubernatorial experience, a demonstratable post-partisan track record and his foreign policy credentials are literally second to none in this or nearly any VP crop I can remember.

Plus, his endorsement of Obama came at a time when the junior senator really needed something to take the focus off of the Jeremiah Wright dust up, and don’t think Richardson didn’t know that.

Discuss…

From RCP:

[...] the Obama campaign has won the endorsements of Hawaii Rep. Mazie Hirono and Laurie Weahkee, a New Mexico superdelegate and lead organizer for the Native American Voters Alliance.

Also, Wilber Lee Jeffcoat…

Jeffcoat, a retired trucking supervisor and member of the S.C. Democratic Party executive committee, confirmed to Obama aides Friday that he would support the Illinois U.S. senator.

Jeffcoat said he’d planned to wait until all states had voted before choosing a candidate. But the tough delegate math U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton faces and fear the campaign could remain contentious prompted him to declare.

Post-Pennsylvania delegate pickups:
Obama – 38
Clinton – 12.5

Total superdelegates:
Clinton – 273.5
Obama – 267

Total post-PA pickups after the jump…

Obama superdelegate pickups:
Wilber Lee Jeffcoat (SC), DNC Vice Chairman – May 9, 2008
Laurie Weahkee (NM), DNC – May 9, 2008
Mazie Hirono (HI), Representative – May 9, 2008
Ed Espinoza (CA), DNC – May 9, 2008
John Gage (MD), DNC – May 9, 2008
Peter DeFazio (OR), Representative – May 9, 2008
Donald Payne (NJ), Representative – May 9, 2008
Rick Larsen (WA), Representative – May 8, 2008
Brad Miller (NC), Representative – May 8, 2008
Jennifer McClellan (VA), DNC – May 7, 2008
Inola Henry (CA), DNC – May 7, 2008
Jerry Meek (NC), Dem Chairman – May 7, 2008
Jeanette Council (NC), DNC – May 7, 2008
Lauren Dugas Glover (MD), DNC Vice Chairman – May 5, 2008
Michael Cryor (MD), DNC Chairman – May 5, 2008
Kalyn Free (OK), DNC – May 5, 2008
Jaime Paulino (Guam), DNC & Territory Vice Chair – May 4, 2008
Parris Glendening (MD), Governor – May 3, 2008
Inez Tenenbaum (SC), DNC – May 3, 2008
Brian Colón (TX), DNC – May 3, 2008
Paul G. Kirk, Jr. (MA), DNC – May 2, 2008
John Patrick (TX), DNC – May 1, 2008
Barbara Flynn Currie (IL), DNC – May 1, 2008
Todd Stroger (IL), DNC – May 1, 2008
Richard M. Daley (IL), DNC – May 1, 2008
Joe Andrew (IN), DNC – May 1, 2008
Bruce Braley (IA), Representative – Apr 30, 2008
Lois Capps (CA), Representative – Apr 30, 2008
Baron Hill (IN), Representative – Apr 30, 2008
Ben Chandler (KY), Representative – Apr 29, 2008
Richard Machacek (IA), DNC – Apr 29, 2008
Jeff Bingaman (NM), Senator – Apr 28, 2008
Charlene Fernandez (AZ), DNC & State Vice Chair – Apr 26, 2008
David Wu (OR), Representative – Apr 24, 2008
Audra Ostergard (NE), DNC & State Vice Chair – Apr 23, 2008
Brad Henry (OK), Governor – Apr 23, 2008

Clinton superdelegate pickups:
Chris Carney (PA), Representative – May 9, 2008
Brad Ellsworth (IN), Representative – May 7, 2008
Heath Shuler (NC), Representative – May 7, 2008
Theresa Morelli (Dems Abroad), DNC May 5, 2008
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (MD), Lt. Governor – May 3, 2008
Jaime A. Gonzalez Jr. (TX), DNC – May 2, 2008
Andrew Cuomo (NY), DNC – May 1, 2008
Thomas DiNapoli (NY), DNC – May 1, 2008
C. Virginia Field (NY), DNC – May 1, 2008
Carmen Arroyo (NY), DNC – May 1, 2008
John Olsen (CT), DNC – May 1, 2008
Luisette Cabanas (PR), DNC & Territory Vice Chair – Apr 30, 2008
William George (PA), DNC – Apr 30, 2008
Ike Skelton (MO), Representative, Apr 29, 2008
Mike Easley (NC), Governor – Apr 28, 2008
Kathy Sullivan (NH), Add-On – Apr 26, 2008
John Tanner (TN), Representative – Apr 23, 2008

Clinton superdelegate losses:
Donald Payne (NJ), Representative – May 9, 2008
Jennifer McClellan (VA), DNC – May 7, 2008
Arlene P. Bordallo (Guam), DNC & Former Territory Vice Chair- May 4, 2008
Joe Andrew (IN), DNC – May 1, 2008

And that means another superdelegate for Obama.

From NY Times:

Sen. Barack Obama officially pulled ahead today in the scramble for endorsements from colleagues in the U.S. Senate, thanks to Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico.

Never one of the Senate’s most high-profile members, Bingaman now has a claim to political fame: He put Obama over the top after his long slog to catch Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who had a head start in winning the support of her peers. Obama now has 14 endorsements to Clinton’s 13.

I’ll admit, I’d never heard of this guy before today.

In any event, it looks like Obama and Clinton keep matching superdelegate announcements, and that’s not good news for her. Why? Well, she needs to be beating him by at least 3-1 in these announcements in order to make up that big pledged delegate deficit. Like it or not, the math is simply against her, and she’s going to need to win this thing via a large swing of superdelegates.