After finishing fourth in the New Hampshire primary, it's all over for the Richardson in 2008 campaign. Sad but true, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson is dropping out of the running for the presidency. Reads the official campaign website, "It is with great pride, understanding and acceptance that I am ending my campaign for President of the United States."

Don't be too surprised if we haven't seen the last of Richardson; after all, he was said to be one of the final considerations for running mate in Al Gore's 2000 presidential bid. And despite Richardson's often repeating lines along the lines of "I've got a better job being governor of New Mexico," wouldn't be difficult to pass on a Cabinet-level job based on, say, his experience as head of the Department of Energy?

Concludes Richardson's internet note: "I live in a place called the Land of Enchantment. I have the best job in the world. And I just got to run for president of the United States. It doesn't get any better than that." (Wait a minute, wasn't that a mass-market beer slogan?")

Among the disappointed is New York Times blogger Kate Phillips, who turned in a positively funereally-toned piece on Richardson. (Kate, c'mon, he's not dead, he's just not running for US president anymore.) "Richardson Drops Out" praises the New Mexican for his light-heartedness and for producing "one of the most clever TV advertisements - on his resume - of all political commercials last year.

Funny, MPR reckons that's exactly how Richardson bored his way out of the race: By endlessly monotonously reciting his curriculum vitae...