New York Dynasty

So it's official: Caroline Kennedy does want to be the next Senator from New York. A shocking development. I mean it's not as though the departing Senator traded on a famous name to snare the seat herself, is it?

Comments

[ndm]

Even though she had a famous name, the carpet-bagging Hillary Clinton still had to win an election to become a Senator. I doubt Caroline Kennedy would win the Democratic Primary were she to seek election as a neophyte politico.

This is similar to the situation Arnold Schwarzenegger found himself in when he wanted to become Governor of California. It was accepted wisdom that Schwarzenegger was too liberal to win a Republican Primary so his only route to power was through the primary-avoiding special election that brought him to power.

It was clear from the get-go that Hillary Clinton had no real interest in the Senate and was only using her election as a means to advance her goal of election to the Presidency. A lack of interest she confirmed by the effort she expended in attaining a Cabinet position which might last only a few years. Similarly, Caroline Kennedy may perhaps have developed an interest in returning to the White House. (Just kidding - but Jesus H. Christ the United States has got to give up the nepotism that infests its political system.)

[MattF]

The Kennedy name has somewhat less magic (after forty years) than the Kennedy family thinks. A specific example was Chris Van Hollen's win in the Maryland 8th district over Mark Shriver, back in 2002:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/bal-te.md.congress11sep11,0,5018719.story

The 8th district was represented at the time by Connie Morella, who was the most liberal Republican in the House-- but the feeling was that if a real politician ran against her (rather than a Democratic apparatchik), she would lose. And she did.