Although Martin Suazo Jr. has sat at the same table at the same restaurant every morning for the last 10 years, he is not a routine kind of guy.

Suazo is chairman of the San Miguel County Democratic Party. And like many Northern New Mexicans, he is disappointed that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson didn't make a bigger splash on the national scene in his bid to be president. But he loves that Richardson, a Hispanic, ran for the office.

And although Richardson came up short for the top seat in the White House, Suazo said he set the tone for future Hispanic candidates.

"I think that the governor set a standard for a Hispanic candidate," said Suazo. "Fourth place isn't bad. He beat people that were running from more populous states. He made the entire country aware that Hispanic candidates are viable."

Suazo said he would have liked for Richardson to stay in the race for at least a couple of more weeks.

"I think it was difficult for him to raise the kind of money it takes to stay in a national race," he said. "I certainly think he would have done well in the western part of the United States, and he certainly would have done well in New Mexico. He would have won our state hands down."

Suazo predicted that in San Miguel County, Richardson would have won 60 to 70 percent of the vote during the Democratic caucus on Feb. 5.

But it was obvious that not everyone in America thinks like Northern New Mexico voters.

"He is our guy," said Suazo, who has been party chairman for eight years. "Not only was he a Hispanic candidate, (but) he certainly had the most complete résumé of any candidate running. I don't know if there has been anyone that has ever had better training for the presidency than Bill Richardson."

Suazo is loyal to Richardson. And maybe he should be. Ever since World War II, San Miguel County has been New Mexico's top Democratic stronghold. Las Vegas is the main voting stream of the county.

Although Northern New Mexico was surely ready to elect the country's first Hispanic president, the rest of America might not have been.

"I don't know if it's a racial issue," said Suazo. "I think it was the fact that he comes from a small state like New Mexico. He was competing against senators from New York, Illinois and North Carolina."

Suazo said the other three Democratic candidates respected Richardson so much that he didn't get a call from their organizations until Richardson officially dropped out.

"The day after Richardson dropped out I got a call from ... (the) Obama, Hillary and Edwards camps," he said. "They understood that this was his state. I really believe that any of the Democratic candidates fortunate enough to win will take a serious look at him as a vice presidential running mate or appoint him to a high Cabinet post."

Again I asked Suazo if America was ready for a Hispanic president in 2008.

"Look at it this way," he said. "Barack Obama would not have the success he's had if it wasn't for people like Jesse Jackson or Martin Luther King Jr. It takes somebody with the stature of Bill Richardson to set the foundation for his culture. Rest assured that the first Hispanic president will be elected ... because of the work he is doing right now."

Unfortunately, Suazo said, infighting within the Hispanic community could hurt Richardson.

"We're the fasting-growing minority in the country. We need to take lessons from the black community and learn that there is strength in numbers," Suazo said. "We need to get a feeling of community within our own culture and not have racism within it."

Suazo predicted that a Hispanic person could be in the Oval Office in 2016.

"I fully expect a Democrat to win in 2008 and in 2012, so we're looking at an eight-year term for the next president," he said. "It could very well be Bill Richardson in 2016. He will still be young enough to run."

Richardson received only 2 percent of the vote in Iowa, the first state caucus, and only 5 percent in New Hampshire.

"A Hispanic candidate had to start somewhere," said Suazo. "We can look at it two ways. Either we are embarrassed about the 2 and 5 percent or proud that we finally had a Hispanic candidate on the ballot. I'm proud that we had a Hispanic candidate running for president."

Jesse Gallegos is Public Relations Director at Luna Community College. He also writes a column for The Las Vegas Times, a weekly paper in Las Vegas. If you have any ideas you would like to share with Jesse contact him at 505-429-2507.