Kennedy To NYT Interviewers: You Should Write For "A Woman's Magazine"

Nicholas Confessore and David Halbfinger interviewed Caroline Kennedy for the New York Times this weekend and concluded that she is "less of a candidate than an idea of one." According to the interview transcript, published in full online, Kennedy wasn't very impressed either:

NC: Could you, for the sake of storytelling, could you tell us a little bit about that moment, like, where you were, what you said to [your husband] about your decision, how that played out?

CK: Have you guys ever thought about writing for, like, a woman's magazine or something? (Laughter)

DH: What do you have against women's magazines?

CK: Nothing at all, but I thought you were the crack political team here. As I said, it was kind of over a period of time, you know, obviously we talked about politics, we talked about what's going on, we've been watching the team that the president-elect is putting together -- Hillary Clinton is going to be a spectacular part of that team, you know, then there was a vacancy here, you know, just like everybody else, you know: who's going to fill it, isn't that interesting, there's a lot of great candidates, you know, obviously I have become much more politically involved than I have in the past, so you know, I figure, why not try, I really think I have something to offer.

Read the whole thing.

Comments

[JoeDoorman]

All this talk about is she qualified?
What does Congress have a 20% approval rating.
All of these "experienced" senators we have now have done a poor job at best.
Lets get some inexperienced people in there and maybe our do nothing Congress might start doing something.

And I can’t help thinking that the press still wants to see if can control people.
You know, live and die by the press. They have really gone after this woman, the word is out and the powers that be want her to fail. I’m really curious to see if the main stream media is as influential as it has been in the past.

[meko]

What exactly have Andrew Cuomo, Byron Brown, Carolyn Maloney, Thomas Suozzi, Nydia Velazquez, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Steve Israel done to convince you that they are less qualified than Caroline Kennedy? They've all won elections, served their constituents. None have been taken down by scandal. In that list are some of the most highly rated members of Congress. If they've been doing a good job so far, why assume that Caroline Kennedy would do a better job simply because she has no experience at all.

Maybe it's simply that people, progressive liberals included, want to give one of the more qualified people a chance to succeed. Being a non-practicing attorney, co-author, charity board member, and one-day-a-week fundraiser for the NYC schools would never be enough to get a person considered without family fame and wealth. Maybe some people believe in merit and democracy and a family name just isn't enough to win over everyone no matter how many publicists Caroline Kennedy hires.

[JoeDoorman]

It's her family name! It's her wealth! Andrew Cuomo is who we need!

ooooooh.... the irony of it all.

[editrix66]

I have always liked Caroline Kennedy, but I don't think she should be appointed to the Senate. If she had already been in New York politics, perhaps, but I do not think she has paid her dues. If she wants to run for Senate, let her run a campaign for it and get elected by the voters of New York, but don't ask to be appointed. I know she is educated, intelligent, and probably competent, but the Senate is not a place to send someone untested, especially when there are many qualified and experienced New York politicians who can serve the state.

[Bulbul]

Well, some are media favorite, Caroline Kenedy, is one of them, lucky her !
On the other hand, Hillary Clinton won NY senete inspite of her last name and being loathed by media and went on and ran for the highest office, which is history now.....

[Pulemerci]

If Sarah Palin ever responded to questions with a hundred or so "you knows" thrown in, she would be skewered by the media. Yet with a name like Kennedy, it doesn't matter. Hypocrites.

[nuclearmonkeys]

Look closer. Or are you too ensconced in your own personal reality to see the outcry from her possible appointment.

Caroline Kennedy is not as much of a lightweight as Palin (hell I probably know more about world affairs than she does), but she's still unqualified nonetheless.

[swo68]

Palin comes off as more intelligent than CK.

[AndThenOneDay]

Which hypocrites are you referring to? The media? Bloggers?

There's no 'would be skewered' that you need to hypothesize for Sarah Palin. She WAS skewered because she was applying to be one heart-beat away from the presidency as VP of the man that would have been the oldest president in history - and she couldn't competently answer basic questions, with or without 'you knows'.

Kennedy is applying to be 1 of 2 senators from NY. I'm not thrilled with her, but it's not her speech or her gender or her last name. If she runs for VP, ask me again.

[Pulemerci]

She was skewered because she was accomplished, conservative and attractive. Also because the media was in the tank for Obama. Even SNL made fun of how the press fell all over him and treated Hillary like a red-headed step child. Joe Biden was making a gaffe a minute and got a pass by the bloggers and the press. "That's just Joe being Joe." Governor Palin was (and still is for some reason) a favorite target of the bloggers and the media.

[eva belle]

Well,, at least she is not trying to run potentially for president...like someone we know..

[meko]

Better candidates include Andrew Cuomo, Byron Brown, Carolyn Maloney, Elizabeth Holtzman, Thomas Suozzi, Nydia Velazquez, Kirsten Gillibrand, Steve Israel. There are a lot of hard-working, talented, committed, experienced people who would be a credit to the role of senator.

They've all demonstrated a long-term interest in politics by taking action. They've been vetted (shared financial records and submitted to public scrutiny in elections). They've taken questions and challenges from the public and press. That's why an election legitimizes a candidate regardless of their previous experience, but a one-day-a-week fundraising job for the NYC schools does not.

Of the 38 contested elections since 1988, Kennedy skipped voting in about half. She gave $1000 in ten years to NY candidates. I doubt she was canvassing door-to-door either. Whatever her new found ideals, she hasn't demonstrated an ability to put them into action.

The more Caroline Kennedy is interviewed, the harder it is to avoid the conclusion that this is about a wealthy, famous, well-connected person who doesn't get why people are bothered by her PR push when they value learning things through hard work and experience and believe demonstrating your abilities is more important than the family you were born into. If she ran for State Senator, I'd feel quite differently. As it is, putting in an inexperienced heir over all the worthy people "in the pipeline" undermines democracy.

[glorialovelace]

"As it is, putting in an inexperienced heir over all the worthy people "in the pipeline" undermines democracy."

Exactly right.

[2horsefeathers]

the more she opens her mouth, you know, the more she loses. maybe she isn't as smart as everyone thinks.

she is completely inarticulate plus has no ideas - it's "I" "I" "I" just like John McCain

a law degree doesn't prove one's intellect, and she hasn't practice law or used it in any way, as far as i've seen in the press.... don't think you need a law degree to administer a foundation

[meko]

George W. Bush went to Yale and got an MBA from Harvard, and his dad wasn't even president yet at the time. Degrees from those schools mean a lot if you were let in as a middle-class or poor student. If you are rich, powerful and famous - not so much. I wonder what her GPA was.

[blaharumph]

you know? you know. uh, you know.... her GPA was, yous know... uh....

[blaharumph]

sort of like NY's own bevis and that other guy...uh, you know.

[PaxEterna]

Incoherent, inarticulate, uninformed, non-substantive ....but , you know, she is still "the best candidate."

On the basis of what? She's had three plus weeks to tell us, and the narrative gets murkier and murkier.

Those new found "relationships" she has in Washington?

She has one, maybe, with Obama, whatever that is about.

And then, of course, you know, there's the money - which she never mentions.

If she can't even make a case for herself, how is she going to represent real people with real needs, wants, and desires? Maybe she ought to go in the Peace Corps for a few years to get a beat on reality.

She doesn't need a speech coach, she needs a psychiatrist to get over her unbridled narcissism and delusions of grandeur.

Go for deep therapy, Caroline, and spare us further embarrassment.

[dax49]

this person sounds like they learned the republican talking points by rotes- kennedy's didn't get her money by stiffing the american public, like the bushes, the cheneys, or the reagans- and i might remind them that we are a government "by the people". what was reagans qualifications when he became governor- a "B" actor on his way down.

[2horsefeathers]

Pax Eterna makes perfect sense. S/he i is not spouting republican talking points.

I think any democrat would be embarrassed by her performances. And what does she stand for????

Kennedy money comes from bootlegging by the way

[swo68]

"what was reagans qualifications when he became governor- a "B" actor on his way down."

His best qualification was being ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE.

[AndThenOneDay]

This appears to be an obsession with you. No posts on any other subject. And you're convinced that Obama will throw Biden overboard in 2012 for Kennedy? Just sounds like more fruits of obsession.

[Geranium]

I can't wait, you know, to see SNL do their parody of Caroline Kennedy.

[glorialovelace]

It will be interesting to see if there ever is one. There ought to be, but I'm betting that won't happen. SNL is very selective in its nastiness.

[Geranium]

I Agree. I meant to add that I won't be holding my breath!

[swo68]

Kristen Wiig would be awesome playing CK! They freakin' better do it.

[QuestionEveryone]

Why is this story buried yet PaIin kid almost gets a headline..seems like the Post has their own agenda..

[glorialovelace]

Babies are more interesting than narcissistic society women.

[swo68]

If CK was a republican, you can bet this story would be higher up on the food chain.

To be fair to some of the lefties on this site, though, there has been a good amount of criticism of CK.

[QuestionEveryone]

Scary...please don't appoint this rich society woman to the Senate..it's just a different form of pay to play.

[Eric-in-the-Red]

I have a great deal of respect for Hillary Clinton, the "big shoes" Kennedy wishes to fulfill. Unfortunately, this interview demonstrates that she is woefully and inarticulately unprepared. Her only bases for wanting the job seems to be dynasty and she is friends with Obama. However, there are many other more qualified and talented New Yorkers deserving of this appointment-Andrew Cuomo for one. I hope Gov. Patterson does not give in to this PR steam roller and makes the right choice.

[QuestionEveryone]

Yes..and she wrote a book or did a ghost writer?..she's never practiced law or used an education she finished over 28 Years ago...by my standards she's no longer a lawyer, there isn't a law firm that would hire her. Gee, my kids are gone..so I think I want to be a senator..Please save us from this pay to play corruption, sense of entitlement.

[Bulbul]

Nice post...agree.

[4Q-N4Q2]

"You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know", "You know".

Harvard???? Columbia???

Makes me glad I chose a Community College education.

[peskime]

I'm sure you're a real "genius" on your toes, having benefitted from a fine community college education. Harvard Smarvard.

[hotwire]

Where did you go "genius", Podunk U?

[meko]

George W. Bush went to Yale and got an MBA from Harvard. When middle class and poor people go to Ivy League schools I'm impressed.

The children of the famous and politically powerful? Well, you never know what the degree means. These are the places that invented the "gentleman's C"

[ESerafina42]

"Like, you know." I HAVE to belleve that she's smarter than Sarah Palin, but she needs some training in giving interviews. You betcha.

[QuestionEveryone]

Let's be honest here, Palin showed a higher level of intellect and knowledge of world issues than Caroline..­undeniably and these were easier questions.

[ceasespin]

from JFK's own words - Not Primarily To Amuse & Entertain..
http://ceasespin.org/ceasespin_blog/ceasespin_blogger.html

[tbone99]

A review by The News found that of the 38 contested elections since 1988, Kennedy skipped about half.

The woman DIDN"T EVEN VOTE when she could to help the Democrats

and as for raising money she gave $1000 in ten years to NY candidates.!

Obviously she's not that into politics , or NY .

[topkatnc]

Very interesting .

[robertjames]

.......who knows how or if she voted for the decade prior........