Reaction to Caroline Kennedy's decision to seek Hillary Clinton's Senate seat ranged from strong support to skepticism about her qualifications.
Kennedy won the support of the late New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan's family.
"It would be a blessing to have Caroline Kennedy as Senator. She is so brilliant, so funny, so serious about her work," Moynihan's daughter, Maura Moynihan, tells Huffington Post. "My father would be thrilled. I hope Governor Paterson knows how much my mother and I favor her candidacy."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was enthusiastic about Kennedy's entrance into the race when questioned about it last week.
"I hope she is interested in the Senate, I would love to serve with her," he told Politico. "She's a wonderful person," he added.
Michael Moore has yet to express an opinion on Kennedy's Senate ambition but he enthusiastically pushed her to be Obama's running mate during the presidential campaign, writing an open letter to her.
Yet some politicos and commentators were less than enthusiastic.
"I don't know what Caroline Kennedy's qualifications are," Rep. Gary L. Ackerman told a New York radio station last week. "Except that she has name recognition, but so does J.Lo."
Yet conservative commentators Fred Barnes and Mort Kondrake seemed fine with Kennedy's qualification as Senator, saying they have no objections to her candidacy. Asked on Fox News' "The Beltway Boys" about Ackerman's comment, Kondrake quipped, "Is J. Lo a worldwide ambassador on behalf of hunger?"
Columnists in the Albany Times-Union and Boston Globe were critical of her.
In a column titled "Not the best choice for senator," Boston Globe columnist Scot Lehigh wrote:
By all accounts, Caroline Kennedy is a fine person, revered within her tight circle of friends and family.
But a US Senate seat is one of the most important posts in the federal government. It is not a barony to be awarded as a political perk to the lightly experienced scion of a famous family.
Albany Times-Union columnist Fred LeBrun wrote:
And where else would Caroline Kennedy be seriously considered for a U.S. Senate seat, even for a millisecond? Have we lost our collective minds?...
So whose agenda is satisfied by appointing Caroline Kennedy the improbable junior senator from New York? Obama's and Ted Kennedy's, certainly. Senator Kennedy's endorsement of Obama came at a critical time in the war with Hillary, and may have tipped the balance. Another Senator Kennedy would be a nice payback. Except, of course, it was our senator who got burned by the Kennedy maneuver. I can't imagine if Hillary has anything to say in the matter that she would go along, because it would be a kick in the teeth for Caroline to follow her in office.
Other contenders that New York governor David Paterson could tap include New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Democratic Reps. Joseph Crowley , Carolyn B. Maloney and Jerrold Nadler , all of whom are New York City-based; Rep. Steve Israel of Long Island; and upstate Reps. Kirsten Gillibrand and Brian Higgins . Local officials deemed to be under consideration include Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi.
In polls, New Yorkers have positive perceptions of both Andrew Cuomo and Caroline Kennedy. 64% of New Yorkers say they have a favorable impression of Cuomo while 62% view Kennedy in a similar light, according to a recent poll.