Dodd's performance in the opinion polls varied, but in the financial sphere, he had secured some notable and influential endorsements who were the ones largely funding his campaign.

During his years in the House and Senate, Dodd built a long record of political positions on important issues to the nation.

[9] Dodd had told the Associated Press in April 2006 that he was considering running, and by May 22 he had met with key backers, including congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and had assembled a team to prepare a potential 2008 campaign.

[11] Two months later, Dodd told the head of the New Hampshire Democratic Party at the Rainbow Cafe that he was not "going to do the exploratory thing" but instead "plunge right in" to the race.

Dodd's strategy was to speak to voters in restaurants, homes, and small-town diners, although political analysts wondered whether such methods were out-of-date.

"[21] Continuing on the trail, Dodd sponsored what was called by The Washington Post, the "most radical plan" to combat global warming.

[23] His campaign has been critical of how little time their candidate has been allotted to speak at the debates, and its website introduced a "Talk Clock" demonstrating this disparity.

[24][25] At the end of the month, Dodd set his sights on the state with the most convention votes, California by attending events in Sacramento and San Diego.

Early in May, Dodd continued to campaign in California for a few days but later shifted back to the strategically important states of Iowa and New Hampshire for the rest of the month.

In the ad, Dodd also criticized his fellow Democratic candidates by stating, "We can't simply wait for a new president.

We should have the conviction to stand up to this one,"[26] In Washington, Dodd was exposed to debate on the Iraq War Spending Bill and new videos from al-Qaeda's second in command Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The campaign encouraged voters to confront politicians with video cameras and ask them to talk about Iraq and to support the "Dodd Amendment" which would have required American troops to start redeployment in 30 days.

[30] The campaign released a new advertisement on June 16 entitled "Amazing Grace" which focused on Dodd's time in the Peace Corps.

[31] As June came to a close Dodd made his final appearance of the month at a forum in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, the first time he visited the state which moved up its primary dates, causing a controversy with the DNC.

When asked about his position on gay marriage, he stated: I've made the case, Anderson, that -- my wife and I have two young daughters, age 5 and 2.

Dodd stated on August 1, "I am deeply troubled by the incredible amount of consolidation occurring across the American media landscape.

I've stood with labor in banning outsourcing of jobs, of offset contracts, of situs picketing, on plant closing legislation."

O'Reilly chastised Dodd and branded him a traitor for his perceived betrayal of fellow Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman during the 2006 Senatorial election.

[41] As Dodd began the September campaign in Nevada and New Hampshire the stage was being set in Florida for a debate on Hispanic issues.

During the testimony of General David Petraeus, he lashed out against the surge policy stating:[42] In the eight months since President Bush’s announced the surge, we have spent tens of billions of dollars, over 700 American service men and women have sacrificed their lives, and nearly 4,400 have been wounded—all to provide breathing space for the Iraqi Government to engage in political reconciliation.

And what has the Iraqi Government done with this breathing space?At the same time the website MoveOn.org released an ad that slammed General Petraeus, calling him a traitor.

[43] Returning to the campaign trail, Dodd made stops in Iowa where he started what would be a later October trend by attacking the frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

He talked about the need for the United States to redeploy troops out of Iraq, pay attention to global warming and health care, strengthen American ties with their allies including Pakistan and to not start a war with Iran further criticizing Clinton's yes vote on a resolution designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.

During a November 15 debate in Las Vegas he spoke out in favor of free trade and attacked his fellow candidates:[47] Well, first of all, look: I respect the fact that we're calling for timeouts, but as was pointed out earlier by John Edwards, we've had Senator Obama and Senator Clinton both came out in support of the Peruvian free trade agreement -- now switching our positions on these issues here for the convenience of a debate and discussion on where polling data may be.

It was outrageous in a sense here -- had a U.S. corporation produced contaminated toys or food, they would have been shut down in 20 minutesWhile on the trail in Iowa on November 20 Dodd criticized fellow candidates who threatened to cut off funding to Pakistan in light of President Pervez Musharraf's suspension of the constitution.

He also made a statement on why he felt he was the best choice for president and why he should receive the endorsement of the Des Moines Register, which ultimately went to Hillary Clinton.

It's about choosing the best candidate who can win and who can lead our country.Following the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Dodd released a statement while campaigning that elaborated on his experiences with the slain leader.

I think we all knew from the very beginning that ... this would be an uphill battle...only when you try can you truly make a difference in this world, and I'm truly glad I tried.The Dodd campaign had raised $13,598,152 overall, spent $9,723,278 leaving $3,874,874 cash on hand.

[53] On October 26, the New London's The Day reported that through September Dodd's campaign received $21,600 from employees of Connecticut's Foxwoods Casino and an additional $2,300 from the Mashantucket Pequot's political action committee.

On October 24, in a speech before an International Association of Fire Fighters conference, he criticized the Bush Administration's failure to fully fund first responders battling the massive wildfires in Southern California.