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The 2008 presidential campaign of Chris Dodd was launched on January 11 2007 and ended on January 3 2008 after a sixth place finish in the Iowa caucuses. Dodd, the Senior Senator from Connecticut, sought the nomination of the Democratic Party for President of the United States. Centering his campaign in the strategically important states of Iowa and New Hampshire, he tried to bring forth a platform of change. Dodd's performance in the opinion polls varied, but in the financial sphere, he had secured some notable and influential endorsements who had sufficiently funded his campaign.

Dodd tried to follow in the pattern of New Englanders who have entered the race for the Democratic nomination and won, including John Kerry, Michael Dukakis, and John F. Kennedy. If elected, Dodd would have become the second Roman Catholic president (after Kennedy) and the second Connecticut-born president (after George W. Bush). He would have been the first Senator to win the presidency while in office since Kennedy was elected in 1960. Dodd went on to endorse Barack Obama.

Political positions

During his years in the House and Senate, Chris Dodd built a long record of political positions on important issues to the nation. He is in favor of ending the Iraq War and bringing America's troops home, and has repeatedly voted against further funding of the war. He has declared that the nation "must take a 'strategic pause'" before signing any new free trade agreements. To improve America's civil liberties, he has introduced legislation to enact a Federal Shield law and worked against legislation permitting warrantless surveillance. He has proposed a carbon tax in order to influence the free market to reduce carbon emissions and help stop global warming. Dodd has proposed mandatory community service for all high school students, and fought to improve child care and health care. He has worked to stop predatory lending by credit card companies.

Groundwork for campaign

Chris Dodd had told the Associated Press in April 2006 that he was considering running, and by May 22 he had met with key backers, including congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and had assembled a team to prepare a potential 2008 campaign. In June 2006, he held his first major fundraiser, stunning Beltway commentators by raising over $1 million in one night. Dodd attended a Florida Democratic convention in July 2006 to garner further support.

On December 22 2006, Dodd hired former John Kerry campaign manager Jim Jordan. Dodd told the head of the New Hampshire Democratic Party at the Rainbow Cafe that he was not "going to do the exploratory thing, I'm going to plunge right in."

On the campaign trail

January 2007

January 2007 events
Date Location(s) Event(s) January 15 West Columbia, SC Columbia, SC Speeches, Appearance January 19 Hartford, CT Rally January 20 Dover, NH Deerfield, NH Henniker, NH Speech, Meeting, Appearance January 21 Hanover, NH Speech

Chris Dodd entered the race on January 11, 2007 after making his announcement on the Imus in the Morning show. He cited his qualifications of experience and background as the strengths needed to lead the nation as President. A critic of the Iraq War, Dodd stated that his candidacy "...isn't just Iraq -- there are problems here at home that are huge." He decided not to file with the FEC under an exploratory committee but instead filed as a full-fledged candidate. He began campaigning in the state of South Carolina on January 15 2007 and hit the trails to New Hampshire on January 20.

February 2007

February 2007 events
Date Location(s) Event(s) February 15 Nashua, NH Portsmouth, NH Appearance, Meeting February 16 Bedford, NH Keene, NH Speech, Meeting February 19 Des Moines, IA Speech February 20 Iowa City, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Fundraiser, Meeting February 21 Carson City, NV Forum

In February, Dodd turned his attention fully to the early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire. When asked by the Associated Press on the campaign trail if his campaigning really made a difference in changing public perceptions, he replied, "There is enough time yet to change this , because there are places like Iowa and New Hampshire that give candidates like myself a chance to be heard." Dodd's strategy was to speak to voters in restaurants, homes, and small-town diners, although political analysts wondered whether such methods were out-of-date. But he maintained that "chatting in a living room face to face is still a very important feature of campaigning here. I don't think you can come in here and do sort of a wholesale political operation from 35,000 feet (11,000 m) with a pit stop here and there and a media campaign behind you." At the end of February, Dodd differentiated himself from his Democratic counterparts by stating his support for the Bush administration's willingness to hold joint talks with Iran and Syria and by stating that as president he would avoid talking with Iran as long as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remained as president. On the trail, he referred to Ahmadinejad as a "thug".

March 2007

March 2007 events
Date Location(s) Event(s) March 14 Washington D.C Speech, Forum March 17 Concord, NH Hampton, NH Speeches March 18 Manchester, NH Speech March 23 Las Vegas, NV Rally March 24 Las Vegas, NV Henderson, NV Forum, Ceremony March 28 Washington D.C. Speech, Forum

Before Dodd hit the campaign trail for March after a round of campaigning in February, he made a visit to the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, a well-worn path laid by candidates trying to reach a younger audience. The campaign set up a web page before the March 13 interview. Liberal bloggers praised the behind the scenes look at the campaign as innovative and creative. A posting on the Comedy Central show's blog read: "This was a fascinating look behind the scenes of the show even for us, and a surprisingly cool thing for a Presidential candidate to do. Senator Dodd, we salute both your commitment to fiscal responsibility and your web-savvy." After the visit Dodd campaigned in New Hampshire and Nevada finishing the month at a forums in Las Vegas and Washington D.C. At the Las Vegas Forum, he discussed health care with the other Democratic candidates and voiced his support for a system of Universal Health Care. As March came to a close the campaign revealed their fundraising total for the First Quarter. Dodd raised $4,043,757 in this quarter, spend $1,313,239 and had $7,482,467 cash on hand.

April 2007

April 2007 events
Date Location(s) Event(s) April 3 Laconia, NH Meeting April 4 Concord, NH Manchester, NH Town Hall, Speech April 10 Wilmington, DE Town Hall April 11 Des Moines, IA Speech, Meeting April 12 Des Moines, IA Ames, IA Meetings, Speech April 13 Pahrump, NV Town Hall April 19 Washington D.C New York City, NY Manchester, NH Speeches, Ceremony April 20 Hooksett, NH Hartford, CT Speeches April 21 Conway, NH Plymouth, NH Littleton, NH Meeting, House Parties April 22 Keene, NH Speech April 23 Boston, MA Debate April 24 Washington, D.C. Speech April 26 Orangeburg, SC Debate, Party Event April 27 Orangeburg, SC Charleston, SC Columbia, SC San Diego, CA Meeting, Forum, Party Events, Speech April 28 San Diego, CA Speech April 29 Sacramento, CA Town Hall

In April, Dodd campaigned in New Hampshire, Iowa, and returned to South Carolina. While on the trail Dodd participated in a virtual town hall sponsored by the website MoveOn.org. When he was asked the question "...what is the best and fastest way to get out of Iraq?" he answered, "We ought to start redeploying this evening...We ought to begin immediately. I would not wait any longer." Continuing on the trail, Dodd sponsored what was called by the Washington Post, the "most radical plan" to combat global warming. It included a corporate carbon tax to be levied on corporations to reduce carbon emissions. The plan is part of a larger energy platform of the campaign.

On April 26, Dodd participated in the first of many Democratic presidential debates. His campaign has been critical of how little time their candidate has been allotted to speak at the debates, and its website introduced a "Talk Clock" demonstrating this disparity.

At the end of the month, Dodd set his sights on the state with the most convention votes, California by attending events in Sacramento and San Diego.

May 2007

May 2007 events
Date Location(s) Event(s) May 2 San Francisco, CA Speech May 3 West Des Moines, IA Forum May 4 Ottumwa, IA Mt. Pleasant, IA Keokuk, IA Meetings, Appearances, Townhall May 5 Burlington, IA West Liberty, IA West Branch, IA Muscatine, IA Meetings, Appearance, Townhall May 11 Fort Mill, SC Portsmouth, NH Madbury, NH Manchester, NH Appearance, Meetings, House Party May 12 Milford, NH Merrimack, NH Bow, NH Appearance, House Parties May 17 Dubuque, IA Speech May 18 Des Moines, IA Townhall May 26 Laconia, NH Barrington, NH Portsmouth, NH House Parties

Early in May, Dodd continued to campaign in California for a few days but later shifted back to the strategically important states of Iowa and New Hampshire for the rest of the month. On May 15 the campaign released its first ad, which detailed his plan for ending the war in Iraq. In the ad, Dodd also criticized his fellow Democratic candidates by stating, "We can't simply wait for a new president. We should have the conviction to stand up to this one," In Washington, Dodd was exposed to debate on the Iraq War Spending Bill and new videos from al-Qaeda's second in command Ayman al-Zawahiri. Back on the campaign trail he talked about how he would deal with foreign issues particularly in regards to the situation in Iraq, "I'm not going to let my foreign policy be decided by Mr. al-Zawahiri. Obviously, he's playing his game here. He'd probably like to see us stay down there, bogged down, at the costs we're increasing here, the loss of lives, not to mention the isolation of the United States." When Presidential candidate John Edwards released an ad criticizing Congress' failure to end the Iraq War, Dodd took it personal and shot back at Edwards stating, ""With all due respect, we could have used John's vote here in the Senate on these issues here." He concluded the May campaign by attending House parties in three cities in New Hampshire. .

June 2007

June 2007 events
Date Location Event June 2 Cedar Rapids, IA Concord, NH Speeches June 3 Manchester, NH Appearance, Debate June 8 New York City, NY Speech June 9 Waterloo, IA Waverly, IA Mason City, IA Meetings, Townhall June 10 Sioux City, IA Townhall June 11 New York City, NY Fundraiser June 23 Hartford, CT Amherst, NH Nashua, NH Manchester, NH Appearance, House Parties, Town Hall June 24 Rochester, NH Concord, NH Meetings June 25 Iowa City, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Appearance, Meeting June 26 Iowa City, IA Speech June 28 Washington D.C Forum June 30 Lake Buena Vista, FL Forum

June started off as all the previous months had with Dodd campaigning in New Hampshire and Iowa but at the June 3 Debate in Manchester, NH he made a notable statement that led to a huge applause from the crowd. During the debate he pointed out a woman in the audience whose husband was fighting in the War on Terrorism, he thanked her for the sacrifice and stated the importance of standing up for America's security while on the campaign trail, "No one is going to be elected president who is not going to have as their primary responsibility to keep us safe and secure." After the debate Dodd went back to the trails, but while campaigning he found a new tool to help spread his message. The campaign encouraged voters to confront politicians with video cameras and ask them to talk about Iraq and to support the "Dodd Amendment" which would have required American troops to start redeployment in 30 days. The final step was for the voters to post the interactions on YouTube. The Dodd campaign has used the internet more frequently than other campaigns, often airing staff meetings via the web. The campaign released a new advertisement on June 16 entitled "Amazing Grace" which focused on Dodd's time in the Peace Corps. As June came to a close Dodd made his final appearance of the month at a Forum in Lake Buena Vista, FL, the first time he visited the state which moved up its primary dates, causing a controversy with the DNC. On June 30 the campaign revealed the fundraising totals for the second quarter, Dodd raised $3,250,730, spent $4,384,580 and had a total of $6,378,271 cash on hand.

July 2007

July 2007 events
Date Location(s) Event(s) July 2 Philadelphia, PA Speech July 3 Davenport, IA Burlington, IA Ottumwa, IA Des Moines, IA Appearances, Townhall, Meeting July 4 Norwalk, IA Pleasantville, IA Wellman, IA Coralville, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Appearances, Meeting July 5 Clinton, IA Dubuque, IA Waterloo, IA Waverly, IA Appearances July 6 Mason City, IA Fort Dodge, IA Sioux City, IA Appearances July 7 Carroll, IA Council Bluffs, IA Appearances July 10 Fort Dodge, IA Appearance July 12 Detroit, MI Las Vegas, NV Forum, Appearance July 13 Reno, NV Carson City, NV Town Halls, Appearance July 15 Salem, NH Plymouth, NH Appearance, Meeting July 16 Berlin, NH Grantham, NH Appearance, House Party July 20 Des Moines, IA Appearance July 21 Des Moines, IA Meetings, Appearances July 22 Indianola, IA Londonderry, NH Orangeburg, SC Meetings, Ceremony July 23 Charleston, SC Debate, Appearance July 26 Marion, IA Waterloo, IA House Parties July 27 Dyersville, IA Dubuque, IA West Union, IA Meetings July 28 Waukon, IA Elkader, IA Anamosa, IA North Liberty, IA Meetings, Appearance

Early in July, the Dodd campaign's strategy to use social networking sites was documented by the press. The campaign uses the network MyLifeBrand which allows Dodd supporters to be linked to other users from other social networking websites. The goal was to bring supporters together and attract new supporters. On July 6 singer Paul Simon joined Dodd on the campaign trail in Iowa as Dodd embarked on a five day "River to River" tour in a big blue bus with the name "Dodd" etched on the side. Dodd simultaneously continued his campaign on the web airing live staff meetings and a live chatroom on July 23. The campaign launched a show called D-TV which the Washington Post labeled as the "political Truman Show". On July 23, he participated in the YouTube debate broadcast on CNN. Dodd was fielded many questions during the debate including the very first. He received questions ranging from discussion about his hair to Iraq. When asked about his position on gay marriage, he stated:

I've made the case, Anderson, that -- my wife and I have two young daughters, age 5 and 2. I'd simply ask the audience to ask themselves the question that Jackie and I have asked: How would I want my two daughters treated if they grew up and had a different sexual orientation than their parents? Good jobs, equal opportunity, to be able to retire, to visit each other, to be with each other, as other people do. So I feel very strongly, if you ask yourself the question, "How would you like your children treated if they had a different sexual orientation than their parents?," the answer is yes. They ought to have that ability in civil unions. I don't go so far as to call for marriage. I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. But my state of Connecticut, the state of New Hampshire, have endorsed civil unions. I strongly support that. But I don't go so far as marriage.

— Chris Dodd

When asked to comment about the genocide in Darfur and the moral leadership of the United States, Dodd answered that the situation in "Iraq is related to Darfur, Anderson, here. It's because we're bogged down there at $10 billion a month, we've lost our moral leadership in the world. No one listens to us when it comes to foreign policy. That has to change in this country. That's the difference here." July campaigning wrapped up in Iowa with visits to seven cities in two days from July 27-28.

August 2007

August 2007 events
Date Location(s) Event(s) August 4 Chicago, IL Las Vegas, NV Forum, Appearances August 5 Boulder City, NV Meeting August 8 Manchester, NH Concord, NH Forum, House Party August 9 Bartlett, NH Tilton, NH Nelson, NH Studio City, CA Speech, Meetings, Forum August 10 Peterborough, NH Nashua, NH Manchester, NH Appearances August 11 Portsmouth, NH Newmarket, NH Exeter, NH Appearances, House Party August 13 Des Moines, IA Meetings, Appearances August 14 Adel, IA Boone, IA Fort Dodge, IA Townhalls August 15 Webster City, IA Waterloo, IA Tama, IA Townhall, Forum, Appearance August 16 Marshalltown, IA Des Moines, IA Appearance, Speech, House Parties August 17 Newton, IA Muscatine, IA Eldridge, IA Appearances August 18 Clinton, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Appearance, Forum August 19 Des Moines, IA Indianola, IA Urbandale, IA Debate, Party Events, House Party August 20 Des Moines, IA Washington D.C Meetings August 28 Washington D.C Ceremony August 30 Iowa City, IA Des Moines, IA Council Bluffs, IA Rallies August 31 Manchester, NH Rally

August was by far the busiest month for the Dodd campaign. It started off with the candidate criticizing the merger of Murdoch-WSJ starting a debate over Media ethics. Dodd stated on August 1, "I am deeply troubled by the incredible amount of consolidation occurring across the American media landscape." On August 7 during a debate before the AFL-CIO in Chicago Dodd touted his experience in fighting for the rights of Labor Unions by stating, "I’m proud to say for 26 years on every major issue that labor’s been involved in I’ve stood with you. I’ve stood with labor in banning outsourcing of jobs, of offset contracts, of situs picketing, on plant closing legislation." He also got into an argument with fellow Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) on Obama's recent comments about escalating the Afghanistan Conflict into Pakistan:

DODD:I think it’s highly responsible -- or irresponsible for people who are running for the presidency and seek that office to suggest we may be willing unilaterally to invade a nation here who we’re trying to get to be more cooperative with us in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
OBAMA: Well, look, I find it amusing that those who helped to authorize and engineer the biggest foreign policy disaster in our generation are now criticizing me for making sure that we are on the right battlefield and not the wrong battlefield in the war against terrorism. (Cheers, applause.)

Dodd continued campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire visiting up to four different cities in one day. Political commentator Bill O'Reilly slammed Dodd after he appeared on The O'Reilly Factor in August, characterizing him as a kool-aid drinker and blind follower of the far left. O'Reilly chastised Dodd and branded him a traitor for his perceived betrayal of fellow Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman during the 2006 Senatorial election. On August 20 he attended a debate that aired on ABC and was moderated by George Stephanopoulos. He commented on the need for a president that can bring people from both parties together, "...it's about getting this job done. We don't elect a king or a queen or a dictator in November, we elect a president. The margins are thin. No one political party is going to write all of this. It takes leadership that knows how to bring people together." As the month wound down for the campaign and as Dodd continued on the trail, the month of September loomed in the horizon as did an upcoming debate in Washington on the primary focus of the campaign, the Iraq War. Accompanying Dodd on the trail was the International Association of Fire Fighters, which handed him their endorsement on August 29.

September 2007

September 2007 events
Date Location(s) Event(s) September 1 Reno, NV Las Vegas, NV Rallies September 2 Somersworth, NH New London, NH House Parties September 3 Manchester, NH Milford, NH Amherst, NH Speech, Appearance, Meetings, Party Event September 4 Waterloo, IA Manchester, IA Meeting, Fundraiser September 9 Coral Gables, FL Debate September 15 Ames, IA Ankeny, IA Party Event, Meeting September 16 Indianola, IA Speech, Appearance September 17 Washington D.C Appearance September 20 Davenport, IA Forum September 21 Iowa City, IA Appearance September 23 Westport, CT Stamford, CT Fundraisers September 26 Hartford, CT Hanover, NH Appearance, Debate September 28 Mason City, IA Meeting September 29 Emmetsburg, IA Storm Lake, IA Marcus, IA Mars, IA Meetings September 30 Sioux City, IA Townhall

As Dodd began the September campaign in Nevada and New Hampshire the stage was being set in Florida for a debate on Hispanic issues. However this would later be overshadowed by events that would occur in Washington on September 11. During the testimony of General David Petraeus, he lashed out against the surge policy stating:

In the eight months since President Bush’s announced the surge, we have spent tens of billions of dollars, over 700 American service men and women have sacrificed their lives, and nearly 4,400 have been wounded—all to provide breathing space for the Iraqi Government to engage in political reconciliation. And what has the Iraqi Government done with this breathing space?

— Chris Dodd

At the same time the website MoveOn.org released an ad that slammed General Petraeus, calling him a traitor. Dodd voted against a Congressional act to denounce the ad on September 21.

Returning to the campaign trail, Dodd made stops in Iowa where he started what would be a later October trend by attacking the frontrunner Hillary Clinton. He attacked her record on health care stating, "It should be far more than just a parable of personal growth and maturation. This was about an issue that was critically important to the country. It was a major effort that failed. There were a lot of reasons that it failed, not the least of which it was mismanaged terribly at the time." In addition to the campaigning in Iowa, Dodd attended fundraisers in his home state of Connecticut, visited New Hampshire and returned to Iowa all in the timespan of 10 days. At the end of September as the third quarter came to a close, the campaign revealed that it had raised only $1,467,093, spent $4,025,458, leaving $3,874,874 cash on hand.

October 2007

October 2007 events
Date Location Event October 6 Des Moines, IA Grinnell, IA Iowa City, IA Williamsburg, IA Meeting, Appearances, Party Event October 7 Delta, IA Washington, IA Wapello, IA Burlington, IA Meetings, Appearance October 8 Mount Pleasant, IA Ottumwa, IA Fairfield, IA Fort Madison, IA Meetings, Appearance, Forums October 9 Des Moines, IA Speech, Forum, House Party October 12 Iowa City, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Vinton, IA Waterloo, IA Appearances, Forums October 13 Independence, IA Dubuque, IA Forum, Fundraiser October 19 Concord, NH Nashua, NH Appearances, Speech October 20 Manchester, NH Meetings, Appearances October 21 Waverly, IA Forum October 23 Mason City, IA Iowa Falls, IA Fort Dodge, IA Des Moines, IA Appearance, meetings October 24 Council Bluffs, IA House Party October 25 Missouri Valley, IA Denison, IA Carroll, IA Meetings October 30 Philadelphia, PA Debate

In October the Dodd campaign focused its attention on Iowa, abandoning most of the campaigning in New Hampshire. On the trail, the campaign received little media attention despite a surge in appearances. As the month neared its final days an unexpected apex emerged for the campaign. During an October 30 MSNBC debate, he went after the frontrunner Hillary Clinton, slamming her for her support of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's plan to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants:

SEN. CLINTON: I just want to add, I did not say that it should be done, but I certainly recognize why Governor Spitzer is trying to do it. And we have failed --
SEN. DODD: Wait a minute. No, no, no. You said yes, you thought it made sense to do it.
SEN. CLINTON: No, I didn't, Chris. But the point is, what are we going to do with all these illegal immigrants who are (driving ?) -- (inaudible)?
SEN. DODD: Well, that's a legitimate issue. But driver's license goes too far, in my view.
SEN. CLINTON: Well, you may say that, but what is the identification if somebody runs into you today who is an undocumented worker --
SEN. DODD: There's ways of dealing with that.
SEN. CLINTON: Well, but --
SEN. DODD: This is a privilege, not a right.
SEN. CLINTON: Well, what Governor Spitzer has agreed to do is to have three different licenses; one that provides identification for actually going onto airplanes and other kinds of security issues, another which is an ordinary driver's license, and then a special card that identifies the people who would be on the road.
SEN. DODD: That's a bureaucratic nightmare.

Later in the debate Dodd articulated his support for the decriminalization of marijuana citing the high populations of American prisons. Many of the participants expressed their disagreement with him on this issue. The debate was the last campaign stop for Dodd in October who went into November with energy and momentum from the multiple exchanges.

November 2007

November 2007 events
File:Dodd november debate.jpg Date Location(s) Event(s) November 2 Manchester, NH Durham, NH Speeches, Appearance November 3 Windham, NH Concord, NH Keene, NH Party Events, Speech November 5 Ames, IA Forum November 6 Iowa City, IA Meetings November 7 Knoxville, IA Burlington, IA Bettendorf, IA Meetings November 8 Coralville, IA Meeting November 9 Mason City, IA Oelwein, IA House Party, Party Event November 10 Des Moines, IA Party Event, Forum November 11 Emmetsburg, IA Appearance November 13 Dubuque, IA Meeting November 15 Las Vegas, NV Debate November 17 Waverly, IA Marshalltown, IA Oelwein, IA Decorah, IA Town Hall, House Parties November 18 West Des Moines, IA Waterloo, IA House Parties November 19 Des Moines, IA Forum November 26 Davenport, IA Meeting November 27 Ames, IA Speech, Appearance

As Dodd hit the campaign trail in November he started off with two day events in New Hampshire and then devoted the rest of the month to Iowa. He talked about the need for the United States to redeploy troops out of Iraq, pay attention to global warming and health care, strengthen American ties with their allies including Pakistan and to not start a war with Iran further criticizing Hillary Clinton's yes vote on a resolution designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. During a November 15 debate in Las Vegas he spoke out in favor of free trade and attacked his fellow candidates:

Well, first of all, look: I respect the fact that we're calling for timeouts, but as was pointed out earlier by John Edwards, we've had Senator Obama and Senator Clinton both came out in support of the Peruvian free trade agreement -- now switching our positions on these issues here for the convenience of a debate and discussion on where polling data may be. We are in a global economy. It is critically important that we do everything we can to expand those markets so that our products and our services can be sold in foreign nations here. It was outrageous in a sense here -- had a U.S. corporation produced contaminated toys or food, they would have been shut down in 20 minutes

— Chris Dodd

While on the trail in Iowa on November 20 Dodd criticized fellow candidates who threatened to cut off funding to Pakistan in light of President Pervez Musharraf's suspension of the constitution. He stated "I think it's a very dangerous thing to suggest at this point. We could find ourselves cut off. ... We could not get into Afghanistan except through Pakistan. So in addition to the issue of nuclear weapons, and who controls them, and a state hostile to our interest, you have to be careful how much you threaten."

December 2007

December 2007 events
File:Dodd december debate.jpg Date Location(s) Event(s) December 1 Des Moines, IA Forums, Appearance December 2 Indianola, IA House Party December 3 Des Moines, IA Town Hall December 4 Des Moines, IA Sioux City, IA Debate, Town Hall December 5 Pella, IA Oskaloosa, IA Town Halls December 7 Iowa City, IA Town Hall December 10 Mountain View, CA Speech December 12 Vinton, IA Mason City, IA Town Halls December 13 Johnston, IA Story City, IA Debate, Fundraiser December 16 Bellevue, IA Cascade, IA Town Halls December 26 Iowa Falls, IA Appearance December 27 Des Moines, IA Appearance December 28 Council Bluffs, IA Des Moines, IA Party Events December 29 Sioux City, IA Carroll, IA Emmetsburg, IA Denison, IA Logan, IA Hartford, CT Party Events, Rally, Appearances December 30 Le Mars, IA Mason City, IA Party Events December 31 Dubuque, IA Waterloo, IA Waverly, IA Oelwein, IA Party Events

Dodd spent most of December in Iowa engaged in Town Halls. He briefly made a trip to Mountain View, CA to make a speech before returning to the trails in Iowa. He participated in the last Democratic Debate before the primary season on December 13 in Johnson, Iowa. In this debate sponsored by the Des Moines Register, Dodd commented that Education was the most important issue to him in the campaign. He also made a statement on why he felt he was the best choice for president and why he should receive the endorsement of the Des Moines Register, which ultimately went to Hillary Clinton.

Thank you. Let me begin by thanking Iowans. We've been warmly and graciously received, and we're grateful to the state for all of that. One of the things I’ve tried to do is talk about positive ideas and results here. I think Iowa ns, like other Americans, want to know not only what you're going to do, but also give us some sense that you've got a record that you believe in ideas that brings people together. It's what I’ve done for 26 years, working to bring Democrats and Republicans together. I’m a former Peace Corps volunteer, I’m the only candidate to have done that public service, and we believe very strong strongly that that kind of background and history contributes well to the decisions a president must make. We ask for your vote. It's about choosing the best candidate who can win and who can lead our country.

— Chris Dodd

Following the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Dodd released a statement while campaigning that elaborated on his experiences with the slain leader. He commented that the event was an important time in both Pakistan and the United States that will impact the future of both nation's security. He described the significance of America's responsibility to keep democracy in the nation and the region as a whole. Following the statement Dodd completed the year's campaigning by attending New Year's Eve parties in cities in the first caucus state of Iowa.

January 2008

Dodd participated in the Iowa Caucus on January 3, 2008. After receiving a disappointing total of 0% of the vote he ended his campaign. In his final words on the trail, He reflected on the joy he had in running for president.

Tonight I am withdrawing from the Presidential race. But let me assure you, we do not exit this race with our heads hanging - rather, we do so with our heads held high... I think we all knew from the very beginning that ... this would be an uphill battle...only when you try can you truly make a difference in this world, and I'm truly glad I tried.

— Chris Dodd

Fundraising

The Dodd campaign had raised $13,598,152 overall, spent $9,723,278 leaving $3,874,874 cash on hand. Alec Baldwin donated $2,100 during a New York fundraiser. John Lithgow and Barbra Streisand each added $1,000 and Steve Martin and Howard Stringer each gave $2,300. Jeffrey Bewkes, Lorne Michaels, Paul Simon and his wife each donated the most at $4,600 followed closely behind by Ronald Meyer who donated $4,400. Elisabeth Shue donated $1,500 and Christy Romano added $300. On October 26, the New London's The Day reported that through September Dodd's campaign received $21,600 from employees of Connecticut's Foxwoods Casino and an additional $2,300 from the Mashantucket Pequot's political action committee. According to the financial records, 60% of Dodd's donations came from individual contributors. 4% of donations came from PACs, which overwhelming were related to groups with business agendas. The following chart shows the amount raised in the top three states by Dodd and in the states he had been campaigning in the most, Iowa and New Hampshire:

Polling

In polling, Dodd has seemed unable to break through to the top tier. In Nationwide polls he usually only polls at or around 1%. A November 7, 2007 Gallup poll placed him in last place, behind both Joe Biden and Dennis Kucinich at 1%. At the state level, Dodd has also not done so well. In a November 18, 2007 Iowa poll conducted by ABC news, he registered with 1% the same number from a similar poll done by ABC news on July 31, 2007. In New Hampshire, a poll conducted by CNN placed Dodd at 1% constant from a September poll but up from polls in June and July. However on the straw poll level, Dodd was able to gain a victory during an event in South Carolina on March 5, 2007. He won the York County straw poll by receiving 28% of the 100 votes cast. Barack Obama came in second with 24%. Hillary Clinton got 18% and John Edwards received 11%. The victory came two days after Dodd visited the county which probably secured him the win.

A November 2007 poll of Connecticut voters conducted by Quinnipiac University determined that Dodd was losing in the state to Hillary Rodham Clinton. Of the 1,029 voters surveyed, 70% wanted Dodd to drop out of the presidential race, and 55% said he was spending too much time on the campaign trail. In response, Dodd's national press secretary, Colleen Flanagan, said "Connecticut voters are being asked to look at Senator Dodd in a different light than in past years" adding that once voters become more focused on the presidential race, they will look to Dodd as "a candidate who has a track record of proven results."

Head to head

Head to Head matchups
January 15-16, 2007 Rasmussen Reports Chris Dodd Rudy Giuliani 39% 44% January 15-16, 2007 Rasmussen Reports Chris Dodd John McCain 33% 52%