Dodd Reflects on Political Experience, State of the U.S. Economy

JIM LEHRER:

And finally tonight, another conversation with a candidate for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations who is running in the primaries. The candidate is Senator Chris Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut. Judy Woodruff spoke with him yesterday in Iowa.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

Senator Dodd, thank you for joining us here in Des Moines.

SEN. CHRIS DODD (D), Connecticut: Thank you.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

You considered or were asked to run for president in most of the last election years over the last 20 years, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004. Why is 2008 the right year for Chris Dodd to run for president?

SEN. CHRIS DODD:

Well, there are a lot of reasons. First of all, having two children, age 6 and 2, had a lot to do with the motivation. After 9/11 — my daughter was born two days after 9/11, Grace — and wondering what kind of a world, what kind of a country she was going to grow up in after the world had just changed forever two days earlier, certainly part of the motivation.

Secondly, just looking at what's happened over the last six years. In previous years, it didn't make a lot of sense for me personally and, frankly, with good people I thought running. This time around, I just feel that experience is tremendously important here, to have a nominee that can attract independents, as well as Republicans, who seek change, not to mention Democrats, to win that election. I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that any Democrat can win.

And then, secondly, to bring those same abilities and talents on January 20th together to get this country moving again in a direction both at home and abroad where there's a heightened sense of confidence and optimism about our future.

I was on a plane about eight or 10 months ago when I'd just really begun this process — I had made the decision earlier, but really getting involved in it — where a woman said to me, as a plane was landing, after a long conversation, she said, "Senator, what you don't understand is America's best days are behind her."

And I remember getting very angry in the sense that someone would think that way, and then even angrier as I began to realize she wasn't alone in those thoughts. I think an awful lot of people in this country think that way. And if people do and that becomes a majority opinion, then I think we're in for a lot more trouble in this century than one can imagine.

So while the problems are mounting every single day, and if I had suggested in any other campaign that I ought to consider me, after 26 years in the Senate, I probably would have been rejected on that basis alone. But I think this time around people are truly looking for a candidate that can win an election, but also has the ability and the proven ability to actually bring Democrats and Republicans together, independents, to accomplish things for the country, both at home and abroad.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

You've taken the fairly drastic step of moving your family from Connecticut, your home state, out here to Iowa, enrolled your 6-year-old daughter in school. You brought your wife, your 2-year-old daughter. This must give you more time with your family. Does it also help your campaign? And what do you hear from your constituents, your Senate constituents about it?

SEN. CHRIS DODD:

Well, it's about six weeks, and the decision was either to see them once every 10 or 12 days for a day and then leave again. And because of their ages, we could really pack up and come out here for six weeks, rent a little place, and made the decision to put Grace in a local public elementary school, in kindergarten, which has been terrific, and they've been wonderful to her.

So I get to be with my family. And, obviously, having them around — over Thanksgiving, we had a wonderful time. An Iowa family, a farm family, that have met for 60 years together as a family invited us to join them for Thanksgiving Day, which was a great experience for the kids, as well as their father and mother, and then just being around with them.

And I think it helps, as well. I think people like to see their family. That has a lot to do — Jackie does a wonderful job campaigning, is out almost every day doing her own schedule around the state, my wife. So that helps.

But the real value of it was personally, in a sense, for me to have them around and be with them has really made a wonderful difference, to be able to come home at night to a house, to be able to wake up in the morning, and as I did this morning, take Grace to school about four blocks away before starting the day, adds a dimension to this process which makes it more tolerable than it might otherwise be.