OPINION: Liz Cheney would provide endorsement that mattered

Aug. 17—Any weatherman worth his Telestrator knows which way the wind blows.

Mark Ronchetti, former television meteorologist and Republican nominee for governor, hasn't lost his sense of direction. Hunting for headlines that won't hurt him, Ronchetti took a blip in his campaign and trumpeted it as an important development.

"I'm proud to share with you one of the biggest endorsements we've earned yet. Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has endorsed our campaign to take back New Mexico!" Ronchetti wrote in an email solicitation for money.

Republican DeSantis endorsing Republican Ronchetti is as predictable as the sunrise and as dull as dishwater.

DeSantis wants to be president. His trip west to appear with Ronchetti might have been instructive for the Florida governor. No Republican presidential candidate has carried New Mexico since George W. Bush in 2004.

As for what DeSantis' endorsement did for Ronchetti, that's easy to quantify. It meant nothing. Most endorsements in high-profile races are equally irrelevant.

People vote for a governor based on their gut feelings. If they're put off by Ronchetti's anti-abortion stands or his dearth of experience in government, they don't care what DeSantis says.

Likewise, DeSantis' words were wasted on conservatives who consider Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham a tyrant for shuttering small businesses during early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. They would never vote for Lujan Grisham, and they didn't need anyone to remind them why.

As for people in the middle ground — those open to backing a candidate from either party — they won't be swayed by a hard-line Southerner such as DeSantis.

Only in rare cases would either candidate for governor of New Mexico benefit from another politician's endorsement.

Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney is the most obvious example of someone who could be influential if she took Ronchetti's side in the race.

Cheney is unpopular in her home state of Wyoming because of her relentless criticism of former President Donald Trump's actions and inaction during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. But Cheney's disapproval of Trump makes her an idealist in New Mexico, a state Trump lost twice by wide margins.

Cheney's denunciations of Trump, coupled with an endorsement of Ronchetti, could motivate independents and conservative Democrats. It's a far-fetched thought, something fantastic enough to give Ronchetti a shot at upsetting Lujan Grisham.

Aside from Cheney, Trump is a politician whose endorsements are helpful to Republicans in select states. New Mexico is not one of them, a break for Ronchetti.

Before Ronchetti ran for public office, he knocked Trump during a public appearance at the University of New Mexico. Ronchetti then claimed to support Trump in 2020, when the weatherman was the Republican candidate for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

Trump this year didn't endorse anyone in New Mexico's Republican primary for governor. Candidates Jay Block and Rebecca Dow lavished praise on Trump. They coveted the former president's support.

Trump knew nothing could stop the Ronchetti juggernaut in the primary.

He didn't want to endorse a loser, and everyone running against Ronchetti fit that description.

The general election is another story. Trump endorsing Ronchetti would be deadly for the nominee. By abstaining in New Mexico, Trump gave Ronchetti hope.

Besides Trump's successes in red states, it's been a long while since an endorsement by one politician was pivotal for another. Liberal Sen. Ted Kennedy backing fellow Democrat Barack Obama for president in January 2008 stands out.

Kennedy's endorsement was a signal that Hillary Clinton would not have an easy road to the nomination. Obama broke to an early lead over Clinton and became a two-term president.

One of the stranger endorsements of moderate success came from a rebel two steps removed from politics. Author Hunter Thompson supported Democrat George McGovern for president in 1972.

Thompson's best work for McGovern came in print. Thompson savaged McGovern's main Democratic opponents, Hubert Humphrey and Edmund Muskie, in wild, funny stories for Rolling Stone.

McGovern won the Democratic nomination only to have Thompson turn on him. Thompson was angered by McGovern's choice of old-guard Democrat Thomas Eagleton for vice president.

Eagleton soon was bounced from the ticket. McGovern never recovered, losing 49 of the 50 states to Republican President Richard Nixon.

An unrestrained talent such as Thompson once could shape a national election through the written word. Cheney's influence today is almost as improbable.

She was defeated Tuesday in her primary election bid. Cheney's constituents in Wyoming can take away her seat. Stealing her megaphone won't be so easy.

Ringside Seat is an opinion column about people, politics and news. Contact Milan Simonich at

msimonich@sfnewmexican.com or 505-986-3080.