The Kennedy clan is the nearest thing that the USA has to a royal family. They don't have to prove themselves - they surely deserve whatever honors are bestowed upon them.

That, at least, is the view of the entire State of Massachusetts as well as a frightening portion of the rest of New England. Whether New York feels that way?

How DARE you question her suitability to office. Don't you realize that she's a KENNEDY?

There ought to be a law that bars any descendant of Joseph and Rose Kennedy from ever holding political office again.

As a New Yorker, I can say that NY loves dynastic politics with a baffling lockstep fervor. Rockefeller, Cuomo, Clinton, and now a Kennedy, just to name a few in the last 50 years. While I'm appalled that Caroline Kennedy has the arrogance to think she deserves the vacant Senate seat, it's not all that surprising. But if Princess Caroline gets coronated to the Senate after a lifetime of being nothing more than a classier Paris Hilton, I suspect that (particularly Upstate,) there'll be a huge hue and cry from the masses, especially given NY's current fiscal crisis.

http://tinyurl.com/87wdhj

The letters to the editor in the Syracuse Post Standard were uniformly unfavorable following her recent visit to test the waters. Her reception was like the weather, chilly. Recently, it was revealed that she actually works a few hours a day for some foundation. Perhaps that will clinch it for her.

I can only think of one person less deserving of the appointment, and that would be our ex-Governor, Elliot Spitzer. (He was never convicted of anything.)

Caroline Kennedy? Surely I've died and gone to hell, because the jokes aren't funny anymore.

Question: What do you think makes a person a good choice for the Senate?

Another question: Can you demonstrate that Caroline K. Schlossberg is less suited for the job than {pick an incumbent}? Will she really drag the Senate down?

Call me cynical, but I'm watching people with a high opinion of themselves (not you, of course) claim that a person who has done more than they is still unqualified.

Check the gap between Mr. Obama and Caroline. Not much of one, hm?

That low rumbling along the Hudson? That's Daniel Patrick Moynihan spinning ever faster in his grave.

First, he was succeeded by that prissy lightweight, Hillary Clinton. Now, Caroline K. Schlossburg is being seriously considered to occupy his chair.

I'm off to buy a really big bottle of Bushmill's.

>>But if Princess Caroline gets coronated to the Senate after a lifetime of being nothing more than a classier Paris Hilton...

Kim,
Totally non-snarky question.

Is your "nothing more than..." swipe a fair (if snippy!) assessment?

I ask as a resident alien in NY. My untutored impression is that Caroline K isn't the worst of the clan by a long shot (and I've now read Crid's interesting link here) but I'm missing why she is obviously destined to be woeful in the job?

Jody:

Just because Caroline isn't the worst of her well-connected clan doesn't mean that she's entitled to a Senate seat because her father and uncle were murdered in a spectacularly public fashion 40+ years ago. Caroline Kennedy is nothing more than a garden-variety socialite, who has never had a job weighty or important enough to merit serious consideration for the high-powered position she arrogantly seems to think she should be considered for. Go ahead and pick the most high-powered business in your immediate area, and apply for a senior VP position. Be sure to tell them your sole qualifications are that you have a family prone to spectacular crimes and fuckups, a 25+ year old J.D. you never put to use, some sundry charity work, and that you're a really nice person. Oh, but even though you're going for the name recognition factor regarding your aforementioned crime-ridden fuckup family, you're one of the better ones, and you're sure you won't suck too badly at the high-powered job and attending responsibilities that you would like to be handed to you after having absolutely no relevant experience. Let me know how that works out for you.

And then let me know why Caroline Kennedy's arrogantly absurd Senatorial bid should be treated any differently.

Why DO folks "back east" have such a hard-on for the Kennedy's, anyway?

"Why DO folks "back east" have such a hard-on for the Kennedy's, anyway? "

As a resident of the Northeast, I have no idea. If you find out, let me know!

No matter how much Joe Senior achieved in every field her pursued (including tail), the Brahmins in Beantown would never accept him as a social equal because he was Irish. Voters can relate.

> why she is obviously destined
> to be woeful in the job?

Because she dopesn't like people, and the United State Senate is a gig for populists.

Thanks for reminding me of Moynihan. Makes me feel a little better just to think of him.

Is she really worse than anyone else up there? She hasn't done anything to prove herself spectacularly stupid yet, so that's a plus in her favor. Many who are already seated there have.

At this point, I don't want a professional politician. I'd rather have the most profound fuckups possible. It can't get much worse.

Especially if they have a very split agenda.

One of the founding fathers made a comment about don't let the lawyers take control of the government. How true it is.

I have had this question over qualifications since way before the elections... exactly what do people think qualifies you to be in government? For the senate you need to be 30 years old, a US citizen, and hopefully have an IQ above a turnip, right? What exactly are the qualifications everyone seems to go on about? I work in the corporate world, and I have seen vp's and upper management that have thirty years experience doing this or that, masters and doctoral degrees and such, and yet be TOTALLY INCAPABLE OF MAKING A GOOD DECISION. Executive assistants with more intelligence than they. And yet eveyone seems to think they are good for the company and that experience must count for something.

Congresspeople in both houses listen to stuff and make decisions based on the ideas and evidence they hear, nothing more. The same thing you probably do every day in your job. In addition they are able to charm and schmooze people into giving them money, and voting for them. Sounds like a con-artist to me. As the debacle with the bailout shows, their powers of decision making are no better, and sometimes worse than you or I. There are career politicians that have made one bad decision after another, and are yet re-elected all the time. The big reason we have so many fupducks in congress is precisely because they have made the average person BELIEVE they cannot be there, that it is the province of politicians. Just like in high school it is a popularity contest sans qualifications, but nobody wants to see it. Why do you think Dodd and those guys were pressuring Fannie Mac to had out loans to people who couldn't get them? Don't they sit down at their kitchen table and figure out a budget? Their lack of common sense or their overabundance of greed caused a great deal of the bank meltdown. All these supposedly smart, qualified people did. Is THAT what we are arguing?

Plain and simple, this should be an election, true enough, except who is going to pay for it, and how fast can it be done? We have the same issue in Colorado over Salazar leaving to go to O's Administration. I think the appointments are purely mandated by the logistics of everything, and the length of time elections take. That could be fixed if you appointed someone for the interim until an election could be had, and then the new voted in person would be able to either finish out the term, or perhaps they should have a full normal term.

I ain't buyin the qualification thing... Too much of politician qualification is based on basic decision making, and incumbents are rarely punished for bad ones, so how much stock do people really put in that?

Excuse me. Mrs. Schlossberg kept her maiden name when she married, so Caroline Kennedy is the proper appellation.

Whatever ability she has. I know a buncha people I'd rather see seated.

>>One of the founding fathers made a comment about don't let the lawyers take control of the government. How true it is.

Jim P,
But I thought about half of the founding fathers were lawyers?

She's not qualified to be a Senator but she has the last name. Sometimes that is all that matters.

I don't believe Sarah Palin was ready (first day on the job) to be the President (by virtue of the VP position - a heart beat away from McCain), I find the media back and forth on qualifications and entitlements so interesting in contrast with that seen now with Ms. Kennedy. It is a different standard all together...

A jokester on NPR this weekend said that in her adult life, she' preferred to be known as Ms. Caroline Kennedy-Schlossberg. But now that she's pursuing public office, she wants to be known as Ms. Caroline Kennedy-Schlossberg-Kennedy.

Well, she did graduate from Harvard, and has a law degree - just to make the point that she's in no way comparable to Paris Hilton, who hasn't even been to college.

That said, I think the scary part is that the Kennedy political machine has so much clout. I read how it was really former Kennedy advisors who convinced Obama to run and were basically behind his successful campaign. The fact that Caroline Kennedy has never shown any interest in political office until now smells kind of funny. Is there a broader political agenda here?

"What do you think makes a person a good choice for the Senate?"

50.1% or more of the relevant votes.

"Can you demonstrate that Caroline K. Schlossberg is less suited for the job than {pick an incumbent}?"

Yes. Never having received a single vote, let alone 50.1%.

"Will she really drag the Senate down?"

Meybe, maybe not, but democracy does suffer a bit. I care more about that than the Senate.

"I'm watching people with a high opinion of themselves (not you, of course) claim that a person who has done more than they is still unqualified."

Done more with what? A woman with $60 million or so behind her and the Kennedy name will "do more" by virtue of those two things than 99.999% of humanity. Not exactly a big accomplishment, really, given those two advantages. Show me the single mom who put herself through medical school on loans and pluck and I will show you someone deserving of more accolades than the rich, connected, feted Ms. Kennedy.

"Check the gap between Mr. Obama and Caroline. Not much of one, hm?"

See above re 50.1%. That makes all the difference in a democratic nation.

I think this is a fucking brilliant move to keep the Kennedy dynasty alive. And the democratic party has a lot to gain by it. Had she run in an actual election, she might not have one by name recognition along. But slipping her in as a temporary and shes as good as gold to win. Shes relatively young, she's hot - she's a she in to replace Ted. Barring an accident, she could be in for the next twenty, thirty years.

That said, I could handle seeing that dynasty fade. The whole notion that the woo-spewing nutjob, Bobby almost got health and human services is fucking insane. I get why they're so popular, I just wish they were somewhat more deserving of it.

Of course she could turn out fucking great - I hope so. Because if the info on her wiki page is any indication, I do believe she's being prepped for a potential presidential bid.

Spartee -

Much as I would like to see the Kennedy name disappear from the public, this is how senate vacancies are usually filled. There is nothing particularly undemocratic about it.

That said, I think it's kind of scary if they're thinking what I suspect they're thinking.

Oy, that should have read: She's relatively young, she's hot - she's a shoe in to replace Ted.

All the above said, she's also apparently not keen on revealing her finances. Not that she has to as an appointment, but her reticence doesn't bode well for her actually getting the appointment.

"Well, she did graduate from Harvard, and has a law degree - just to make the point that she's in no way comparable to Paris Hilton, who hasn't even been to college."

If you are in the privileged crowd, as the Kennedy clan certainly is, you can graduate from Harvard by occasionally showing up at classes. There is no University more oriented towards serving (or should that be "servicing"?) the elite political circles.

Spartee, you used the fallacy, "appeal to popularity", and so your point fails.

You know you weren't answering the question.

Greetings all (especially you Amy),

I won't leave my opinion of whether or not Caroline Kennedy is or is not qualifed as a senator--those who know me would probably be shocked that I don't have an opinion on her qualifications. (gasp!)

What I do want to comment on is the mistaken notion that we live in a "democracy"--we don't. We live in a "republic"--a REPRESENTATIVE democracy. True democracy is when every person has a vote about every single issue--and as inefficient as a republic is, a true democracy is even more so--do you really want to have to vote on EVERYTHING? I know there are things we all wish we had a vote on, but come on! Have you ever watched C-SPAN? I can find more entertaining things to do like flossing my toes or counting the gravels in my driveway.

But from the ORIGINAL framework of the U.S. Constitution the only national office people actually directly voted for was their U. S. Representative--not president...not senator..just the representative.

Even now you don't actually vote for president--you vote for representatives called electors who vote for you--but the rise of the two party system kinda took the intent of the founding fathers out of the picture with that part--you vote for your states electors to all vote for the same person that you want--not for people to consider the candidates and decide for you the way it was originally intended. And every presidential election there are tons of people who fuss about the electoral college....this year less than most because it wasn't really close.

Until 1913, you didn't directly vote for U.S. Senator either--they were "elected" by their respective state legislatures. So for about the first half of our nation's history the way senators were chosen was completely foreign to what we know today. But even now, when there is a vacancy, the 17th amendment to the U.S. Constitution says, "When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct."

That is a bunch of legalese to say that the governor can be allowed to appoint a temporary replacement until an election can be held. Is that a democracy? No, but it is a republic, because an elected representative--the governor--is the one making the choice. And if you are worried about that guy making such choices, don't elect him (I'm talking to you state of Illinois!).

Ok. I'm done now. I realize that something as dry as this should come with a complimentary drink or be covered in gravy or something, but frankly, I haven't figured out how to do that here. Maybe you can pretend you have a complimentary drink. While you're at it, pretend it was actually interesting also...

Yes, of course, she'd get into Harvard anyway - all the Kennedys can. My cousin was there at the same time as Caroline and was in a few classes with her. So, she still had to show up to class.

I'm not saying she's the brightest bulb, just that she's no Paris Hilton. I'd like to see Paris Hilton get through even one class at Harvard.

I think we can all assume she's got something on Paris Hilton. It's not like that's setting a very high bar. My buddy's pit bull has something on Paris, and she likes to run into walls on occasion (the dog, though Paris might too).

I don't dislike Caroline Kennedy, but she was born on third base and has been waiting for someone else to hit a homer so that she could walk into home for her entire life. I'm not sure that she's ever had to fight for anything.

I'd like to see Paris Hilton get through even one class at Harvard.

Paris could get through several classes at Harvard College. (Not Mansfield's classes, and not science and math classes, but there are plenty of other classes.) The trick is getting in, and while being a Kennedy is of immense importance there, I'll point out that JFK Jr. (apparently) couldn't get in. Does anyone doubt that, if he had lived, he'd have eventually been touted for some open Senate seat? (Though I well admit that he did more daring things in his life than Caroline has in hers. Starting a magazine isn't an easy task.)

Yes, but what home base? It seemed that she was already home - with her husband and kids, out of the spotlight. She never showed any ambition towards politics - ever. If she was waiting for that home run, she sure took her time. She could've easily accomplished it when she was younger. No one would've questioned her lack of experience much then.

And I don't know if her life has really been as easy as we might assume. Yes, she's had money, but losing her father in such a terrible way, then always being in the shadow of her more glamorous mother and brother probably wasn't easy.

My cousin told me about being in the bathroom with her once at Harvard, and you know, she couldn't even pee without it being some major event. All the other women were like, "That's Caroline Kennedy in the stall peeing!"

Honestly, it must be weird growing up like that.

From my vantage point across the pond, the possible offer to Ms Kennedy is simply a reward to the dynasty that threw its hat and moneys into your president elect's ring. Our polical power is bought in a much more private office. Similarly we spend lots of money on it and get no change.

I couldn't agree more...especially about Abilene Texas. We must moved to the area and were able to do so thanks to our VA Mortgage Abilene program setup by one of my husband's friends.