Dodd Slams Second Choice Deals in Iowa

Posted by Chris Bowers, Open Left at 11:45 AM on January 2, 2008.

Doesn't look like Chris Dodd will be telling his supporters to back anyone else in the event he fails to reach the 15% viability threshold. Todd Beeton has a rush transcript of remarks Dodd made today:

Well, I don't think that Kucinich supporters in Iowa like the idea that Dennis is going to tell them how to vote tomorrow night. I went back and stood up and filibustered on the constitution the other day, Barack Obama did not. I know Kucinich supporters here care about the constitution.(...)

I don't think they're going to walk into a caucus at Dennis's behest and cast a ballot he'd like them to cast. This is not an auction here. [...]

I'll make up my own mind as a caucus-goer but don't you tell me as a candidate, in fact I'm offended that you'd even suggest that I ought to do what you want me to do. [...]

The idea that you're willing to market me, to auction me off to some other campaign would truly bother me.

Clearly, there won't be any deals from the Dodd campaign. I think he is basically right in his criticism of such deals, too.

Throughout this campaign, I have admitted not only Dodd's leadership, but also that he is playing to win. For Dodd, no matter how much a longshot he has been, it isn't just about influencing the policy debate, or jockeying for a high-level position in the next administration. He has run hard, and made a full-throated case for why he should become the next President. That is something to be admired, and Dodd supporters should be proud.

Tagged as: obama, dodd, kucinich

Chris Bowers was a full-time editor at MyDD from May 2004 until June 2007. Some of his projects have included the creation of the Liberal Blog Advertising Network, the first scientifically random poll of progressive netroots activists, the Use It Or Lose It campaign, the nation's most accurate forecast of Democratic house pickups in 2006, and the 2006 Googlebomb the Elections campaign.