David Yepsen,the dean of the Iowa press corps and an influential journalist in Iowa isn’t counting Chris Dodd out. In his Des Moines Register Column Yepson points out the front runners timidity on Iraq, and how that could create an opening for Dodd in Iowa.
From the Column, emphasis mine:
“I was stunned, literally stunned” to hear them say that, Dodd said in an interview for last weekend’s Iowa Press program on Iowa Public Television. “It was breathtaking to me that the so-called three leading candidates would not make that commitment. That’s six years from today.”
“The one issue that gave us the majority in the House and Senate last year was Iraq. It’s the dominant issue in the country. We’re spending a fortune, $10 billion a month. Reconciliation is no closer today. I think for anybody out there wondering whether or not Democrats get this at all, or not … to stand up and say six years from now, I will not make the commitment that U.S. forces will be out of Iraq, I found breathtaking.”
And therein may lie an opportunity in Iowa for Dodd and the two other back-of-the-pack Democratic candidates, Bill Richardson and Joe Biden. All three of them promise to have U.S. combat troops out of Iraq well before that date.
When it comes to Iraq Dodd hasn’t disappointed. Dodd’s constituents in Connecticut know this. Bloggers across the country know this. I’m glad to see that Iowa journalists realize it too. We still have four months to go until the Caucus. Dodd has an uphill battle ahead of him, but it’s one worth fighting. As it stands now Dodd is our best hope for ending the war.
Yepson, David. “1st-tier Dems’ timidity on Iraq may create opening“. Des Moines Register. 10/01/07
4 responses so far ↓
1 Genghis Conn // Oct 2, 2007 at 11:17 am ·
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I keep waiting for Dodd’s Iraq stands and other positions friendly to progressives to help him take off. But it just keeps not happening. It isn’t for lack of trying, of course, but still.
Speaking of the back of the pack, there was an E.J Dionne article in the Courant this morning about the widespread support for Joe Biden’s federal solution to Iraq. If there’s a political solution, I think that may be it.
2 Tim White // Oct 2, 2007 at 11:18 am ·
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I disagree.
Ron Paul voted against the war and has consistently and unequivocally opposed everything to do with this unconstitutional, undeclared war… and he outraised Dodd in Q3.
As well, I believe Paul’s opposition is based on principle, not polls. (And that’s not a shot at Dodd… it’s directed at “the inevitable one.”)
3 FrankS // Oct 2, 2007 at 2:12 pm ·
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There is simply not enough uncommitted supporters going for Dodd to move poling for him, so he will need await the Iowa results, with a great showing, to move. It surprising that he is taking a negative tone in commenting on Clinton, Obama and Edwards in Yepson’s column, when moving the discussion and focusing on Iraq favors him and Biden.
4 RedFive // Oct 2, 2007 at 6:49 pm ·
+0
*Yawn* Chris who again? Is he running for something?
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