Chris Dodd for President

Only ten days to go until Primary Day. Now is the time to get out there and do everything you can to convince the voters of New Hampshire that we need Chris Dodd and his proven leadership in the Oval Office.

With that in mind, our field team has put together a list of ten things you can do between now and January 8th to help Chris Dodd win the New Hampshire Primary.

1. Take off time to volunteer on January 8th, Primary Day

2. Call undecided voters in your neighborhood

3. Write a letter to the editor

4. Put up a yard sign in your yard- or your families’ or friends’ yards

5. Write to an undecided voter about why they should support Chris Dodd with our neighbor to neighbor postcard program

6. Participate in a visibility to show your spirit

7. Volunteer to house a staffer for the period of time between the caucus and the primary day

8. Canvass and drop literature in your neighborhood

9. Call in to drive time radio shows and talk about why you support Chris Dodd

10. Make or donate food to feed our staff and volunteers

Hi, my name is Brian Bailey and I’m a field organizer here in Nashua. I’m
having a go at the blog this week so I can talk about a great experience I
had in Wilton last Monday.

Last week, I spoke to a Contemporary Issues class at the Wilton-Lyndeborogh
Cooperative High School. I spoke to the group of interested seniors about
the political process and what it’s like to work on a presidential campaign.
The discussion was driven by questions posed by the students and their
teacher. I tried to stress to the students the importance of getting
involved in the process and remaining interested. The young people in New
Hampshire are privy to a great number of opportunities during primary
season. I really enjoyed speaking with the students and hopefully I sparked
their curiosity even more. They have an open invitation to come in and work
with our staff and learn first hand what New Hampshire politics are all
about.

This week, the Dodd Squad in Nashua will be very busy! We hope to see some
of you at the Milford Pumpkin Festival and the Firefest in Nashua.

Remember, we run nightly phone banks, and canvass every weekend. If you are
interested in joining us any night this week or this weekend, please give
Nick a call at 603-886-DODD.

Presidential Candidate Chris Dodd today signed a pledge from the Democratic Parties of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina to honor their status as the early primary and caucus states as established by the Democratic National Committee’s 2008 nominating calendar. Dodd reaffirmed his belief in the power of retail politics and the serious thought and weight that citizens of these states put into their consideration of the candidates.

“I believe that Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada offer a cross section of America and allow for voters to probe the experience and vision of candidates in a meaningful way,” said Dodd. “In this year, where the national media focus seems to be on celebrity and bank accounts, the role of these states is more important than ever. I am committed to the DNC nominating calendar and preserving the first in the nation status of Iowa and New Hampshire.”

The full pledge is below:

HEREAS, Over a year ago, the Democratic National Committee established a 2008 nominating calendar;

WHEREAS, this calendar honors the racial, ethnic, economic and geographic diversity of our party and our country;

WHEREAS, the DNC also honored the traditional role of retail politics early in the nominating process, to insure that money alone will not determine our presidential nominee;

WHEREAS, it is the desire of Presidential campaigns, the DNC, the states and the American people to bring finality, predictability and common sense to the nominating calendar.

THEREFORE, I, Christopher J. Dodd, Democratic Candidate for President, pledge I shall not campaign or participate in any state which schedules a presidential election primary or caucus before Feb. 5, 2008, except for the states of Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina, as “campaigning” is defined by rules and regulations of the DNC.

Christopher J. Dodd

I have a couple video clips that I wanted to share with you from Senator Dodd's house party in Concord, New Hampshire earlier today. In the first clip Dodd talks about the need to tax polluters if we want to stop global warming. He's makes it very clear that while all Democratic Presidential candidates want to end global warming, no one else has stepped forward with "ideas that help us get there." He's the only candidate who's called for a Corporate Carbon Tax, which will discourage big corporate polluters. In this clip, Dodd talks about the questions voters are asking him on the campaign trail -- and more importantly what those questions really mean. Voters ask, "Are you listening to me? Are you paying attention to me?" They want to know what a candidate's values and principles are. Dodd says, "And I think most of you here are not just going out to a horse track and trying to pick who the winner will be. But you'd like to, I think, be a part of choosing who the winner ought to be. Who is the best candidate to represent our party? Who is the best person to lead our country?"

I wrote this last night on a flight back from New Hampshire to Washington. I lived in New Hampshire during the 2000 election cycle. I was a high school senior and during the primary season I got to meet and talk to just about every presidential candidate of both parties (though not George Bush and Al Gore). The experience of living in New Hampshire during a presidential primary taught me a clear lesson: the citizens of New Hampshire take their role as the first primary in the nation incredibly seriously. The dedication of the people of New Hampshire to the primary process manifests itself through diligent listening to every candidate's words and attention to their actions, followed by asking tough, thoughtful questions of the candidate. Saturday's house parties in Laconia, Barrington, and Portsmouth bore out my memories of the New Hampshire primary process. Great crowds showed up to hear Senator Dodd talk and at each event, people responded with detailed comments and probing questions - questions that seek to clarify any confusion that may exist about where a candidate stands on a particular issue. I had a great time watching the people of Laconia, Barrington, and Portsmouth engage Senator Dodd to learn more about who he is and what he stands for. For his part, I know that Senator Dodd loves being challenged to show his convictions by voters. Their questions are one of the truest articulations of patriotism in America, as they expressions of sincere concern about who will next lead our country at a time when boldness and honesty is sorely needed. I look forward to getting back to the Granite State (or, as Dodd campaign NH field director Dana Kelly pointed out, the state with the official flower of the purple lilac) soon to watch the introduction of Senator Dodd to the people of New Hampshire continue. I'll be posting videos from the trip over the next few days. Also, Jerid of Buckeye State Blog, who's in New Hampshire this summer to cover the primary, was in attendance at Laconia and has a great write-up on Sen. Dodd's talk; go check it out!