Saturday, July 22, 2006

Dodd Impresses in Florida

I suppose getting people to like you in Florida isn't a bad start:
Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd made a good impression on Florida Democratic Party activists Saturday in his first major appearance since announcing he'll explore a 2008 White House run.

...

Was Dodd impressive enough to be considered for president?

"Oh God, yes!" said Casey O'Harra, 65, who chairs the Lake County Democrats. "I would definitely be able to support him as president."

Jacqulyn Mack, 36, of Sarasota said she likes New York Sen. Hillary Clinton but questions whether she can win the presidency and would love to see a run by former Vice President Al Gore...

But she can see herself supporting Dodd because he is electable. "I've got my options wide open," she said. "I want somebody that's going to win. Senator Dodd's history and his experience and his background give him a great deal of appeal to people across the political spectrum."

"I haven't thought about Dodd that much," said Pat Hogan, the Highlands County Democratic chair. "I probably will. It was a great speech." (AP)

Dodd does give a good, passionate, rousing speech.

Is he electable? I have no idea. The dynamics of 2008 are still taking shape. It's funny, but people in Connecticut are sort of bemused by the idea of a Dodd run. No one really seems all that excited, or that confident of his lifespan as a candidate. But maybe people in other parts of the country will see him differently. We'll see.

Source

"POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Dodd impresses Florida Democrats as he explores White House run." Associated Press 22 July, 2006.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

People take him seriously?? That's amazing. He has been on the Sunday morning talk show circuit though a lot over the past few years. But he's a 30 yr, senior member of the senate... his record of partisanship is way too long. Only governors can say "i had to decide for what was best for the people." 30 yrs in the senate will give him a record that leaves him in Kerry's shoes. too many flip flops... whether legitimate or not.

GMR said...

How is Dodd a moderate? What's your definition of moderate? Dodd is one of the most liberal senators.

His ACU Rating is 8. That means that for every 25 votes, there are 2 that a large conservative organization agrees with, and 23 it disagrees with.

Moderate Democrats could include Lincoln (21), Pryor (25), Salazar (28), Nelson of Florida (41), Bayh (21), Landrieu (20), Conrad (20), Tim Johnson (20), and Byrd (30). Dodd belongs to the liberal wing of the Democrat party.

Nelson of Nebraska, with a 53 rating, could perhaps be called a conservative Democrat.

Anonymous said...

Rell is going down ....I agree that all Dem's should support Dodd but why wouldn't Republicans support somebody from their own state as well? It would be great for all of us to have a President with such close ties to Connecicut.

Anonymous said...

I hadn't noticed this video before. On Face the Nation, Chris Dodd said Democrats should not pledge to support the Democratic nominee and to do so "undermines Joe Lieberman's ability to win on August 8th."

Dodd: The issue of what happens on August 9th - well, we'll get to that point if we get there. I hope we don't. But I don't believe in necessarily answering questions that are not relevant yet. So I respect those who have taken the position that they're going to support whoever the nominee is. My own view is while their intentions may be otherwise, I think that undermines Joe Lieberman's ability to win on August 8th by suggesting somehow they're going to move in that direction. I'll take a position on August 9th if I have to. The most important question is - can Joe Lieberman be re-nominated on August 8th and I hope he is.

Anonymous said...

I'm on record (1986) as having backed Chris Dodd to lead the Sandanistas.

Seriously, Dodd's a good guy. But there's no justification for this other than being able to have a collection of campaign buttons.

I thought he might be running for Veep- but he'd be a lousy choice. A Senator, a dull debater (although tell that to Brooks Johnson!), from a state you don't need.

RellisGoingDown, don't confuse loyalty with wasted effort. If the Dodd is the answer...what's the question? Many Republicans would like to see Newt enter the race because he will change the debate- not because he will win. Many Dems last time around liked to see Wesley Clark in there, because it inserted a certain voice into the debate.

What does Chris Dodd bring? I like the guy- but he has no new ideas, no unique experience, nothing.

Although, in the Nevada primary, his impeccable Spanish (and it is impeccable), could win some corazones.