Winning Hearts and Minds Online

Chris Dodd's online campaign talks specifics, and it teaches voters how to talk specifics too.

When lead-tainted toys flooded the U.S. market, Dodd called for suspending all imports of toys from China and asked people to call on the President to protect children from unsafe Chinese imports.

Children don't vote or make campaign contributions, but moms, dads, and grandparents do. Dodd caught my attention with this move and holds it with timely, action-oriented emails.

Dodd's recent "Four Down, Six to Go" email names the members of the Judiciary Committee who have expressed opposition to any FISA bill that provides telecommunications companies retroactive immunity. Moreover, it asks readers to contact the remaining Judiciary Committee members and ask them to do the same. Names, telephone numbers, and a sample conversation are provided through the clickable link to the web site.

Even if Dodd doesn't become President, he has become a politician I respect.