American politics have changed into a rougher and tougher sport. Just having a Kennedy name doesn’t automatically catapult a person to Congress, as we’ve found out that having a Clinton name doesn’t automatically elect a person to the White House. Caroline Kennedy has publicly declared interest in filling Hillary Clinton’s senate seat in New York, and she’s already touring the state to garner support (and headlines).
It’s true that NY is, nominally, a Democratic state. But upstate success is a recent phenomenon, and with no economic improvement despite endless promises from Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson, that worm may be ready to turn. Al D’Amato won three terms in the Senate by nurturing class and cultural resentments against Manhattanites with accomplishments like Javits, Holtzman, Green and Abrams.
In what way doesn’t Caroline Kennedy fit that mold, without the accomplishments?
Best of luck, Caroline…
