TIME: Caroline Kennedy's Shaky Quest for Camelot II

[question everything]

Caroline Kennedy's Shaky Quest for Camelot II
By KAREN TUMULTY
TIME

(snip)

For most people, the salient biographical fact about Caroline Kennedy — let alone the reason to seriously consider her candidacy for the Senate — is her last name. Being a Kennedy has not exactly proved to be an obstacle to success over the past century of American life. You would think that someone with the Kennedy political DNA would have a better understanding of her relative head start in life, but thus far, the only thing Caroline Kennedy has established is that she hasn't inherited the Kennedy charisma gene.

Her high-powered team of handlers is making sure she goes through the rituals, lunching with Al Sharpton in Harlem and calling on officials upstate. Behind the scenes, her Uncle Ted is making no secret of his desire to see his niece join him in the Senate and carry on the Camelot legacy. But Caroline's naturally reserved and cautious personality ("bookish," said one who has worked with her) is not an easy fit in a place where politics is a blood sport. Though her uncle Robert once held the very Senate seat that Kennedy now eyes, her own campaign experience has consisted primarily of giving speeches before adulatory audiences, most recently on behalf of Barack Obama. Acquaintances say they find it hard to picture Kennedy putting up with constant badgering by the Manhattan tabs and TV outlets, or immersing herself in the intricacies of the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact.

On policy questions, her answers have run from cautious to vague, except for her declared support for gay marriage. She does not appear to have given much thought to the specifics of what she would try to accomplish once in office — even on education, which presumably is her area of expertise, given the six years she spent as a volunteer raising money for the New York City public school system. In a contentious interview with the New York Times, she refused to engage in one of the hottest education debates of the day, declining to say whether she supported abolishing tenure for teachers and giving them merit pay instead.

Initial reports of Kennedy's interest in elective office — albeit through the route of being appointed to it — focused on her star power and drew comparisons with Hillary Clinton. But the reviews of her unsteady performance since then have critics likening her more to Sarah Palin. Kennedy, 51, never fails to mention her family's history of public service, but she has also had to explain why she failed to even vote in a number of contested elections in recent years, including one for the Senate seat that she now wants. And she is hardly a compelling speaker: according to a count by the British Daily Telegraph, she used the phrase "you know" 142 times in that interview with the New York Times. In a column headlined "Say Goodnight, Caroline," Michael Goodwin of the New York Daily News wrote that her audition thus far is becoming "a cringe-inducing experience, as painful to watch as it must be to endure."

(snip)


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1869208,00.html

[FrenchieCat]

1. Boy...the media folks love tearing her down, don't they?

I think they take a special relish in tearing down that Democrat.

They should ship her to us here in California, and we'll send New York our Diane Feinstein.

[question everything]

3. I, too, was appalled to hear her say "you know" so many times

with the best education that money can buy she should be more articulate. She really pales compare to Obama and to Clinton. How will she ever be able to perform in debates?

[SuperTrouper]

7. When she is Senator Kennedy (D, NY) she ought to keep the media at a distance

How interesting that the media was fawning over Sarah Palin but thanks to Tina Fey and Katie Couric we saw what an empty dress she was.

[saracat]

2. New York deserves better.

[Metric System]

4. Clintonites! Clintonites EVERYWHERE!!!!

[Beacool]

8. Too damn bad for the haters that we are the other half of the party.

Some think that by the mere election of Obama we would disappear. Well, we are everywhere: in his transition team, in his cabinet and in other posts too.

:7

[question everything]

18. And, if Caroline is the next senator

she will constantly have to bear the comparison to Hillary, and lose.

[Beacool]

23. She would because she's not a politician and it shows.

My main beef with Caroline being appointed is precisely that, that she would be appointed and not elected. If this was an election cycle, I would say go for ir and let the voters decide. But, it reeks when her main qualification for one of the most prominent elected jobs in the country is being named Kennedy and having endorsed the next president. If she wants to be a senator, fine, let her run for it in 2010. In the meantime, there are far more qualified people to fill that seat.

:shrug:

[AtomicKitten]

5. I am really ashamed of any Democrat that can't treat Caroline respectfully.

I'm afraid this disrespectful behavior is becoming too common in our society as a whole, but the gratuitous disrespect dished up on these boards toward the daughter of a slain president who raised her hand and wanted to serve illuminates the divide in this party that I don't think will ever be healed. This faction of the party has no resemblance to the Democratic Party I signed up for so many years ago.

[Clio the Leo]

6. here here. NT

[kskiska]

9. I second that.

[GarbagemanLB]

11. Just because someone doesn't think a person's last name should put them at the front of the line,

doesn't mean they are 'disrespecting' her.

[cali]

12. yes, yes. any criticism of her is completely gratuitous

she must be blindly adored.

[AndrewP]

14. Exactly! The tradition of Cumalot, I mean Camelot, must continue!

[Beacool]

24. Oh no, you didn't!!!

:rofl:

[ClarkUSA]

16. The same Democrats who are trashing Caroline don't treat anyone they oppose respectfully.

But you knew that. ;)

[paulk]

31. says the biggest Hillary hater on the board

I suppose the irony is lost on you...

[Bake]

17. Then I respectfully submit that Ms. Kennedy, with all due respect,

is utterly unqualified for the office.

Bake

[question everything]

20. Has it ever bothered you how much disrespect, worse, hatred and contempt

were shown toward Bill Clinton?

He was a good president. Was the first Democrat to be re-elected since FDR. The economy during his administration expanded across all income levels and he nominated two Supreme Court Justices that have kept the right-leaning court at bay. And he left with the highest approval rating.

And he rose to that position from humble origins in Arkansas.

How can you possible think that DNA is a good enough skill for someone to be a senator? This is not a PTA seat. She will represent a large and diverse state, most of the citizens she has never met, never shown interest in their lives and needs and would probably feel very uncomfortable being surrounded by them.

Her interviews so far are an embarrassment to her and to the memory of her father and, no doubt, debating will be just as bad.

[Retrograde]

25. Respect must be earned - repeatedly

Being born doesn't entitle you to it. Publicists and "listening tours" don't get it for you. Neither does a 2-year stint calling your friends for donations (and possibly taking credit for others work, as the Village Voice claims). She endorsed Obama: so did a lot of us. She campaigned for Obama: again, so did a lot of us, mostly with fewer resources.

If Kennedy wants to be a private person, that's her choice. If she wants to be a politician, that's also her choice. But the latter requires her to get out and, you know, get to know the people. All the people, even the rude, unwashed masses north of the Bronx.

[Marie26]

10. The media really hates her, huh? nt

[Baby Snooks]

13. "It's the dynasty, stupid..."

http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK+Library+and+Museum/News+and+Press/Senator+Kennedy+to+Donate+Bush+Honorarium+to+Profile+in+Courage+Award.htm

On top of the Bushes having "adopted" the Clintons you have the Bushes honoring the Kennedys and the Kennedys honoring the Bushes.

Maybe everyone is just tired of the dynasty. They serve each other. Not the American people. Wake up.

New York needs a senator. Not another member of a dynasty serving itself.

[ClarkUSA]

15. Can't wait for TIME's next story: Hillary and Bill's Doomed Quest for A Clinton Third Term

The title of this TIME story is amusing. Camelot II? I think not. She's not running for president.... yet. And even if she was,
her children are grown and her husband is no glamour puss. The editor is stretching for that analogy.

[question everything]

21. But this is why so many want her to get the seat. To have a Camelot II

and, apparently, there are who already are pushing for her to be the next President.

That "doomed quest" of the Clintons was over last June but Caroline's dream is still very much alive.

[WI_DEM]

19. Caroline's major mistake was being so public in wanting the appointment. It should have been played

more behind the scenes. It's just as bad as Jesse, Jr. in Illinois and his lust for that seat, which cost him in the end.

[ErinBerin84]

22. eh

I think just because of her name, it was impossible for people to keep it a secret. And once people knew she wanted it, they wanted her to be public since she has led a very private life. But I agree that the rollout has been unfortunate since a couple of the interviews went not so well, but I don't know if I've seen enough for me to deem her unfit to serve, IMO. It does suck for some others who want the seat, but there's a double edge sword to that. Less scrutiny or more publicity, etc. It is unusual since it is the governor's decision.

[NashVegas]

26. Yeah, Big Time Huge

I agree completely with that assessment.

[Number23]

27. Wow. Damning.

[Colobo]

28. The woman is not qualified for any public seat.

[OneBlueSky]

29. much as I like Caroline Kennedy, I have to admit that her verbal tics . . .

are embarrassing when you hear them . . . she has to get rid of the "um"s and the "you know"s if she's going to become an accomplished public speaker -- pretty much a prerequisite for anyone entering politics . . .

[cap]

30. in defense of Caroline

we need a female media draw to counter Palin. Hillary is getting old and the other Democratic women are competent but don't have the proverbial "star power" to get a media frenzy going.

You notice that there's no Palin stories when the spotlight's on Caroline. The best they can do is compare Caroline's problems to Palin's. Caroline will overcome her problems with a good speech coach. When her male relatives started to run for office, they went through the same thing. Everyone said that they were trading on a name, which they were. But after they got into office, they proved themselves. Caroline will do likewise. Caroline has written 4 books: 2 on the Constitution and 2 on politics.

Caroline does soak up Palin's oxygen. There aren't any stories running about Palin when Caroline's on the scene. If we didn't get something going on the women's scene in Democratic politics, we would be hearing media spin Palin and her kids ad nauseum.

Caroline is a feminist. We don't have too many feminists who are media draws.