January 2008
Chris Dodd in Mason City →
Chris Dodd speaks at the “Caucus for Results” Celebration in Mason City.
December 2007
Reading Material →
I took this picture inside our phone banking room in the Des Moines HQ. Amidst copies of the Des Moines Register, call logs, talking points, fact sheets of Chris Dodd’s record of results and lots of empty coffee cups, I saw a print out of Blue Hampshire co-founder Mike Caulfield’s endorsement post.
People often ask what the value of blogger endorsements is and I think this is...
Stump Speech in Le Mars →
Here’s video of Senator Dodd’s stump speech yesterday in Le Mars, Iowa. In it, he speaks about experience, Pakistan, and his career of of getting results by standing on principle.
They Support Dodd →
Here are two great testimonials from yesterday as to why Iowans are supporting Chris Dodd for President.
Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors Chair Jay Urdahl talks about why he supports Chris Dodd for President.
Cerro Gordo County Supervisor Phil Dougherty explains why he supports Chris Dodd.
They Make Signs →
Throughout the day today, the Des Moines Dodd headquarters has had a lot of energy directed towards painting, making and assembling signs for use in yards, at high traffic locations, and at rallies in the closing days of the Iowa caucus.
Here are some pictures of the hard work going into raising Chris Dodd’s presence in Iowa:
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He Supports Dodd →
Alan Steckman of Mason City, Iowa talks about why he supports Chris Dodd for President.
Caucus for Chris Dodd →
Chris Dodd makes an appeal to Iowa’s Democrats for their support in the caucus on January 3rd.
If you’re not an Iowa voter, please be sure to pass this video along to someone who is - or anyone else who you’d think would want to hear Chris Dodd asking Iowans for their vote.
Also, you can Digg this video.
Congressman Murphy for Chris Dodd →
Congressman Chris Murphy of Connecticut’s 5th Congressional district is in Iowa campaigning and canvassing for Chris Dodd. In this video he speaks about why he’s working to elect Chris Dodd for President.
Blogger Endorsement →
Stephen Kuusito of Planet of the Blind endorsed Chris Dodd for President yesterday. Stephen’s an Iowan and he’ll be caucusing for Chris Dodd on Thursday, January 3rd.
I have decided to go to the Iowa Caucus and stand for Senator Chris Dodd…
1. He’s the most “presidential” of all the candidates regardless of party affiliation.
2. He has a sister who is blind; he...
Views from Des Moines →
Good bye, blue skies. Des Moines is under fog this morning. On the drive into the Des Moines campaign headquarters, we caught a red light a block from the office, though it was so buried by fog, we couldn’t see it. Visibility has dropped to zero, though it’s not discouraging our visibility efforts.
Today we’re continuing to run major phonebanking operations out of our DSM HQ....
Dodd on CNN's Late Edition Today →
Senator Dodd will be appearing on CNN’s Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer at 11:45 AM Eastern time today. Be sure to tune in!
DMR on Dodd's foreign policy experience →
The Des Moines Register has a great write up on Senator Dodd’s discussions of foreign policy and the situation in Pakistan at an event in Logan today. It goes on to talk about the Caucus for Results bus tour and how Senator Dodd is reaching out to voters in the closing days before the Iowa caucus.
Clearing Skies in Des Moines →
Though the day started with temperatures in the teens and cloud covering touching the tops of Des Moines’ tallest buildings, it’s turned into a beautiful, clear day in Iowa. Seeing the sun is a great feeling after two days of snow and gray skies. The weather hasn’t held us back yet, though, and we’re making sure we maximize every minute in the closing days of the Iowa...
Changing This Country Has Never Been Easy →
DavidNYC, in a front-page post at Daily Kos, directs reader’s towards Mike Caulfield’s endorsement post of Chris Dodd for President on Blue Hampshire. DavidNYC takes the opportunity to use Caulfield’s extensive research of Dodd’s record of leadership to draw attention to just how Chris Dodd succeeded in passing the Family & Medical Leave Act — and the lesson...
FISA Anecdote →
One anecdote that I left out of my postings yesterday is a conversation Tim Tagaris and I had with Senator Dodd while we were prepping to shoot a short web video of him asking Iowans to caucus for him on January 3rd. Tim and I were filling the Senator in about the continued praise for his leadership in the FISA fight online. The Senator pointed out that while he appreciates that support of people...
CBS News Radio Interview →
Yesterday Senator Dodd was interviewed by Jack Rice of CBS News Radio from our campaign headquarters in Des Moines. The interview ranges from Pakistan and foreign policy experience to the housing market crisis to what it’s like being out on the campaign trail.
Volunteer for Chris Dodd →
Sign up to volunteer for Chris Dodd in Iowa at http://chrisdodd.com/volunteer.
A Bloggers' Blogger →
Steve Gilliard
Originally uploaded by Lindsay Beyerstein.
This weekend, The New York Times Magazine includes a piece on Steve Gilliard, a Democratic blogger who died this past June at the age of 42. Steve was the author of The News Blog, which remains in our blog roll. The powerful and moving piece by Matt Bai covers Gilliards life as a writer, historian, and searing critic of the war in...
Standing Tall →
Chris Dodd’s stand against retroactive immunity has earned itself a spot on Wired Threat Level blog’s year in review list of key stories of 2007.
The only senator to stand tall against telco immunity was Democratic presidential candidate Chris Dodd, whose threatened Mr. Smith-style filibuster forced fellow Dems this month to meekly slide their Get Out Of Jail Free card back into the...
He Supports Dodd →
Vern Naffier of Ankeny, Iowa talks about why he supports Chris Dodd for President.
Caucus for Results Kickoff Rally Video →
Here’s the video of Senator Dodd talking at the Caucus for Results tour rally in Des Moines, at our campaign headquarters. The event was moved partially inside as snow fell outside - you can see it coming down behind Senator Dodd while he speaks. Dodd was introduced by his wife Jackie, International Association of Fire Fighters President Harold Schaitberger, and John Tekippe, President of...
"Dodd has proven his leadership skills" →
Here’s the second letter to the editor in today’s Iowa City Press-Citizen:
This holiday season, as always, there are so many things to do. This year in Iowa, we have the additional responsibility of setting the tone for the upcoming presidential election. Looking at the field of candidates in the Democratic Party, we have a difficult choice between many qualified candidates. Many...
Round Guy Supports Dodd →
KGGO Radio host “Round Guy” in Des Moines talks about why he’ll be caucusing for Chris Dodd on January 3rd.
Caucus for Results Kickoff Rally Pics →
Here are some pictures from the rally today at Dodd HQ in Des Moines:
The crowd gathers before the rally.
Chris Dodd with his daughters Grace and Christina backstage before he goes on to speak to the crowd of about 100 people.
Chris Dodd takes the stage to talk about why he should be our nominee.
Dodd takes questions from reporters before getting on his bus to go to a rally in Council...
On the Ground in Iowa →
On January 3rd Iowans will be making a critical choice on behalf of the nation. The people here helping Chris Dodd are taking part in history here over the closing days before the caucus. I’m going to try to tell that story over the next week and give you a window into the Dodd campaign. Throughout our campaign I’ve covered hundreds of Dodd events. For the most part, I’ve...
Des Moines HQ →
Dodd HQ in Des Moines
Inside HQ, Senator Dodd records a video for Iowa caucus goers.
The Dodd bus, wrapped in the IAFF’s legendary gold and black, sits outside the Iowa HQ as snow falls in Des Moines.
Daily Digest: Making Caucus Calculus Easy →
The Web on the Candidates
Mapping solutions specialists Linkfluence have created a site called Presidential Watch 08 that shows off some really impressive maps of the political blogosphere. These sorts of maps of been done before, but they’re rarely this visually stunning or easy to navigate. (via Data Mining)
Living Liberally’s Justin Krebs posted on OpenLeft about a site called Voter...
techPresident's Favorite Videos of 2007:... →
First we highlighted our favorite the candidate-generated videos of 2007; now, in our second installment, we present our favorite voter-generated videos.
11. Clinton Adopts Southern Accent
Hillary doesn’t only sing, she adopts regional accents!
10. Congressman Ron Paul Visits My Dorm Room
Budding videoblogging superstar James Kotecki interviewed Ron Paul in his dorm room, and...
Seriously, how do I know you? →
Now that social networking (okay, let’s be honest: Facebook) has reached critical supermass, we have collectively stumbled across a new problem: the network (well, okay, Facebook) is too large, too loaded across social, professional, and generational lines, and too public for anyone to feel comfortable interacting in view of virtually everyone they know. When your exes, your boss, your aunts, and...
John Edwards' Ad Contest: It's Good, But Open It... →
Today John Edwards is launching a contest called My Vote, My Voice, which gives Edwards supporters the chance to create their own ads for the campaign.
The contest encourages supporters to create 30-second original ads describing why they support John Edwards, and to upload those ads to YouTube by January 16th. A panel of judges — including Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake and Elizabeth Edwards —...
"Dodd only candidate who has stood with us" →
Today’s Iowa Press-Citizen has a pair of great letters to the editor in support of Chris Dodd. Here’s the first, from Pat Harney.
As a local elected official, I am proud of the role we have in choosing our next president. I will be going out in January to caucus for the candidate that I think will best serve our country. This tradition of the Iowa caucus relies on all of us to come...
Dodd on Olbermann →
Senator Dodd appeared on “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” tonight to talk about the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the implications for US policy.
Thursday Blog Roundup →
In his weekly post at MyDD on the Dodd campaign, Jason Rosenbaum talks about expectations for Senator Dodd in Iowa and how recent events, notably the FISA fight and a surge in online contributions, have positioned Dodd to exceed them on caucus night and beyond.
Athenae at First Draft posts a picture of Senator Dodd packing up gifts for the troops, as well as some coverage of Mike...
Losing Language Control, Not Message Control →
Colin Delany’s comments on Matt Bai’s recent NYT article reminds me of so many conversations I have had about how Google killed message control. For a long time, I have argued that campaigns cannot control their message anymore. At best they can only hope to manage the chaos.
But as a result of a recent conversation with my friend Lenny Steinhorn, I am convinced that the internet has...
Senator Dodd on assassination of former Pakistani... →
The campaign released the following statement earlier today.
Washington, DC- Senator and Presidential Candidate Chris Dodd today expressed his condolences to the family of Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated earlier today in Pakistan.
Dodd, who has kept in touch with Bhutto over the past few weeks of turbulence and unrest in Pakistan, and is a 26-year member of...
Daily Digest: What if the Candidates Actually... →
The Second of Our Coveted Between-Holiday Abridged Editions
During this year’s holiday season and writer’s strike, it’s often been the funny people that fill the online newshole. For example, check out News Groper, which has been featuring blog posts from most of the presidential candidates. They’re not actually real, but who cares, it’s fun! With Fred Thompson writing posts like “Explaining...
techPresident's Favorite Videos of 2007: The... →
Why do we like year-end lists so much? Do they provide closure as we shut down for the holidays? A sense that we collectively endured a year of highs, lows, and middles together? Are they an aid to our attention-deprived senses to remind us of things long forgotten? Lazy substitutes for actual reporting?
My money’s on the latter. That’s why we’ve produced our own year-end list of our favorite...
Clinton Turns Guest Blogger for Glamour Magazine →
Cross-posted at Election Geek
Senator Hillary Clinton has become the first guest blogger on Glamour magazine’s Glamocracy blog using the opportunity to write a piece on women finding their voices. For many who have hoped to see greater use of blogging by the candidates themselves and not just their staffers, the piece is probably a disappointing read, more like a short essay or editorial...
Mike Caulfield Endorses Chris Dodd →
I’m very happy to let everyone know that Mike Caulfield, one of the founders of Blue Hampshire, has endorsed Chris Dodd for President. Dean Barker, another Blue Hampshire co-founder, endorsed Senator Dodd in early September.
While Senator Dodd has been able to accumulate a great number of endorsements from a wide range of bloggers, Caulfield takes a very unique approach in writing his...
Who Learned the Right Lessons from the Dean... →
Cross-posted on e.politics
Writing in the NY Times Magazine a couple of weeks ago, Matt Bai evoked a vivid picture to describe how political campaigns should, in his eyes, harness the internet:
In the new and evolving online world, the greatest momentum goes not to the candidate with the most detailed plan for conquering the Web but to the candidate who surrenders his own image to the...
He Supports Dodd →
Jonathan Backer of Milwaukee, WI talks about why he supports Chris Dodd. He’s a member of the Columbia University College Democrats and he’s come to Iowa to spend 10 days doing Get Out the Vote work for the Dodd campaign.
Q&A in Fairfield →
I’m currently stuck in transit to Iowa, but was able to find some video from an event in Fairfield, Iowa on YouTube from a couple days back. It wasn’t shot by the campaign, but here are four clips of Senator Dodd answering voters’ questions.
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Daily Digest: Abridged Mid-Holiday Edition →
Abridged Mid-Holiday Edition
The Washington Post’s Jose Antonio Vargas and Shailagh Murray tackle the knawing question of whether young voters will actually show up to caucus in Iowa on January 3rd. Past experiences, like the Dean campaign’s Iowa meltdown in 2004, have shown that student excitement hasn’t always turned into physical appearances. But this year folks are hit with a barrage of...
In the News: The Dodd Family in Iowa →
Via Scarce at My Left Nutmeg, here’s a video of CNN and AP video segments on the Dodd family’s time in Iowa for the holidays. The CNN clip comes first and is more focused on the state of the race, while the AP clip covers the Dodd family’s time on Christmas Eve packing gifts for National Guard troops.
Happy Holidays →
Best wishes for a merry Christmas and happy holidays from the Dodd campaign…
"Dodd was right" →
The Concord Monitor has a letter to editor about Dodd’s success in the FISA fight.
As the rest of us were out shopping on Monday, Sen. Chris Dodd left the Iowa campaign prepared to filibuster a “get out of jail free” provision in the FISA bill.
The Bush administration is threatening to veto a much needed revision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that would continue...
Rule of Law →
It’s a relatively light day for posting, so I thought I’d make a few recommendations for posts to check out today.
John Seery’s Huffington Post column from over the weekend includes a great rebuttal to proponents of retroactive immunity for the telecom industry. Seery’s piece includes a strong defense of the reasons why Senator Dodd and others have opposed retroactive...
"Dodd worked to protect freedom" →
In today’s Iowa City Press-Citizen, there’s a great letter to the editor in support of Chris Dodd’s leadership to win a victory in the FISA fight last week.
Recently Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd won a great victory for the U.S. Constitution. Almost single-handedly, he prevented passage of a bill that would have granted blanket immunity to the Bush administration, and some of the...
In Which I Partially Eat My Hat (Crunch, Crunch) →
OK, so I’ve now heard from a bunch of friends, including several wiser and cooler heads with many years of experience in the trenches, and they’ve convinced me that I overstated things in my previous post attacking TechCrunch.
I am not looking to score legal points against TechCrunch for referring to its primary as a “Tech President Primary” and its coming endorsement...
FISA Interview in Iowa →
As part of a longer article about Dodd events in Iowa, John Deeth of the Iowa Independent runs a short interview with Senator Dodd that includes discussions of this past week’s FISA fight and how Iowa voters are responding to Dodd’s leadership to defend the Constitution.
Deeth: How’s the FISA work that you did playing out on the campaign trail? Dodd: I’m impressed how...