2007.01.13: January 13, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Dominican Republic: Politics: Congress: Election2008 - Dodd: Hartford Courant: Stan Simpson writes: If you're looking for a sleeper to keep your eyes on in the 2008 presidential race, Chris Dodd is your man
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2007.01.13: January 13, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Dominican Republic: Politics: Congress: Election2008 - Dodd: Hartford Courant: Stan Simpson writes: If you're looking for a sleeper to keep your eyes on in the 2008 presidential race, Chris Dodd is your man
Stan Simpson writes: If you're looking for a sleeper to keep your eyes on in the 2008 presidential race, Chris Dodd is your man
"Everything would have to break just right for Dodd to move up from being a second-tier candidate to a first-teamer. Hillary Clinton is still considered a polarizing presence, one who brings box office appeal but also baggage. Obama, 45, would be the first black president but may ultimately be perceived as too green. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards has been out of circulation politically and is coming off a losing vice presidential bid in 2004. Dodd's calling card is his likability, his experience in crafting legislation geared toward families and education, and his stellar foreign-affairs background, mostly in Latin America." Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic in the 1960's.
0,6398454.column?coll=hc-utility-local, Stan Simpson writes: If you're looking for a sleeper to keep your eyes on in the 2008 presidential race, Chris Dodd is your man
Dodd's Got The Muscle To Rumble
January 13, 2007
He's got a playboy past, is a charismatic public speaker, and when you find him in a room, Chris Dodd is usually the smartest person there. In that regard, Connecticut's senior senator has a little Clinton in him - Bill, that is. So, if you're looking for a sleeper to keep your eyes on in the 2008 presidential race, the bilingual Dodd is not a reach.
New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama are creating the early buzz among Democrats, though neither has officially announced. But the resumés of Clinton and Obama don't match up to that of the 62-year-old Dodd, who announced this week on the syndicated "Imus in the Morning" radio show.
Leaving Connecticut for his launch tells us Dodd is trying mightily to distance himself from being seen solely as a liberal senator from one of the smallest states in the Union.
Everything would have to break just right for Dodd to move up from being a second-tier candidate to a first-teamer. Hillary Clinton is still considered a polarizing presence, one who brings box office appeal but also baggage. Obama, 45, would be the first black president but may ultimately be perceived as too green. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards has been out of circulation politically and is coming off a losing vice presidential bid in 2004.
Dodd's calling card is his likability, his experience in crafting legislation geared toward families and education, and his stellar foreign-affairs background, mostly in Latin America.
"He's a very special human being in that he has depth and breadth of experience to be in the White House," said Sanford Cloud, a former state senator who now heads a Connecticut real estate development company. He and Dodd have been friends for more than 40 years.
"He has the values that I think appeal to the American people and he understands foreign policy as well as domestic policy," Cloud said. "Once the American people come to know Chris Dodd, they will come to see that he represents a real opportunity for the future of this country. He's inclusive, embraces diversity and is respectful of others' views."
Dodd, general chairman of the Democratic Party in the mid-1990s and current chairman of the influential Senate Banking Committee, has the connections to raise money. But it's going to take $100 million to be competitive. Another problem for Dodd is that he's barely known nationally and is indeed seen as "yet another New England liberal."
"Every Northeastern liberal who's run (for president) in the last 45 years has lost," said Richard Foley, a political consultant and former Connecticut Republican Party chairman. "The only three Democrats elected president since (John) Kennedy were Southerners - Clinton, Jimmy Carter and LBJ."
One thing that will separate Dodd from the pack is his genuine connection to African Americans and Latinos. Like Clinton, Dodd is not uncomfortable socializing with people who don't share his cultural background. And he's got that Clinton-like quality of being considered a man's man, a guy you could talk politics with over a beer, and - in his bachelor days - a ladies man.
His political base also includes the unions and working families. He voted in 2002 for military action in Iraq but has been vocal in criticizing the president's war management.
There's also this notion that Dodd will be positioned as a vice presidential pick - maybe a seasoned hand for a young Obama or a geographic balance to Edwards.
Either way, don't sleep on Chris Dodd in 2008.
Stan Simpson's column appears on Wednesdays and Saturdays. He can be heard live today on WTIC NewsTalk 1080 from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
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Headlines: January, 2007; RPCV Chris Dodd (Dominican Republic); Figures; Peace Corps Dominican Republic; Directory of Dominican Republic RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Dominican Republic RPCVs; Politics; Congress; Connecticut
When this story was posted in February 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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Story Source: Hartford Courant
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