I just saw Steve Clemons, publisher of the political blog, The Washington Note, make the following argument on the Rachel Maddow show against Caroline Kennedy being appointed to Hillary Clinton's US Senate seat from New York: "Can she get grilled by bloggers?" Clemons asked Rachel. His apparent and unwarranted assumption that Caroline Kennedy cannot withstand such grilling is some kind of evidence, in Clemons and I guess Rachel Maddow's thinking, that Caroline Kennedy should not be appointed.
Now, I can well understand, as someone who writes a fair number of blogs myself, why someone with a political blog would think that the "grilling" it might give a new Senator is somehow an important indicator of whether she or he would make a good Senator.
But here are a few other factors which seems slightly more important: Can she inspire and lead by her example? Doe she have the intellect to make sage decisions, and the moral courage to stand up for them? Does she understand power, and thereby how to work with it, around it, beyond it, to give the people of New York and the United States the best possible representation in the upper house of our Congress?
Caroline Kennedy's life and work suggest that she is strong in all of those areas.
And, if she is not, there is another group - not bloggers - that will be "grilling" her in just two years, when she must stand for election, and two years after that, when she would need to run for that Senate seat again - the voters of New York.
"Can she get grilled by bloggers?" If they are on the level of analysis you showed on Rachel Maddow's show tonight, Mr. Clemons, I would hope that Caroline Kennedy or anyone in office would ignore you.
4 comments:
Here's what fascinates me about this situation:
The 51-year-old woman under scrutiny is a graduate of Harvard. Her 51-year-old rival who not under scrutiny is a graduate of Fordham.
This woman who needs to be grilled got her law degree at Columbia University.
The man who does not need to be grilled, got his law degree at Albany University.
The woman she would replace had no more or less experience than she does going in.
Her political view are very much in line with the vast majority of New Yorkers.
What could possibly be the problem?
The problem is some people are tone-deaf to the cosmos - see my earlier post.
I would support Caroline Kennedy regardless of where she earned her degrees. Inspiration, leadership, intelligence, moral courage have little to do with college degrees.
If Caroline would were not a Kennedy we would not be having this conversation. Our founding fathers were anti-dynasty. They did not want a few powerful families holding the reigns of power in this country. The senate seat should not be handed to someone based on upon their last name. Rep. Carolyn MacCarthy is a far better choice. If Caroline Kennedy really wants that senate seat she can wait two years and run for it in an election.
Jen, I understand your point. I'm afraid you don't understand mine.
Caroline Kennedy is someone unique in this country and the world - the daughter of one of the most inspiring leaders in the 20th century, in both America and the world. A leader who was assassinated, as was his brother.
In part because of that, in part because of her intellect and courage already demonstrated, Caroline Kennedy has an unique capacity to inspire and lead.
If you don't see that, I guess there's nothing more I can say to convince you. But I predict that, if our governor does appoint her, she will have a powerful impact on this country and the world that few if any others could bring.
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