Dodd plans to decide next month on a White House bid, but by adding Jordan to his team, sends a strong signal he is seriously leaning toward a bid.
Jordan said he is joining the Dodd team because "He's easily, of all the potential candidates, the one who's most qualified to do the job. He's also one of the most interesting and charming people in politics."
While Jordan was fired when Kerry floundered in November 2003, the article points out that he was largely thought to be a scapegoat and still had many of the 2008 Democratic contenders drooling after his services.
Contrary to the CW on this blog and elsewhere, Jordan believes that Dodd is viable.
Jordan insisted Dodd has a good shot. "I'm very optimistic about his chances," he said. Asked why, in such a crowded field, Jordan said, "Because of his qualifications and political skills--he's what voters will be looking for."
...
Dodd has been making all the types of moves a potential candidate would make. He visited key early primary and caucus states this fall, donated more than $1 million to Democratic candidates around the country this election cycle, and has about $2 million on hand. And he is seen as able to raise plenty of money, particularly since he was the Democratic party's general chairman in the mid-1990s and is slated to become Senate Banking Committee chairman next month.
Also in Dodd's favor is the goodwill that he has built up over 20 years or so of raising money and campaigning for candidates all over the country.
I'm not ready to jump on the viability bandwagon yet, but Dodd has just posted a big win in the all-important talent primary (the one that comes before the all-important money primary, which comes before the all-important, you know, actual primaries).
H/T to CTBob.
Update: The Journal Inquirer weighs in on the money Dodd has spent to support other candidates, coincidently I'm sure, in New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada, South Carolina, and Missouri:
The latest FEC filing from Citizens for Hope Responsibility Independence and Service PAC, also known as ChrisPAC, reveals that between Oct. 19 and Nov. 27 it sent $89,500 in contributions to Democratic Party committees and candidates in Iowa, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
The single-biggest contribution - $13,000 - was dispatched on Nov 2 to the New Hampshire Democratic State Committee, which got another $5,000 four days later.
Another $20,000 was split evenly between four party panels in three states: the Iowa House Truman Fund, Iowa Senate Majority Fund, Missouri Democratic State Committee, and the Democratic Party of South Carolina.
ChrisPAC had made $65,000 in similar contributions over the previous three months, bringing its total investment in the venues at the top of the list of 2008's early presidential showdowns to $154,500.
30 comments:
First to hire Bob Shrum gets moved immediately to the "not viable" category...
Matt, let's move them to the "too dumb to be President" catagory as well...
I'm very hopeful Sen. Dodd will come out and be bold in his asessments of where our country is right now when he returns from his middle east trip.
The worlds opinion of the USA is in the tank right now and we could use a Statesman like Chris Dodd to pull us out of this situation.
It's obvious Sen. Dodd would never allow anyone in the service to this country refer to our allies as "old Europe" or say anything as stupid as "axis of Evil" when talking of countries he condsiders adversaries.
Chris Dodd ain't perfect but he is genuinely decent and in my opinion is as good,if not better,than anyone in the feild.
Here's a question for the Dodd-haters out there: can you name something significant that the other candidates have accomplished or proposed this year off the top of your head?
Here's a starter list: Biden, Clinton, Kerry, Obama, and Richardson for the Dems; Brownback, Hagel, Huckabee, McCain, and Romney for the GOP. (These are the ones currently in office.)
Gimme a break. Obama,Clinton, Edwards, Kerry.....Dodd is so far out of his league it's not even funny. He would have a shot against Kucinich or Sharpton but he is nutz if he thinks anybody outside of Connecticut will take him serious.
Actually....when you add up the experience that Dodd has, it's more than that of Clinton, Obama and Edwards combined. The nation needs a Pilot who knows how to fly on instruments, not one that needs an instructor by their side...like the one we've had for 6 years.
Here's a question for the Dodd-haters out there: can you name something significant that the other candidates have accomplished or proposed this year off the top of your head?
Here's a starter list: Biden, Clinton, Kerry, Obama, and Richardson for the Dems; Brownback, Hagel, Huckabee, McCain, and Romney for the GOP. (These are the ones currently in office.)
Richardson is the governor of New Mexico, and being a governor means you make decisions, not vote for something before you vote against it. Kerry may have said that, but any Senator could have. Senators make deals: there are 100 of them. Governors administrate. Richardson also has significant foreign policy experience, energy exerience, and he's actually lowered some taxes in New Mexico. He'd be a formidable candidate for the Democrats, although he's apparently got a few personality quirks.
Biden has managed to use other people's quotes better than they had used them, but unfortunately attributes these quotes to himself. Kerry would be an awesome candidate -- for the Republicans. Obama has written a book, but he's otherwise a first term Senator.
You left Guiliani off the list: his record of Mayor of NYC was quite good, if you look at the way the city was before and after he left it, and especially if you look at the value of real estate in the city before and after Guiliani.
Romney has also accomplished a heck of a lot. Valedictorian, BYU. Top 5% of class, Harvard Business School. Baker Scholar. JD Cum Laude from Harvard Law School. He turned around Bain Consulting, which was teetering on the brink of bankrupcy. He then founded Bain Capital, which is now one of the premier Venture Capital firms in the United States. Bain Capital provided initial funding to companies such as Brookstone, Domino's Pizza, Sealy, and Staples. Then he cleaned up the 2002 Winter Olympics after the bribery scandal broke. Then he became governor of Massachusetts. There, he got the Democrats and Republicans to pass a health care bill that essentially provided health insurance for everyone without raising taxes. So with Romney, you may not agree with the issues, but there's no way you can see he's unaccomplished.
Please don't use the comments of a hired gun campaign manager as evidence that Dodd has a chance to win the nomination, let alone the Presidency. You might as well quote his mother, if the dear woman is still alive.
Anon 8:55 - I used Jordan's comments as evidence that he thought that Dodd was viable.
Oh, that makes all the difference. A hired gun signs on because he thought Dodd was a viable candidate. It would be noteworthy if he said Dodd wasn't viable.
Senators make deals: there are 100 of them. Governors administrate. Governors don't make deals??
You left Guiliani off the list: his record of Mayor of NYC was quite good, if you look at the way the city was before and after he left it, and especially if you look at the value of real estate in the city before and after Guiliani. Uh, the value of real estate in NYC won't impress the heartland. And can anyone say Bernie Kerik?
he (Romney) got the Democrats and Republicans to pass a health care bill that essentially provided health insurance for everyone without raising taxes. Nope, the bill raised taxes on small businesses because Romney couldn't bring the Democrats fully around on his plan. Accomplished, yes but Dodd has fathered a few pieces of legislation in his day and the day will come when he touts it. He's not the nocturnal peacock that Lieberman is.
GMR, you mention all of Romney's academic experience in detail, then gloss over Obama in one sentence as a one-term Senator who has "written a book". Tsk tsk. Obama's academic experience is more impressive than anyone else in this race, from either party. Even more importantly, in my view, he's actually the smartest person.
As for Dodd, I consider him a dark horse, second tier candidate, but one to whom I will definitely give a fair hearing. I see the Democratic side as:
First Tier - Obama, Edwards, Clinton
Second Tier - Clark, Richardson, Dodd
Good For Debates But No Chance - Dennis Kucinich
Waste of Time - Gore, Kerry, Vilsack, Biden
It should be noted that everyone in the first tier already has a far bigger head start over all the other candidates than at this point in any previous election. Premature as it sounds, the first tier may already be the only one that matters.
Hey Litchfeild angelina,
My comment was for the 70-75% of Americans who have already figured out that the Man you voted for in 2000 and 2004 for President has created a catastrophe and are not happy about it not the 20% like yourself who believe he's doing Gods work by moving us closer to the end times.
GMR-
Like I said, what have any of these people done with their offices in the last year? You gave only one example - for Romney. I mean, I could come up with a few for McCain, though none of them good...
Re: update -- Dodd spent a million bucks supporting other candidates this year, so $89 K to 5 early primary states is not such a big deal. On average, he spent roughly $20 K in every state.
Maybe Chris can bring Ray O along for the ride this time... that might sink his ship as fast as a Shrum sign-on.
Matt - It doesn't hurt.
Angelina, what "types" of people are you talking about exactly?
Here's an adjective you can try on for that last one: Majority
Latest poll, 54% of Americans want us out of Iraq in 12 months - that is immediately when it comes to moving the US Armed Forces out of the middle of a Civil War.
>>was for the 70-75% of Americans
About the same percentage that think Wonder Bread is a good product.
The obvious point being; that while as a people we Americans are a nice enough bunch - we're collectively about as sharp as marbles.
You however; as a liberal who already thinks that roughly 5% should control the rest of us more completely; should already have known that and I suspect you did.
>>Latest poll, 54% of Americans want us out of Iraq in 12 months
Which is why we're not a direct democracy.
Using nothing but polling data the south would still have slavery.
It's always been up to a minority; those with a strong sense of right and wrong to do the decent thing. The lazy and under-motivated are never up to the job. Nor can they stand and fight for what's clearly the right and moral thing to do, as they are neither right nor moral.
LA - click your heals and see how fast it moves an army. And I think 54% is within the generally used definition of the word majority.
ACR - You read a whole lot into my one word. The "clearly right and moral thing to do" was let Bin Laden run free, 5 years later, and attack a country that wasn't involved in September 11? Ok, I guess, but explain the morality of it to the dead.
Hey Gabe, you're wrestling with a pig, mate...
ACR: Using nothing but polling data the south would still have slavery.
It's always been up to a minority; those with a strong sense of right and wrong to do the decent thing. The lazy and under-motivated are never up to the job. Nor can they stand and fight for what's clearly the right and moral thing to do, as they are neither right nor moral.
Now there's a ringing endorsement of the GOP base! Glad you're dropping that whole "party of Lincoln" business.
>>Now there's a ringing endorsement of the GOP base! Glad you're dropping that whole "party of Lincoln" business.
Hardly.
Just as it was 150 years ago; it continues to be up to the GOP to step up to plate; as others due to bigotry or cowardice (I suspect both) simply refuse to.
Good Wars
Darrell Cole
"An odd corollary of this conclusion is that it is a greater evil for Christians to fail to wage a just war than it is for unbelievers.
When an unbeliever fails to go to war, the cause may be a lack of courage, prudence, or justice. He may be a coward or simply indifferent to evil. These are failures of natural moral virtue. When Christians (at least in the tradition of Aquinas and Calvin) fail to engage in just war, it may involve all of these natural failures as well, but it will also, and more significantly, involve a failure of charity. The Christian who fails to use force to aid his neighbor when prudence dictates that force is the best way to render that aid is an uncharitable Christian. Hence, Christians who willingly and knowingly refuse to engage in a just war do a vicious thing: they fail to show love toward their neighbor as well as toward God.
UH, ACR, Wonder bread hasn't had 75% of the market ever since Jimmy Carter, who I had hoped would be the last idiotic evangelical in the WhiteHouse but now we have a Bush, told Playboy of the lust in his heart.
too many of the people with bronze stars?
John Kerry is no Jay Leno and he's not calling for withdrawal from Iraq in two months either. So what's your point, LA?
John Kerry has more positions than the Kama Sumtra...which one is it this week?
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