Dodd Scratching the Itch

Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd is on the road in Iowa in another attempt to take his message directly to the people one stop at a time, pacing up and down the Interstate 80 corridor like a wanderer in search of validation.

In terms of fundraising and polling, the Senator has remained mired in the vast expanse of the the Democrat Third Tier of the Presidential nomination race. David Lightman of The Courant put it bluntly: "The last Iowa poll reported he had "no measurable support."" As long as the stars of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton burn so brightly, it seems unlikely that Dodd could break from the pack and move up into the fight for the lead.

But that reality doesn't seem to have penetrated the veil of optimism projected by the Senator and his inner circle. Quoting Dodd: "We're in good shape. There's a lot of genuine excitement." And on down the highway they go.

Eventually though the show will end - and the good folks of Connecticut will be left wondering: what's next for Senator Dodd? According to yesterday's The Day, Sen. Dodd would decline the Vice Presidency if offered. That, of course, is something most every Third Tier candidate says in hopes of not getting tainted with a brush that keeps them mired in "no measurable support" range for the Presidential nomination. But what will the Senator do? He could run for the Senate again in 2010 - but with more than two decades under his belt already, what would be the point? He could make a go at the Governor's Chair and wage a very credible campaign, but with Attorney General Blumenthal already lining up for the post, would Dodd risk his statewide credibility in a Democratic clash of the titans?

Until those questions are confronted, Senator Dodd will continue to "scratch his itch" to be President, despite the fact that, at least now, it looks like he won't be.