Campaigns & Elections - August 2007 - (Page 54)

cover story served as the party’s public face. By that time, Dodd had moved over to the Senate. Fowler likens the younger man to John F. Kennedy. “There’s a little more vigor, a little more enthusiasm [in Dodd’s speeches]. And JFK was like that,” he said. But Dodd is even more like his father. Both men championed the everyman; in Chris Dodd’s case, that meant befriending firemen long before Sept. 11, 2001 and fighting for early childhood education. “Chris works on things that are very important, even though they may not be the hottest topic,” Fowler said. That’s not exactly a recipe for success in a race against Clinton, who has spent eight years positioning herself for a run, and Obama, whose name turns up in Google searches for “political rock star.” But if championing the underdog and refusing to be handled makes Dodd a longshot, perhaps it says more about the way his party selects nominees than it does about the candidate himself. The One-Shot Deal Traveling the country for the DNC introduced Dodd to scores of mega-donors. He was briefly mentioned as a possible contender in 2000, until Gore locked things down. “I was a little surprised he didn’t do it in ’04,” Fowler said. But Dodd didn’t even talk about running until just recently, his sister said. “I think he’s really enjoyed the Senate. But the Iraq war, our involvement in the Middle East and our lack of diplomacy has appalled him.” And so the senator’s son decided to run in the 2008 cycle. “This for him is a one-shot deal. He doesn’t have any ambition that this is just getting my name out there and six years from now I’ll run again,” Martha said. On the stump, Dodd tells people he knows most world leaders by first name because they’ve worked together. He pushes a national service program that would double the number of Peace Corps volunteers. And he reminds party faithful that he’s written and passed some of their most sacred pieces of legislation. At that NEA convention, Dodd walked in to a lessthan-enthusiastic crowd. They were nonplussed when he draped a t-shirt (“A child is more than a test score”) over the podium. But he offered them off-color humor, bragged about his two young daughters, and talked about why he opposes the Iraq war. By the end of his speech, Dodd was red-faced from pumping his fist in the air. And more than 9,000 teachers were leaping out of their seats to cheer him on. >> JIM YOUNG/REUTERS The Intuitive Coach 54 CAMPAIGNS & ELECTIONS 08.07

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Campaigns & Elections - August 2007

Cover Contents Editor’s Note Ames Straw Poll Cavalcade; Last Candidate Standing; The New Dollar-A-Year Guy; Web Videos That Can Change the Election Across State Lines: Campaign News from Around the Country People and Organizations Movers and Shakers: Ten Questions for Matthew Taylor and Philip de Vellis Campaign Consultant Sign-Ups Reel Time Cover Story: Building Blocks From Madison Avenue to K Street Money Can’t Buy Votes Dick Cheney: Roll Model for Millions Ames: Still Weird, Still Important How to Do Tougher, Quicker Crisis Management Online Cause-Based SocNets Lure Issue Voters The Great Exaggeration Why Primetime TV is Alive and Well, Politically Speaking Buyer’s Guide Tips for Toeing the Fine Line Between Employment, Friendship Managing Your Friend’s Campaign? Think ‘Consigliore’ Off The Record

Campaigns & Elections - August 2007

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