Kennedy Found Out that Politics is for Politicians

Caroline Kennedy dropped her bid for Hillary Clinton's seat for a good reason. New York Governor David Paterson would not have picked her for the seat anyway. Kennedy found out the brutal fact of political life and that is that politics is not only a dirty business but it's a business for politicians. They've seen to that. The instant that Kennedy lightly hinted that she was interested in the seat she got hammered from all sides. She was called an inexperienced part time education consultant; an Obama shoulder rubber; a Park Avenue dilettante, and the favorite of all knocks, that her senate bid was nothing more than a crass and naked grab to cash in her JFK blood tie and Kennedy family name. Then there was the inevitable dirt digging. It was quickly revealed that she hadn't voted in recent elections, fumbled and bumbled answers to puffball policy questions, and came off looking and sounding vague and aloof in a mostly photo-op listening tour outside NYC.

No matter who attacked or where the attack came from, the point in the attacks was that she was a political novice using her famed name to leap over a pack of far more worthy, seasoned, and political dues paying elected officials to get the seat. None of the other presumed more deserving candidates would need OJT in the senate seat. But Kennedy would.

The attacks, rightly or wrongly, hit home and before the damning revelations about Kennedy's non-voting record and seemingly being ill-informed on the issues, Kennedy sought help. Unfortunately, the person she sought it from was grist for the mill for her detractors. That was none other than the Reverend Al Sharpton who strolled arm in arm with her out of a Harlem restaurant. Though Sharpton didn't actually endorse Kennedy it still brought a fresh volley of criticism of Kennedy for picking Sharpton to give her the needed political luster.

The personal thumps on Sharpton were little more than the standard anti-Sharpton name calling stuff. But they did just enough to call Kennedy's motive into question, and further fuel suspicions that she was just latching onto names, any names, to burnish her credential as a serious candidate.

The truth is whether it was Sharpton, Obama, or any one of the other luminaries that Kennedy sought to tie her candidate string to, the result would have been the same. She was still indelibly tagged as a media-created political novice who would be hopelessly lost trying to navigate around and through the byzantine ways of the world's most exclusive club and that's the U.S. Senate.

The world that Senators operate in is self-protective, clubby and chummy, totally dependent on special interest money and dominated by labor and business interests. As the consummate political insiders, they spend most of their time talking, consulting and socializing with their cronies. This bolsters their self-designated role as the experts and arbiters of the inner craft of American politics. Their invisibility and the absence of accountability bestows a fiat on them to brandish power anyway they see fit.

They jealously hoard what they view as their sacred right to make all final decisions on proposing laws and supporting public policy issues they deem important. Their all-consuming obsession is to retain their seats, freeze out or marginalize candidates who do not kiss labor and business and the political establishment's ring and who may bring fresh ideas and political energies to the campaign.

Kennedy may or may not have been that candidate. The jury was still way out on whether she could actually be the fresh voice to shout new ideas and approaches to legislation to her Senate chums. But even if she were, the likelihood is that they wouldn't listen anyway. Freshmen senators have no standing and rarely get any legislation passed, or even considered. That was the knock against Obama. That he got almost no meaningful legislation through the Senate that bore his name on it.

Kennedy in the end simply did not kiss the obligatory rings of the political and financial deal makers, spell out to voters what her vision and program is, and how she'd arm twist Congress and the Obama administration to help New York dig out of its crushing revenue shortfall. Sharpton and the other lights that she sought out to back her couldn't help her there. She was on her own. That was the true test of whether her senate talk was just a whimsical fling, or if she really wanted it and has the right stuff to handle the job.

She failed miserably on every count. A bruised Kennedy did the right, in fact in truth, the only thing that she could do when her head bumped against the realities of political life, she dropped out before she was dumped.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His new book is How Obama Won (Middle Passage Press, January 2009).

Comments

[seawally]

i wonder if this idea of experience is an arbitrary one...we just elected a president with little executive experience, whom i voted for, because the majority of us found him to be smart, level headed, and articulate on the issues facing us at the moment, with better ideas than his opponent. congressman and senators have died in office and their less experienced spouses have been appointed to their positions. i believe that if Caroline Kennedy had spoken with a powerful, articulate voice knowledgeable on current issues facing the country and New York- while quietly campaigning for the position it would have been hers without much rancor from others. her downfall wasnt that she was inexperienced, but that she came off as empty headed, while waging a public campaign instead of convincing the people who would have likely whispered in the ear of the governor on her behalf.

[longislandlol]

Caroline needs to write her autobiography- she does not need the money- but it should enlighten her followers- President Obama wrote one way early on - right after law school- amazing! she should write about her whitehouse memories- painful as the ending was- it would be a catharsis for her and some revelations to her followers who loved and still love the Kennedys--------

[Lorifromky]

She was not ready. There is no shame in that, it is just a fact.

[middleoftheroad]

She was obviusly not ready for it for all the things Earl put is his post. She could never say in 10 words or less why she should be a senator. Where has she been all these years as it relates to holding public office? She got sucked into Obamamania on the trail and probably said to herself (and probably by her inner circle) "BE PART OF THIS---GRAB HILLARY'S SEAT"! It's good for NY that they will make a new star out of Gillibrand, and as stated above, if Kennedy really wants it, today is day one to go fight for it. Voters liked to be won over, not watch a queen anointed.

[Social Construct]

Well done, Mr. Hutchinson! A well rounded look at the highest rung of our republic's representative ladder. Indeed, the Senate represents the elite of one of the biggest "pay to play" political institutions.

[mergina]

KENNEDY WAS NOT BRUISED, she simply settled for her self respect, her sanity, and her privacy rather than being an active part of the DISEASE that is Washington Politics.

[AnnfromCA]

It was a very silly notion all the way around.

[CatoTheCensor]

I suspect the day's going to come when we all wish it had been Kennedy rather than Hillibrand.

[AndThenOneDay]

If she really wants it, she can dust herself off and run in 2010. Ride trains, milk cows, kiss babies, venture north of Westchester. No law says she can't. That's what her opponent will do.

[RuthlessDictator]

I'll bet she's not willing to do that. Get her hands dirty.

[marignymitch]

In this round I'm happy the results are:

Monarchy 0

Republic 1

[allonfla]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Kennedy, Paterson, Cuomo AND Gilli come from or are related to people who are politicians. Yes. a big win for the republic indeed.

[Ladyrantsalot]

Monarchy: 0; Republic: 0; Nepotocracy: 1.

[Texas4Obama]

Paterson made a huge mistake in picking Gilli.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17876.html

[glorialovelace]

I read the story. What about it? It's about the clients her very generic, white-shoe law firms represent, her father, the kind of car she drives, and an incorrect estimate of the value of her house.

[Faithtoo]

And just how do you know that Patterson would not have chosen Kenndey for the seat????? I heard Stephanoupoulas say that Patterson had offered the job to Caroline and the confusion Wednesday night came from his office trying to convince her to re-consider her withdrawal. Now I don't know if George's info was accurate but I also do not know if your info is accurate either. What are you personal friends to Patterson?

[Chety168]

She would have been great and a true Democrat!

[strangerinthenight]

I suspect you did not read the entire piece.

[M1]

I read the entire article and I believe Caroline Kennedy would have been fantastic. Too bad for those persons manipulated by the machine. It is the heart of Caroline Kennedy that would have made the difference regardless of whether she failed this test or that test....she has the intellect, the heart and the connections to have made a difference.

Her ability to inspire by virtue of who she is remains a political capital unmatched.

A true loss to our Country.

[KillTheMessenger]

So you are saying that a nice little leaguer would be a great player if he was just hired by a major professional team? I mean, it is, after all, enough to be nice and to hold a bat...

[allonfla]

it surprised me when I heard her speak. I thought she would have been more eloquent. and I thought that since she was from a royal political family that she would know how politics works.

[KillTheMessenger]

If my Dad is a great artist, does that mean I have to be a great artist, too?

No, it does not. One does not inherit these traits with ones genes.

[DeniseD]

Well, actually sometimes you do and sometimes you don't.

[allonfla]

Piss Off! If you live in a family who dominates in one occupation - it is gauranteed that you will know more than the next about that profession. Whether you choose that profession or not. It's all around her, her father, her brothers, her uncle - come on! She's seen what they went through, she should have been better prepared. And being a politician is not a trait - you learn by watching and Caroline should have been watching. Your dad is supposedly a great artist and you could have been too if you watched and learned rather than waste your time blogging here.

[sdskelton03]

There are two points here.

First, she obviously was using her pedigree to get a senate seat for which she had not paid the dues.

But secondly, so what? What is it that Senators do that she was incapable of? Can she bloviate arrogantly on subjects she knows nothing about? Check. Can she tax the productive class and hand money to the consuming class in return for votes? Check. Can she steer federal business in a quid pro quo relationship to business in return for campaign donations. Check.

It sure looks to like she is capable of doing anything any other senator can do.

[devans00]

Exactly sdskelton03

I think Caroline Kennedy's biggest sin was being part of the Kennedy Brand.

How dare she take advantage of the fact she's been in the public eye since she was a baby to get a job in politics? She could get more attention in one week than a lot of the plodders got after years in office.

[KillTheMessenger]

"What is it that Senators do that she was incapable of?"

All the things that made her family great at the game that she does not have.

"It sure looks to like she is capable of doing anything any other senator can do."

It sure looks like it. But then, if she was so great at it, wouldn't she have sailed through the process? Think!

[Tilling]

I think simply put, the governor jerked her around. NY could've had a powerful new senator, with huge name recognition and potential power, who is smarter than two thirds of the existing senators, but now is getting a nobody. I would bow out, too.

[KillTheMessenger]

"I think simply put, the governor jerked her around."

What makes you think that?

"NY could've had a powerful new senator, with huge name recognition "

Name recognition is not enough to play this game. You also have to have the persona to not let things get at you while at the same time gutting a dozen other people alive without anybody else noticing. She does not have that "gift".

"who is smarter than two thirds of the existing senators"

I am probably smarter than two thirds of the senators. Yet, I couldn't even run for local office without ending up broke and laughed at. Smarts don't cut it.

"I would bow out, too."

You wouldn't even know where they play the game. Neither did Mrs. Kennedy, it seems.

[meko]

If she is so smart and so savvy, then why is she an innocent little victim who was so easily jerked around by the governor? If Paterson is so stupid, why couldn't she run circles around him?

If she was ready to be a successful senator for New York, she should have been able to manage the politics of the appointment. Gillibrand did a better job of that. I think that, along with her extensive list of public achievements, points to her being the better candidate.