The Day: No easy feat for Dodd to be re-elected

[Larkspur]

No easy feat for Dodd to be re-elected

Chris Dodd is about as unelectable as unindicted incumbents ever get.

That's the brutal assessment of the bipartisan and highly respected Cook Political Report, which has moved the 2010 Connecticut Senate race from its previous "Toss Up" column to "Leaning Republican." This hardly ever happens in races involving entrenched, incumbent senators like Dodd, who are usually as hard to dislodge from their seats as safely gerrymandered congressmen like John Larson and Rosa DeLauro. The Cook report places Dodd among the few exceptions to that rule.

"It is increasingly clear to both independent analysts and Democratic leaders that Dodd is just too badly damaged to have a decent shot at getting re-elected, almost regardless of who wins the Republican nomination," wrote Jennifer Duffy, the senior editor of the political journal that specializes in analyzing races. "Democrats have given (Dodd) time to attempt to repair his problems, but nothing appears to have helped enough to salvage his position."

The next question for Democratic leaders in Connecticut and Washington, according to the Cook report, is how long it will be "before Dodd takes the hint that it is time to exit the race."

The Cook analysis was published at about the same time a second poll, this one by Rasmussen, had Dodd losing a re-election bid to just about every breathing Republican hopeful. Standing alone, Rasmussen wouldn't have made much of an impact, but it confirmed November's devastating Quinnipiac poll, which also had Dodd suffering double-digit losses to not only frontrunner Rob Simmons, but also to the wrestling magnate Linda McMahon. Neither of these Republicans is exactly a moderate in the Olympia Snowe/Susan Collins mold.

Like many observers of the decline and fall of Chris Dodd, Cook traces his troubles to that dreadful 2007 campaign for president, which saw him move his family to Iowa soon after he had become the new Democratic Senate majority's chairman of the important Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. These two occupations, Cook noted, are too demanding to be conducted simultaneously.

SNIP

Do you think Dodd should retire and "spend more time with his family" or fight for his seat? If the former, which CT Dem would you want to take Dodd's seat?

[brendan120678]

1. Yes, Dodd should retire after his...

current term is over and move back home to Iowa.

That is still where he lives, right??

[sellitman]

2. I've seen a number of "Dump Dodd" Bumperstickers of late.

I'd like to see him step down before it's too late.

[bigwillq]

3. He won't be getting my vote.

Not sure how I am voting yet. Not for the repuke, that's for sure, but I'll see how it goes for the primary. It's time for Dodd to go.

[Lurks Often]

4. He's not going to retire

We are less then a year from the election and Dodd has shown no indication that he is going to retire. So unless the CT Democrats choose to primary him and there has been nothing that I have seen that suggests that is going to happen, Dodd is going to be the Democrat candidate for Senate. He is likely to run against Rob Simmons and barring some surprise, Dodd will lose.