Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, who heads for Florida tonight in an effort to test support for a possible 2008 presidential bid, today reported he has $2.4 million available for his political activities.
The sum puts him far behind well-known Democrats also thought to be vying for the 2008 presidential nomination. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has an estimated $22 million to spend, while Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kerry has at least $14 million and Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh has about $10 million.
Dodd's forces, though, emphasize that he has only been a player for about two months, and is rapidly beefing up his effort. (AP)
Where's the appeal of a Dodd run? He may be able to run as the "I'm not Hillary Clinton" candidate, but there are better anti-Hillarys out there (Warner, Richardson). And I have to think that the idea of nominating another New England senator gives Democrats hives.
That said, he probably wouldn't be that bad of a president. But I can't see him getting that far.
Source
"Dodd Campaign Funds At $2.4 Million." Associated Press 21 July, 2006.
9 comments:
there are better anti-Hillarys out there (Warner, Richardson)
Good god. Warner and Richardson are your idea of anti-Hillary candidates?!!
First, Mark Warner is the Clintons' back-up plan. He is there just in case Hillary can't gain traction. (Warner's campaign treasurer is Gerald McGowan, a Georgetown classmate of Bill's, who also met his wife, Susan Brophy while travelling with Clinton on Air Force One.)
Richardson is a joke, and just along to help in the game of divide and conquer.
The anti-Clinton will be Feingold, or Gore. Barring that, it will be someone from way outside of DC, a la Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, or Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer.
$2.4M?
A state senate race in California costs more than that these days
This isn't Joe-Mentum, nor is it Dodd-mentum. It's Doh!-Mentum, or quite possibly, pure Mentum.
If Dodd really cared and wanted to work hard, he would have run for Governor.
On to real news, then back to Dodd.
How odd will it be if Lamont wins the primary? Hillary pledged to support the Democratic nominee, but Bill will campaign for Lieberman. Will Hill and Bill campaign against each other?
I thought Bill said he would follow Hill's lead. You know what? He is. Because Hill has known Joe for over 30 years- and wants to see him win the Dem nomination. But she wants to look like the Dem loyalist. The true test of the Clinton marriage will come in the general.
Back to Dodd. Dodd is running for Vice-President, which is also a fools' errand. Though he could balance out Hillary's centrism, he did not have a quiet youth, he's as exciting as East Haddam, he's not a compelling debater, he brings nothing geographically, he's not a new face, etc. Also, he puts a Republican in the Senate, courtesy of a Rell appointment.
Dodd is bored- he's not living the crazy life he used to down there, he's in the permanent minority, he lost a leadership race. He's an old irrelevant lion, with no currency with the Republican leadership (outside of Hatch) or the White House.
Does he think his DNC leadership from 10-12 years ago is something he can trade on?
Before you give money to Dodd, give it to the Downtown New Haven Soup Kitchen- it's a much better social use. (Though if you give it to Ned, he will match it and send you a tote bag.)
Anyone have an egg timer so that we can time Dodd's campaign? It seems to me that 2004 would have been a much better year for Dodd to run. 2008 is shaping up to be a
Genghis, I thought about it some more. The appeal of a Dodd candidacy / Presidency? It takes a fat bald guy like me to tell you.
We need a President with some gravitas- some gray hair, if you will. Literally.
We haven't had a President with hair that shockingly white since William Howard Taft. But no one noticed with Taft- they were too focused on his girth, his handlebar moustache and his formidable intellect. (Taft, incidentally, like Dodd, was a resident of Conn., as a Yalie and a law professor.) [Some might argue that Clinton had white hair, but I would argue that the color was unclassifiable.)
With McCain's white hair potentially being the opposition nominee, the Democrats need a white-haired opponent.
No other candidate has white hair in the entire Democratic rostrum. And if you don't think hair matters, google "John Kerry and hair" and "John Edwards and hair".
Dodd-Mania has begun!
http://doddprezwatch.blogspot.com/
The volunteers are meeting on Sunday at 1pm in a phone booth at the Madison rest stop on I-95.
A Gore run would make all other candidates but Hillary (and maybe Feingold, who has a pretty decent following) melt away.
Does Schlesinger have a better chance of being elected senator this fall or being appointed to Senator by Jodi Rell in 2009 after Dodd becomes President?
I'd say the chances of each are about the same.
Dodd is "dead to me" if he continues to support lieberman
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