What Sen. Chris Dodd Brings to the Race for the Presidency

Can Connecticut's Favorite Son Become a Top Tier Candidate

Senator Chris Dodd toyed with the idea of making a run for the presidency in 2004 but allowed the chance to pass him by. Now as the 2008 campaign heats up Dodd finds himself in what seems to be an ever expanding pool of Democratic candidates for the presidency. At the head of the pack are Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, Sen. Barak Obama of Illinois and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. Dodd has been stuck at the back of the pack, where the interest on the part of the media is minimal and from where it seems difficult to do or say something that will effectively vault him into the top tier of presidential hopefuls.
There are at least 4 reasons why Dodd might be successful in doing exactly that.

1. Experience. The Democratic pool of contenders is large this year and it is also unusually qualified. Included in the group are candidates who at various times have served as governors, senators, representatives, ambassadors, and cabinet officials. But even in this exemplary group, Chris Dodd still heads the field in terms of national experience having been elected as the U. S. Senator from Connecticut for 6 consecutive terms. While in the Senate, Dodd has made his mark as knowledgeable member of the international relations committee. He is especially knowledgeable about our relations with Latin America and is fluent in Spanish.

Americans have watched as the national respect that once was a source of pride has been toppled. Throughout the world America's actions and in some cases inaction have been held up to ridicule and have divided us from some of our oldest foreign friends and allies. It is possible that a man with the international affairs experience that Chris Dodd possesses might be just the right choice for the presidency in 2008