Liberty MavenChris Dodd quits. Is Peter Schiff happy or not?
January 6th, 2010 1:10 am | by Marc Gallagher | Published in Commentary, Election, Peter Schiff, Politics | 45 Responses
Politico is reporting that Senator Chris Dodd will announce today that he won’t seek re-election this year after all.
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) plans to announce Wednesday that he will retire from the Senate at the end of the year, capping a 30-year career where he rose to be one of the most influential members and held some of the most powerful positions in the upper chamber, several Democratic sources told POLITICO Tuesday night.
Dodd’s decision to forgo a bid for a sixth term paves the way for a more popular Democrat to run, most likely the state’s Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who has his eye on a Senate seat. And that is good news for Democrats who were hit with the stunning announcement Tuesday that Sen. Byron Dorgan would not run for reelection in North Dakota, likely giving the GOP an advantage for his seat.
So the political winds have forced Dodd to quit. Does this give Peter Schiff more or less of a chance to replace Dodd as Connecticut’s next Senator? I would guess Dodd quitting removes an entire line of attack for any would-be GOP challengers. Peter Schiff is probably unhappy about this move.
To me this just seems like Dodd is playing the part of a child who can’t take it anymore and picks up all his toys and runs home to mommy. Of course, the real reason is that he knows if he stays in the race he’s red meat for Schiff and the other attack dog Republicans.
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January 6th, 2010 at 6:31 am (#)
I'm with you. This is not good news. The old strategy was to win the primary and then clean up in the general election against an inept & unpopular Chris Dodd (sending political shockwaves throughout D.C., etc., etc.). This Senate race just became a lot harder since Blumenthal (Dodd's likely replacement) is apparently very popular in Connecticut.
January 6th, 2010 at 6:37 am (#)
A bigger more direct problem is McMahon. Peter has said that the race will cost about 20m, which isn't much compared to McMahon's 50m. Peter will either have to get out of the race or run as an Independent.
January 6th, 2010 at 7:46 am (#)
I think it hurts Simmons and McMahon more than it does Schiff, since their selling point is basically "I'm not Chris Dodd". With less muck to be raked in Dodd's direction, maybe CT voters will pick up on the fact that Schiff's opponents are empty suits.
I'm more worried about getting the Republican nomination than beating the Democrat. That whole party is going to be as vulnerable as the Republicans were in '06 and '08, maybe even more so.
January 6th, 2010 at 6:30 am (#)
May be bad news for Schiff. Blumenthal went after Countrywide as AG, while Dodd took a sweet deal from them. This switch solves a major problem for the Democrats in holding onto the seat, because Dodd was going to lose mostly on that issues. Blumenthal will gain some of this support (once again) for the Democrats.
January 6th, 2010 at 6:31 am (#)
I'm with you. This is not good news. The old strategy was to win the primary and then clean up in the general election against an inept & unpopular Chris Dodd (sending political shockwaves throughout D.C., etc., etc.). This Senate race just became a lot harder since Blumenthal (Dodd's likely replacement) is apparently very popular in Connecticut.
January 6th, 2010 at 6:31 am (#)
I'm with you. This is not good news. The old strategy was to win the primary and then clean up in the general election against an inept & unpopular Chris Dodd (sending political shockwaves throughout D.C., etc., etc.). This Senate race just became a lot harder since Blumenthal (Dodd's likely replacement) is apparently very popular in Connecticut.
January 6th, 2010 at 6:37 am (#)
A bigger more direct problem is McMahon. Peter has said that the race will cost about 20m, which isn't much compared to McMahon's 50m. Peter will either have to get out of the race or run as an Independent.
January 6th, 2010 at 6:37 am (#)
A bigger more direct problem is McMahon. Peter has said that the race will cost about 20m, which isn't much compared to McMahon's 50m. Peter will either have to get out of the race or run as an Independent.
January 6th, 2010 at 6:44 am (#)
This race is over.
On Thursday polls will come out showing Blumenthal with a 60%-40% lead, and every reporter in CT will quickly move on to the governor's race, where Democrats are poised to win for the first time since 1986.
Heck, at this point the question is whether McMahon or Simmons will even want to be the Republican nominee/sacrificial lamb.
January 6th, 2010 at 6:44 am (#)
This race is over.
On Thursday polls will come out showing Blumenthal with a 60%-40% lead, and every reporter in CT will quickly move on to the governor's race, where Democrats are poised to win for the first time since 1986.
Heck, at this point the question is whether McMahon or Simmons will even want to be the Republican nominee/sacrificial lamb.
January 6th, 2010 at 7:46 am (#)
I think it hurts Simmons and McMahon more than it does Schiff, since their selling point is basically "I'm not Chris Dodd". With less muck to be raked in Dodd's direction, maybe CT voters will pick up on the fact that Schiff's opponents are empty suits.
I'm more worried about getting the Republican nomination than beating the Democrat. That whole party is going to be as vulnerable as the Republicans were in '06 and '08, maybe even more so.
January 6th, 2010 at 7:46 am (#)
I think it hurts Simmons and McMahon more than it does Schiff, since their selling point is basically "I'm not Chris Dodd". With less muck to be raked in Dodd's direction, maybe CT voters will pick up on the fact that Schiff's opponents are empty suits.
I'm more worried about getting the Republican nomination than beating the Democrat. That whole party is going to be as vulnerable as the Republicans were in '06 and '08, maybe even more so.
January 6th, 2010 at 8:26 am (#)
Please let us not start this third party, run as an independent garbage. I would have thought by now that Ron Paul provided the blue print for what any Libertarian or other like-minded candidates have to do in order to make a difference in an election. Peter Schiff needs to stay in as a Republican candidate, this issues of why his candidacy is important is still there. None of the other Senate candidates has a clue how to fix the mess we are in, nor do they see where we are going and how to prevent it. Just because Chris Dodd is no longer the quintessential foil for Schiff to run against does it mean Peter Schiff’s his chances of winning are gone. It really shows that the ideas Dodd and the democrats represented are very unpopular and they know it. Without a doubt, Dodd would run if he thought he had a chance at winning. .
January 6th, 2010 at 8:37 am (#)
Please let us not start this third party, run as an independent garbage. I would have thought by now that Ron Paul provided the blue-print for what any Libertarian or other like-minded candidates needs to do in order to make a difference in an election. Peter Schiff needs to stay in as a Republican candidate, the economic policy issues of why his candidacy is so important are still there. None of the other Senate candidates have a clue on how to fix the mess we are in, nor do they see where we are going or how to prevent it. Peter Schiff’s chances of winning are not diminished just because Chris Dodd is no longer the quintessential foil for Schiff to run against. Quite the opposite. What it really shows is that the ideas Dodd and the democrats represented are very unpopular and even they know it. Without a doubt, Dodd would run if he thought he had a chance at winning. .
January 6th, 2010 at 1:39 pm (#)
Let's just let the dust settle and watch for the real games begin in earnest later in the year. The only way Schiff is in trouble is if Blumenthal attacks on his own party's record — he will only pay it lip service — a dog will chase his own tail, but rarely bites — Schiff brings a vision of a newly energized America, where liberty, common sense, hard work, less government, personal responsibility, and integrity are once again the foundation for our greatness.
January 6th, 2010 at 9:14 am (#)
Peter Schiff should run on his merits. He saw the economic situation, while Democrats and many Republicans had their heads in the sand. And continue to, for that matter.
January 6th, 2010 at 3:07 pm (#)
With Dodd gone, the media will tend to pay more attention to Schiff, Simmons and McMahon. As a result, Schiff's star will rise. The more media attention he gets, the more his message will play with the general public. When it comes to issues and "the message" there is NO CONTEST. What Schiff has to offer is more in keeping with the public mood and thirst for real and profound change.
January 6th, 2010 at 5:25 pm (#)
Of course it makes things harder for Schiff. It is always easier to campaign against a big dummy saddled with a bad rep than someone who has not proven himself to be an economic idiot. However Blumenthal is a prosector, someone who has made his living suing businesses and trying to punish business. He is not someone who is used to creating the conditions for businesses to grow and create jobs. The question will be whether Blumenthal chooses to defend Dodd's record minus the corruption allegations. Will he say "we need more bailouts and stimulus and higher taxes, however I will do it honestly"?
Ultimately Dodd's leaving will focus the race more on issues than personal issues.
January 6th, 2010 at 6:31 pm (#)
While I'm not sure Schiff would win now, I still think he should still run and stick with the real issues- at least make Blumenthal painfully aware of them and maybe even possibly adopt them.
Let's face it- Blumenthal is still just a good-looking poster-boy who everyone should know better than to accept at face value. I say Schiff should see it through….
January 6th, 2010 at 1:39 pm (#)
Let's just let the dust settle and watch for the real games begin in earnest later in the year. The only way Schiff is in trouble is if Blumenthal attacks on his own party's record — he will only pay it lip service — a dog will chase his own tail, but rarely bites — Schiff brings a vision of a newly energized America, where liberty, common sense, hard work, less government, personal responsibility, and integrity are once again the foundation for our greatness.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:39 pm (#)
Let's just let the dust settle and watch for the real games begin in earnest later in the year. The only way Schiff is in trouble is if Blumenthal attacks on his own party's record — he will only pay it lip service — a dog will chase his own tail, but rarely bites — Schiff brings a vision of a newly energized America, where liberty, common sense, hard work, less government, personal responsibility, and integrity are once again the foundation for our greatness.
January 6th, 2010 at 3:07 pm (#)
With Dodd gone, the media will tend to pay more attention to Schiff, Simmons and McMahon. As a result, Schiff's star will rise. The more media attention he gets, the more his message will play with the general public. When it comes to issues and "the message" there is NO CONTEST. What Schiff has to offer is more in keeping with the public mood and thirst for real and profound change.
January 6th, 2010 at 3:07 pm (#)
With Dodd gone, the media will tend to pay more attention to Schiff, Simmons and McMahon. As a result, Schiff's star will rise. The more media attention he gets, the more his message will play with the general public. When it comes to issues and "the message" there is NO CONTEST. What Schiff has to offer is more in keeping with the public mood and thirst for real and profound change.
January 6th, 2010 at 5:18 pm (#)
It is obvious that Schiff will definitely have to reshape his strategy. He needs to do what he's already doing–focus on the economy. It's the issue of the day. And that's where his punch lies. If he combines that with the marketing technique that would be the wisest move.
January 6th, 2010 at 5:18 pm (#)
It is obvious that Schiff will definitely have to reshape his strategy. He needs to do what he's already doing–focus on the economy. It's the issue of the day. And that's where his punch lies. If he combines that with the marketing technique that would be the wisest move.
January 6th, 2010 at 5:25 pm (#)
Of course it makes things harder for Schiff. It is always easier to campaign against a big dummy saddled with a bad rep than someone who has not proven himself to be an economic idiot. However Blumenthal is a prosector, someone who has made his living suing businesses and trying to punish business. He is not someone who is used to creating the conditions for businesses to grow and create jobs. The question will be whether Blumenthal chooses to defend Dodd's record minus the corruption allegations. Will he say "we need more bailouts and stimulus and higher taxes, however I will do it honestly"?
Ultimately Dodd's leaving will focus the race more on issues than personal issues.
January 6th, 2010 at 5:25 pm (#)
Of course it makes things harder for Schiff. It is always easier to campaign against a big dummy saddled with a bad rep than someone who has not proven himself to be an economic idiot. However Blumenthal is a prosector, someone who has made his living suing businesses and trying to punish business. He is not someone who is used to creating the conditions for businesses to grow and create jobs. The question will be whether Blumenthal chooses to defend Dodd's record minus the corruption allegations. Will he say "we need more bailouts and stimulus and higher taxes, however I will do it honestly"?
Ultimately Dodd's leaving will focus the race more on issues than personal issues.
January 6th, 2010 at 5:59 pm (#)
I'm a little confused. He'll have to reshape his strategy, and yet continue doing what he's already doing?
January 6th, 2010 at 5:59 pm (#)
I'm a little confused. He'll have to reshape his strategy, and yet continue doing what he's already doing?
January 6th, 2010 at 6:31 pm (#)
While I'm not sure Schiff would win now, I still think he should still run and stick with the real issues- at least make Blumenthal painfully aware of them and maybe even possibly adopt them.
Let's face it- Blumenthal is still just a good-looking poster-boy who everyone should know better than to accept at face value. I say Schiff should see it through….
January 6th, 2010 at 6:31 pm (#)
While I'm not sure Schiff would win now, I still think he should still run and stick with the real issues- at least make Blumenthal painfully aware of them and maybe even possibly adopt them.
Let's face it- Blumenthal is still just a good-looking poster-boy who everyone should know better than to accept at face value. I say Schiff should see it through….
January 7th, 2010 at 11:39 am (#)
I think there's a lot to be said for Peter's raw grass roots following. He's cultivated support and persuading people from a business perspective and he's gotten this far in the race on the back of these same skills. He's raised the highest amount of cash by far through donations than any other candidate in the state so that is telling us that people really like what he offers. I think if he gets enough exposure, grass roots campaign support (as Obama did and which he has) and ramps up his on the road campaigns, then he has a good shot. He will win outright in debates. I just hope he gets a fair share of media attention.
January 7th, 2010 at 11:39 am (#)
I think there's a lot to be said for Peter's raw grass roots following. He's cultivated support and persuading people from a business perspective and he's gotten this far in the race on the back of these same skills. He's raised the highest amount of cash by far through donations than any other candidate in the state so that is telling us that people really like what he offers. I think if he gets enough exposure, grass roots campaign support (as Obama did and which he has) and ramps up his on the road campaigns, then he has a good shot. He will win outright in debates. I just hope he gets a fair share of media attention.
January 10th, 2010 at 4:21 pm (#)
you guys this new guy may not be a zombie but he's the token red suit that you know will get killed during the episode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goNw7cu1G3g
January 10th, 2010 at 4:21 pm (#)
you guys this new guy may not be a zombie but he's the token red suit that you know will get killed during the episode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goNw7cu1G3g
January 10th, 2010 at 4:21 pm (#)
you guys this new guy may not be a zombie but he's the token red suit that you know will get killed during the episode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goNw7cu1G3g
January 10th, 2010 at 4:21 pm (#)
you guys this new guy may not be a zombie but he's the token red suit that you know will get killed during the episode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goNw7cu1G3g
January 10th, 2010 at 4:21 pm (#)
you guys this new guy may not be a zombie but he's the token red suit that you know will get killed during the episode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goNw7cu1G3g
January 11th, 2010 at 10:08 pm (#)
Of course, with Dodd out of the race the dynamics of the race change. However, I believe that Blumenthal is not as invulnerable has some have suggested. If I were working for the Republican nominee, I would play clips of Mr. Blumenthal praising Dodd over and over, and then question his judgment and reliability. Ask the citizens, how you can trust a man who believes Senator Dodd was a paragon of righteousness to be your senator. I know it is an attack, but I would crucify Blumenthal on the issue of his support and praise for Dodd. Until the citizens see Blumenthal as Dodd in different clothes, it will be difficult to cut down his popularity. Then you go toe to toe with Blumenthal on the issues and let the chips fall where they may.
January 15th, 2010 at 6:39 am (#)
PISTONE FOR CONGRESS IN 2010!
http://www.pistoneforcongress.org
January 15th, 2010 at 6:39 am (#)
PISTONE FOR CONGRESS IN 2010!
http://www.pistoneforcongress.org
January 20th, 2010 at 9:15 pm (#)
Maybe Schiff should run for the 2nd District house seat, and position himself for a 2012 run against Lieberman?
February 13th, 2010 at 10:37 pm (#)
Peter's problem is money he will probably have to raise at least 20 million to have a decent shot at this. Peter needs an accomplished campaign manager with a winning record. His website schiffforsenate.com needs help as well.
February 13th, 2010 at 10:37 pm (#)
Peter's problem is money he will probably have to raise at least 20 million to have a decent shot at this. Peter needs an accomplished campaign manager with a winning record. His website schiffforsenate.com needs help as well.
February 13th, 2010 at 10:37 pm (#)
Peter's problem is money he will probably have to raise at least 20 million to have a decent shot at this. Peter needs an accomplished campaign manager with a winning record. His website schiffforsenate.com needs help as well.