I had already asked the question a couple of weeks ago: what on earth qualifies Caroline Kennedy to be a US Senator?
Well, you know, it seems, you know, that a great many people are, you know, asking that same question.
I'm not suggesting that, with some of the right experience, Kennedy couldn't BECOME qualified, but as of this writing, she is no more qualified to be a Senator then she is to perform a small-bowel resection.
You know?
Say goodnight, Caroline: How JFK's daughter flubbed the audition to become the next Senator Kennedy Updated Sunday, December 28th 2008, 1:02 PM
In the beginning, just three long weeks ago, the idea 
of Caroline Kennedy being a United States senator had a certain ring to it. The Camelot myth still has shelf life and a merger with the historic Obama presidency provided an intriguing story line.
Kennedy would replace Hillary Clinton, one leading lady following another on a stage where name recognition often substitutes for merit. The narrative was tailor-made for the fever chambers of celebrity-obsessed media and the bandwagon quickly picked up speed.
Some top Democrats were certain Gov. Paterson, a close-to-the vest electorat
e of one, would find Kennedy irresistible now and as a running mate in two years. All others were chopped liver next to her sudden star power.
But a strange thing is happening on the way to the coronation. The wheels of the bandwagon are coming off. Fantasy is giving way to inescapable truth.
That truth is that Kennedy is not ready for the job and doesn't deserve it. Somebody who loves her should tell her.
Her quest is becoming a cringe-inducing experience, as painful to watch as it must be to endure. Because she is the only survivor of that dreamy time nearly 50 years ago, she remains an iconic figure. But in the last few days, her mini-campaign has proved she has little to offer New Yorkers except her name.
Her handlers and family enablers insist she feels no entitlement to the Senate job, yet there is no other possible reason to give it to her. Her name is the sole reason she even dares go for it. Camelot must be Gaelic for chutzpah.
New York can do better.
There is no denying the situation is odd. No one quite knows how to garner Paterson's approval or what his vetting process is. He hasn't even endorsed the sensible idea of public forums and debates, which would give voters a way to participate.
2 comments:
There's an excellent article at The Weekly Standard called "Inherit the What?" about what the Kennedy namebrand has come to mean...
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/950ooapt.asp
In short, it's interesting that Caroline Schlossberg (sic) nee Kennedy, is running in the name of Jack and Bobby, when she couldn't be more different than both of them. That article is some of the best analysis of this entire affair to date. Definitely worth a read....
Unfortunately, I would have to bet you a Buffalo Nickel that she gets the nod for Hillary's Senate seat from the New York Gubnor anyway...
"Unfortunately, I would have to bet you a Buffalo Nickel that she gets the nod for Hillary's Senate seat from the New York Gubnor anyway..."
I'd bet the house you're dead on here, Chief. Why pick "qualified" over "glamorous?"
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