Why Doesn't Dodd Get The Message?

My Senator, Chris Dodd, should not be facing a tough re-election challenge in 2010. He comes from a well-known political family and is the longest-serving Senator in Connecticut history. He's a powerful Democratic politician in a state which split 61-38 for Obama in November. Yet the latest Quinnipiac poll (where I used to work) has him losing 50-34 to Rob Simmons, a Republican who couldn't hold onto his own Congressional district in 2006.

The details are brutal for Dodd:

Connecticut voters say 50 - 43 percent that Dodd has strong leadership qualities, but they say 54 - 32 percent that he is not honest and trustworthy and 52 - 39 percent that he does not care about their needs and problems.

Most voters, 59 percent, are angry that AIG paid bonuses to some executives, while 33 percent are "bothered but not angry."

Asked if they blame Dodd for these bonuses, 39 percent of voters say "a lot" and 35 percent say "some."

These numbers aren't a reflection of a sudden about-face by Connecticut Dems, in which we've suddenly decided we'd like to be represented by a Republican. We just don't want Dodd to run again.

Although he is Senate Banking Committee Chairman, Dodd was too busy campaigning in Iowa for the Democratic nomination to do anything about the financial crisis. His hopeless presidential run was widely seen as a testament to his own ego, and he alienated his Connecticut constituents even more by moving his family to Iowa while he was campaigning there. He returned home as the financial sector -- which he was supposed to be overseeing -- was imploding. The furor over AIG bonuses, many of which were paid to wealthy Connecticut executives, further hurt Dodd's image.

I think that some of the Democratic poll respondents who said they'd vote against Dodd will have second thoughts about electing a Republican (especially Simmons) and might come back to Dodd. But still, as a Democrat, why should Dodd put his party at risk of losing a Senate seat in a deep blue state? The right thing to do is to retire and allow the party to nominate someone else (Richard Blumenthal? Rosa DeLauro?) who will have an easier time of defeating Simmons.

I just hope Dodd's ego doesn't cost the Democrats a Senate seat, or tarnish the end of his career with an avoidable defeat.