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Bill Richardson is not a cultural misfit. So he doesn't have a traditional Latino name. Who cares? This Mexican-American presidential hopeful and New Mexico governor learned a thing or two about his heritage living south of the border during a large chunk of his childhood. (He moved back to the U.S. at 13.)

Asked why he's the guy for the presidential gig, political supporters point to his résumé--an almost three-decade long career that includes stints as Congressman to U.S Ambassador to the UN, and Secretary of Energy under Bill Clinton. Many say that his track record proves he's better prepared for the role of el presidente than Democratic front-runners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Ultimately, there's more to picking a candidate than name and cultural similarity; it's about the issues and whether the candidate has your interest at heart. Here is a review of several key issues that affect Latinos and where Richardson stands.

Immigration
The Mexican connection is one he's proud of, but it's also a source of conflict as governor of a border state. Even as the migration of undocumented people creates financial challenges for the school and hospital systems of New Mexico, Richardson doesn't believe that massive deportation or a 12-foot fence is the solution. For that reason he petitioned George W. Bush on behalf of Elvira Arellano, the mother of an American-born son who took refuge for a year in a Chicago church to avoid deportation. Richardson's alternative? Offering a path to citizenship, recouping back taxes and requiring undocumented residents to learn English he feels is more sensible.

Iraq
Richardson's foreign relations record is notable. In 1995, he was commended for mediating the successful release of two American contractors held hostage after they accidentally wandered past the Kuwaiti border and into Iraq at the time Saddam Hussein reigned. The situation in Iraq today might be a little starker, and the rate of Latino casualties-11percent since the start of the war-sobering, but Richardson thinks he's up to the task. His proposal is to completely withdraw troops in a six-eight month timeline.

Education
The controversial five-year-old No Child Left Behind Act may use measures like increased testing to address our failing public schools but that's not enough for Richardson. For him, only a complete overhaul can impact rising dropout rates and falling scores. His $60 billion dollar education plan would give teachers a minimum $40,000 salary, add 100,000 math and science teachers, offer universal pre-K to children, and pump cash into programs like Head Start.

Healthcare
Yearly check-ups? Flu shot? Surgery?  If you're uninsured, forget about it. People who make just a couple of dollars over income guidelines and undocumented immigrants are refused Medicaid. In an emergency, many of these patients must dig into their pockets to pay the ridiculous price of an ER visit or take on high-interest loans peddled by the hospital. Richardson proposes working with credit card companies to reduce the interest-rate for healthcare related charges, talking to drug-makers and getting them to agree to a lower sticker price for meds, and offering everyone-even undocumented workers-the option to buy the same health coverage package Congress members receive. Now if he could only figure out a way to get their sheltered kids to fight in Bush's war.