Andrew Romano
|
Nov 1, 2007 03:05 PM
Hmm. Why not Chris Dodd? This fascinating query comes to
Stumper courtesy of John and Jesse, a pair of folksy barbers from
Winterset, Iowa. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Who would bother to
ask Stumper anything?" The answer, dear reader, is no one. John and
Jesse don't actually, you know, exist; they're the fictional stars of
Sen. Dodd's new ad campaign. Watch 'em and weep:
View from the Shop:
Duet:
If the Dodd
camp is hoping to whip up some momentum for its silver-haired
candidate, the timing couldn't be better. The hubbub over John Edwards'
"aggressive anti-Hillary" performance in Tuesday's debate largely
obscured the fact that it was Dodd, not Edwards, who spotlighted her
awkward position on driver's licenses. And two recent moves--putting a hold
on the FISA bill designed to shield telecoms that
cooperate with government wiretapping and emerging as the first Democratic
candidate to publicly oppose AG nominee Michael Mukasey--have won Dodd
fans (and funds) among the progressive netroots. (As Dodd Web guru Tim
Tagaris wrote earlier today in a painfully faux-informal campaign email,
Dodd has raised "right around $400,000" online this month, compared to
Edwards' $500,000. "For all the hype their internet team and Joe Trippi
gets," Tagaris added, "we finished the month nipping at their heels.") All
that's left to do is cook up the first "negative" ads of the cycle--a tidbit the MSM can't resist reporting--and wait for people like me to write items like this.
The problem is, it's easier to answer John and Jesse's question--Why not Dodd?--in
the negative than the affirmative. Dodd currently polls at three
percent in New Hampshire, two percent in Iowa and one percent
nationwide, and he's fifth behind Clinton, Obama, Edwards and
Richardson in cash-on-hand. To the vast majority of Democratic primary
voters, those stats pretty much prove that he won't get the nod. In a
two-person race, Dodd's new "attacks" on Clinton (too polarizing) and
Edwards (too negative) might boost his standing. But Dems have five or
six more-viable contenders to choose from--meaning that even if they
share Dodd's qualms, they'll probably support someone who actually has
a shot at winning. Like Obama, the only top-tier candidate Dodd isn't attacking.
Come
to think of it, maybe there is something in this for Dodd. He henpecks
Clinton and Edwards; Obama floats above the fray. Then, when it's time
for the Illinois senator to pick a running mate, a single simple phrase
crosses his mind, and, in an instant, the decision is made:
"Why not Dodd?"
More
Loading Menu