2007.01.12: January 12, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Dominican Republic: Politics: Congress: Election2008 - Dodd: Connecticut Post: Connecticut Post says: Dodd makes early flubs in candidacy
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2007.01.12: January 12, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Dominican Republic: Politics: Congress: Election2008 - Dodd: Connecticut Post: Connecticut Post says: Dodd makes early flubs in candidacy
Connecticut Post says: Dodd makes early flubs in candidacy
Senator Dodd announced his intention to "skip the exploratory phase" and go straight to full-fledged candidate the morning after President Bush told the American people he plans to push more troops into Iraq. Major broadcast media focused their news reports almost exclusively on the president's national address. It was also Topic A in the national print media the following morning. Dodd's pending announcement didn't make the front page in his home state. Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic in the 1960's.
Connecticut Post says: Dodd makes early flubs in candidacy
Dodd's Timing Bizarre
PETER URBAN Purban@ctpost.com
Article Last Updated: 01/13/2007 01:58:19 PM EST
WASHINGTON — As a dark-horse candidate for president, Connecticut's own Chris Dodd can't afford many missteps as he tries to break from the pack of Democrats hoping that voters will anoint them as the Clinton alternative. So far, he's off to a shaky start.
First, there is the timing.
Senator Dodd announced his intention to "skip the exploratory phase" and go straight to full-fledged candidate the morning after President Bush told the American people he plans to push more troops into Iraq.
Major broadcast media focused their news reports almost exclusively on the president's national address. It was also Topic A in the national print media the following morning. Dodd's pending announcement didn't make the front page in his home state.
Why a Thursday morning announcement?
Dodd planned to visit Iowa — home of the first political caucus — on Friday; he was invited to attend the inauguration of the state's new governor, Chet Culver. That makes Dodd the "first 2008 Democrat" to visit the state in "the Gov. Culver era." A fact, noted Thursday morning in the Des Moines Register.
Big coup!
Meanwhile, Dodd opted Wednesday evening not to offer a reaction — in person or via statement — on Bush's address.
The Des Moines Register wrote a long article — including photographs — of all the 2008 candidates that did react.
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack. Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. Former New
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York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Arizona Sen. John McCain. New York Sen. Hillary Clinton. Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback. All had their views shared with those oh-so-critical Iowa readers.
Most would-be candidates also made it onto the national news programs, including CNN and FOX, directly after the president's speech.
Had Dodd put out a statement, he likely would have at least had his mug on the cover of the Connecticut Post. The newspaper ran a photograph of New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez in his stead.
Doh!
Second, there is the setting.
Dodd chose to telephone New York City radio host Don Imus to make the big announcement.
Imus seemed more concerned about a sleepless night he spent with a sore tooth than Dodd's sense that there is an urgent need for an experienced Democrat in the presidential fray.
Imus, who can be ornery, was generally pleasant to Dodd — giving him nearly 20 minutes to pitch his candidacy. But, he also refused to endorse him, saying that McCain is his man.
Ouch!
Third, there is the follow-through.
Dodd did make a round of calls from his D.C. townhouse to radio and print reporters around Connecticut to give them a chance to ask him about his presidential ambitions. But, his campaign gave several Connecticut State House reporters a telephone number to call to participate in a conference call that ended up being wrong. Worse yet, the number they had for his campaign office was not working.
Yikes!
The good news — for Dodd — is that these early flubs are easily forgotten. He correctly notes that the first presidential primaries are a year away and no one can realistically predict today the outcome.
Remember, Sen. Joe Lieberman started out as the favorite for the 2004 Democratic nomination only to drop out shortly after the New Hampshire primary where he finished near the back of the pack.
One thing that can be predicted is that Dodd will provide some more comic relief before those Iowans are heard from.
Peter Urban, who covers Washington, can be reached by e-mail at purban@ctpost.com.
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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: Connecticut Post
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