American Monarchy is Alive and Well

[Truth2Tell]

As usual, Glenn Greenwald at Salon.com articulates the obvious better than anyone.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/12/03/aristocracy/index.html">Nepotistic succession in the political class

Bill Clinton yesterday was forced to deny speculation that he would be appointed to replace his wife in the U.S. Senate. Leading candidates for that seat still include John F. Kennedy's daughter (Caroline), Robert Kennedy's son (RFK, Jr.), and Mario Cuomo's son (Andrew). In Illinois, a leading contender to replace Barack Obama in the Senate is Jesse Jackson's son (Jesse, Jr.). In Delaware, it was widely speculated that Joe Biden would be replaced by his son, Beau, and after Beau took his name out of the running because he's now serving in Iraq, the naming of the actual replacement -- lone-time (Joe) Biden aide Ted Kaufmann -- "upset local Democrats who believe the move was a ham-handed attempt to engineer the election of Biden’s son, Beau, to the Senate in 2010."

Meanwhile, in Alaska, Lisa Murkowski, who was appointed by her father to take his seat in the U.S. Senate when he became Governor, yesterday warned Sarah Palin not to challenge her in a 2010 primary, a by-product of tension between those two as a result of Palin's defeat of Lisa's dad for Governor. In Florida, Mel Martinez's announcement that he won't seek re-election in 2010 immediately led to reports that the current President's brother, Jeb, might run for that seat. And all of that's just from the last couple of weeks.

The Senate alone -- to say nothing of the House -- is literally filled with people whose fathers or other close relatives previously held their seat or similar high office (those links identify at least 15 current U.S. Senators -- 15 -- with immediate family members who previously occupied high elected office). And, of course, the current President on his way out was the son of a former President and grandson of a former U.S. Senator.

Isn't this all a bit much? It's true that our political/media class in general is intensely incestuous and nepotistic. Virtually the entire neoconservative "intelligentsia" (using that term as loosely as it can possibly be used) is one big paean to nepotistic succession -- the Kristols, the Kagans, the Podhoretzes, Lucinanne Goldberg and her boy. Upon Tim Russert's death, NBC News excitedly hired his son, Luke. Mike Wallace's son hosts Fox's Sunday show. The most influential political opinion space in the country, The New York Times Op-Ed page, is, like the Times itself, teeming with family successions and connections. Inter-marriages between and among media stars and political figures -- and lobbyists, operatives and powerful political officials -- are now more common than arranged royal marriages were among 16th Century European monarchs.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/12/03/aristocracy/index.html">Continued here...

Is family succession really a healthy feature of a functioning democracy?

:shrug:

[anonymous171]

1. It's good politics though.Those people have connections.

[amdezurik]

2. um, what?

None of the first examples given are related to Hillary AFAIK so how does that relate?

[Truth2Tell]

3. The point is that Hillary herself is related to someone. nt

[amdezurik]

18. OMG she has FAMILY!!!!!

off to Gitmo with her then!

[Truth2Tell]

20. Actually, I was referring to her son...

Batboy.

[amdezurik]

27. ah gotcha, you're just a reverse PUMA

welcome to ignore dipso

[Muttocracy]

4. I'm expecting a Bill Clinton v. Laura Bush race for Hillary's seat

:hide:

Seriously, I'd love to see Maurice Hinchey get it, but know it's unlikely.

I hate the dynasty stuff. A particular sore spot among me and at least a few other NY staters on DU.

I actually thought the decision in Delaware was a good one. Joe Biden won the seat, and his chief of staff will pretty much vote and work as Joe would have (minus seniority) until the actual election in 2010, and Kaufmann has been clear he doesn't want to run then. I think that's fairer than any other appointment would have been. I hope Beau takes his own career path and focuses on his Atty General job and his family in the next few years.

It seems to me like every state should have very short term appointments for Senate vacancies and a real election as soon as possible.

[zorahopkins]

7. I Like Dynasty Stuff, Too.

Linda Evans and Joan Collins *ere FABULOUS in that series!

Isn't it a shame they took it off the air?

note: I am protesting the continuing occupation of OUR *hite House by the illegal and totally corrupt Bush/Cheney regime, and so I REFUSE to use the letter bet*een "V" and "X".

[Bake]

9. Deja vu! I could swear I've seen this post before

Hell, this entire thread.

Bake

[zorahopkins]

11. *RONG! You're Thinking of Dallas

Sorry, but you must be thinking of an entire season of Dallas.

It *as all just a dream.

note: In protest of the continuing occupation of OUR *hite House by the corrupt and illegal Bush/Cheney regime of thugs and cronies, I REFUSE to use the letter bet*een "V" and "X".

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. They're kinda like Mafia "families".

Jockeying for power, eliminating opponents, exchanging "favors", and, of course getting very rich. The difference being that the job comes with in-place enforcers, the FBI, CIA, etc.

[Nye Bevan]

6. John Adams was no monarchist

but his son still became president.

At the risk of stating the obvious, it's not a monarchy if the "successor" has to be elected. If the voters don't want the spouse/son/daughter/etc. in the senate they don't have to vote for them. But UK residents who don't want William to be King are out of luck.

[Truth2Tell]

12. OK, monarchy is hyperbole.

But the fact that American voters are inclined to support the family members of well-known politicians is a reflection of how celebrity and name driven our political/media process is. Among 300 million Americans, there are surely many thousands who are equal, if not more qualified for these offices. But because of the way our system dysfunctions they don't stand a chance against political celebrity.

[Nye Bevan]

17. They *do* stand a chance

In 1992 Barack Obama was a community organizer and college lecturer and Hillary Clinton was the First Lady. There are many political systems throughout the world where he would indeed not have stood a chance against her in a future presidential race; however, our system was not one of those.

[Truth2Tell]

19. Their chances are relatively much lower.

Pun intended. :)

[Muttocracy]

26. Aristocracy or Plutocracy? Can't keep my ocracies straight. nt

[Truth2Tell]

29. And then there's the Oligarchy.

It's all so confusing and cross-bred.

[Muttocracy]

31. oh yes, I like the word oligarchy, esp. oil oligarch - fun to say :)

[Captain Hilts]

32. Well...

FDR: No comment.
ER: Carry a big stick and make no comment.

[Greyhound]

8. It's how America works, it's always pretty much the same.

Look at any board of directors in a large cap corporation or all of them for that matter. The parasite class reserves all the top spots for their relatives.

[Nye Bevan]

10. It could be genetics

There are many major league baseball players whose fathers were also players. Obviously this is not the result of favoritism or nepotism, but good genes for playing the game. Similarly, there may be a gene for political skills, charisma, and the ability to win elections. In this case Chelsea Clinton will have inherited 2 copies of this gene and will almost certainly become president one day.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. That's the standard excuse for every instance of nepotism.

"In this case Chelsea Clinton will have inherited 2 copies of this gene and will almost certainly become president one day."

lulz

[dmr]

30. 'The ability to win elections' gene - that's the inherited network of connections n/t

[ShortnFiery]

14. It's fucking DISGUSTING. We broke from England partly because we refuse ROYALTY.

In the USA there should be no Political ROYALTY and/or Caste system. They're hyenas ... scum. :puke:

Out of the lot, my respect goes to Biden's son. He's going back to Iraq because he has integrity and a true sense of duty. :patriot:

[librechik]

15. Yeah--this crap is what pisses me off about Russert Jr.

He's a nice young man and all, but they gave him his own show before he even graduated from college (with James Carville on Sat radio)

Does anyone know how hard it is to get an on-air position broadcasting? Lots of people here have devoted their lives and fortunes to try, only to fail for no reason whatsoever except that the station manager doesn't like chicks. Or blacks. Or liberals. Or anyone over the age of 30. or maybe the station manager wants to kiss ass with his boss and hire a relative of the guy, just to polish the apple.

Whatever happened to our healthy, skeptical meritocracy? That used to be our hallmark as Americans. We have been propagandized out of that by cheap media gossip.

[zalinda]

16. What?

Why is it okay when a doctor's son/daughter becomes a doctor? Or a lawyer marrying a lawyer and producing little lawyers? But heaven forbid that a politician's offspring go into politics..... Think of all the other professions where children follow parents, genetics? Or are they doing what they've heard talk about and familiar with all their lives.

zalinda

[Truth2Tell]

22. I have no issue with any of these individuals entering politics.

It's perfectly OK with me. My point is that a disproportionate number of family members of politicians end up winning office thanks to our broken democratic system. They end up with an advantage because of the shallow celebrity-driven nature of our political process. IMO.

[Luminous Animal]

24. Bad analogy...

Doctors and lawyers still have to pass rigid exams in order to practice their trade, thus those professions will not be perceived as a hereditary right.

[Chulanowa]

21. It's not really monarchal succession however

These men and women are not entitled to those seats. They have lots of advantages, but still rely on the electorate to put them there.

[Truth2Tell]

23. *sigh* I guess I can't use hyperbole around here.

But then again, what about this?

Looks like a throne to me. :shrug:



Edit to add: My favorite part of this picture is the chem-trails out the cell window. :rofl:

[Forkboy]

25. While it's not really a Monarchy, I have little doubt some Americans would be content with one.

[SoCalDem]

28. The grisly residue of non-term limited legislators

The absence of term limits, allows "stars" to stay on the stage for far too long, and to inflict their family members on the public..

It stifles progressive thinking, entrenches cliquish group-think, and is counter-productive to democracy.

[Captain Hilts]

33. If we just stop voting for people that went to Harvard or Yale, we'd solve much of this problem....

FDR
JFK
RFK
TK
CKS
Ford
GHWB
WJC
HRC
GWB
BHO
MRO

The entire Wash Post op-ed staff