Richardson says he knows just how big the election is.
It will not only determine how the country's economic woes are fixed, it will also greatly impact military families who call Fort Bragg and this community home.
Richardson spent nearly three years as a POW during the Korean War. He says it was a harsh experience that he'll never forget.
"There were 3,000 of us there and over a four month period 1,800 died," Richardson said.
He says McCain's military background is just what the country needs to deal with the war on terrorism.
"9/11 was this generation's Pearl Harbor. They haven't really realized it yet, but it is," Richardson said. "The men in the armed forces pretty much know and McCain's the guy that I think can hold that together."
Richardson says McCain plans to rebuild the economy by giving takes breaks to companies so they can grow their businesses and create jobs.
He says Obama's plan to fix our country's economic woes from the bottom up isn't going to work.
"You don't build an economy from the bottom up. You just don't do that," Richardson said. "Yes, you may be able to give a lot of people jobs like Roosevelt did during the depression."
Richardson knows McCain is in an uphill fight and he says the senator has only himself to blame.
"Senator McCain didn't get with it. He's with it right now," Richardson said. "If you listen to him the last couple of days, that's the way he should have been. Banging it home, saying it strong. Making people listen to him. He wasn't doing that."
