Originally posted by: Genx87
We in this country seem to want a king\queen to look upto or blame. Withour system is about the closest we can get without a revolution. Instead of kings\queens we will get a political class where the same people are elected and looked upto.
Except that we are very much against a king and queen - who inherit their office.
We will give that sort of adulation to those who *earn* it - namely, the Kennedys. Of course there's a beloved status for the family with many in light of the tragic cutting short of their leadership of the nation - JFK after only 1,008 days and Robert before he could even get the presidency - but besides that, for what they *did*. It's the things JFK brought to the presidency that the country looks back on with such affection.
People generally understand the values Caroline Kennedy has, the legacy she respects and would represent, and they like those things about her.
Like him or not, whatever you think of Chapppaquiddick, expert opinion has long praised Ted Kennedy as one of the most effective US Senators we've had - a seat he was appointed to because he was the president's brother. Robert Kennery similarly was made Attorney General because he was the President's brother, who joked that he wanted Bobby to get some legal experience before entering the legal profession. He is controversial but widely seen as an outstanding Attorney General - before he was a carpetbagger Senator to the very seat we're discussing here for Caroline, and in which while not the effective 'Senator' Ted was, he did become a national leader for many causes.
It's not a 'king and queen' situation at all, with the history they have of doing so well for the nation. A dynasty, yes, but one of merit, not corruption or heredity.
The Kennedys have come to represent a family dedicated to public service, to helping those in need, to liberal values, whatever their private foibles.
JFK is regularly listed as one one the few most respected presidents in US history, and his daughter has not merely been his daughter, but has written at length and spoken out for decades about her own views on the issues in ways that show she is a strong advocate for them. This is honoring the leadership of the Kennedy family as they have served, rather than a corrupt 'using power to get more power' corrupt appointment.
I'm cautious about hereditary power. But people need to get past a knee-jerk, ignorant response, and actually look at the situation more thoroughly in reaching an opinion.
Of course, the bottom line is whether New Yorkers will choose her, and they have a history of selecting prominent family members for this seat, with Robert and Hillary, that have done well. I'm not a huge fan of Caroline Kennedy personally, but I think she would be great for our nation in being a voice for the good values her father and uncles represented, and I think it's an important set of values to perpetuate that have made our nation far better.
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