Caroline Kennedy: Don't Tear Down That Wall

Let me start by saying I don't live in New York and I'm not an expert on the sharp elbows world of New York politics. But what I do know, after 30 years in the public relations and image management business, is about people's public and private lives and how they intersect.
Caroline Kennedy has been straddling a fine line for decades--she has managed to live a remarkably private life while being a scion of one of the most public families in history. Her father, her uncles, her brother and many of her relatives relished life in the public eye. She seems to taken after her mother by limiting her public appearances and attempting to seek a measure of privacy while living in a fishbowl.

Think about it--we knew everything about her late brother--his love life; his test scores; his professional endeavors and ultimately, his death. Ironically, most people can't even picture Caroline's husband; don't know how many children she has; and can't recite her professional resume. And from one who spends his professional life managing public images, let me assure you--this is no small feat.

Most Senators are public people who adore meeting people, shaking hands and the human interaction that is a necessary part of the political game. In just the handful of times I have had the pleasure of spending time with Senator Clinton she has been exquisitely prepared, always remembering my name, and amazingly engaging when in private conversation. You truly feel like you are the only person in the room when you are conversing with her.

Senator Schumer is equally impressive. I met him once briefly at a fund raiser a few years ago and two years later when I ran into him at a private function, he not only remembered my name, he recalled our discussion topics. I didn't and he did. That's what a true public figure and political animal is and does.

I met Caroline Kennedy once backstage at Good Morning America when I was accompanying one of my clients to the show. Considering what I do for a living, I got over the star struck thing decades ago, but this was a Kennedy and I took the effort to introduce myself.
After apologizing for the intrusion I said that I wanted to thank her for all her family had given to this country and tell her that when I was four years old I heard her father speak and not only was it one of my first memories, it was something that would stay with me the rest of my life.

She looked at me like I had just shit on her shoe and mumbled something incomprehensible as she turned her head and walked away uncomfortably.

I am not here to judge her--we all have bad days and perhaps I caught her on one.
But what I can tell you is that her reaction was not that of someone who would enjoy the public demands, ass-kissing and glad-handing required of a U.S. Senator.

My judgment is broader than that of just my own experience. Historically speaking I grew up with Caroline Kennedy--we are roughly the same age and her family has held a dominant place in American politics for my entire life.

Until she announced her intention to seek the soon to be vacant Senate seat, I respected the path of privacy she chose and believed that she was in touch with herself and the kind of life she wanted to craft for herself and her family. Recent events have caused me to question how well she knows herself. If she truly becomes the junior Senator from New York, she will risk the private life she has worked so hard to forge.

My judgment is not political--I agree with most of the positions she has expressed and applaud her courageous support of gay marriage in particular.

I don't like to be too simplistic but you either love life in the public eye or you don't. I don't believe she does. One celebrity once said that privacy is like your health--you take it for granted until you no longer have it. She is putting something she worked hard to create at great risk. Once her wall between public and private comes down, there's no turning back.

There are many paths to public service and knowing of her many accomplishments and low-key activism I hold nothing but respect for her. But, I would implore her, for her own sake and for the sake of the citizens of New York, to look deep within her soul and make sure this is something that she not only wants, but that she is prepared to pay the heavy price required.

Comments

[Stefano]

To all her supporters, how to you explain away the poor interviews she gave recently. The you knows and umms aside, several moments jumped at me. For example, how do we explain this dousy:

"I was really surprised and dismayed by my voting record," she told AP. "I'm glad it's been brought to my attention."

All I heard was evasive answers, at times Palin -esque. Yeah, I know she went to Harvard (same arguement can be used that Bush went to Yale, JFK is a little more well known than Prescott Bush) I really was dead set against her appointment, but felt she was intelligent and well meaning. After these interviews, I question my own judgement, I really don't think she's close to being up for this.

[antaeus]

But what about the magic? Don't you get it? Boating off Cape Cod, the sleeveless sheaths, the endless supply of toothy cousins. It's not about this particular family or their own power, or how much money who has or how they made it. It's about the magic that will save the country. That's it. The magic. Can you feel it?

[MagisterLudi]

Caroline Kennedy for NY State Assembly!!!! Here's an honorable way to let people of NY know who you are and test the waters. Not as powerful Senate seat hand-me- down.

[thewho77]

Why appoint her to a political office when she's clearly not a politician?

[standard]

Why not appoint her to a political office precisely because she hasn't been a politician? We've had mixed luck entrusting public office only to professional pols.

[antaeus]

Your point about the fallibility of professional politicians is sound. But that still doesn't make the case for this particular candidate. Why not tap a non-pol from industry or academia or medicine?

She is being picked for "star power." Unfortunately, the so-called star model of management has not been good for academia, industry, or finance.

[unfiltered]

Fortunately, she only has to be a legislator until 2010. She's been remarkably candid about her qualifications too: she has a wealth of contacts that will help her get stuff done.

In an ideal world, the ability to pass laws and get stuff done for one's state would be the measuring stick of a senator. Unfortunately, in our country, politicians are measured by their ability to glad hand and kiss babies. Public perception, not ability or accomplishments, remain the hallmark of great senatorial resume. Decades of research on how to fool people into liking you can be tapped to pad that, so that only takes a willing participant (helps if you're a cutie too).

I guess we should put Sarah Palin there instead. Hell, by 2016 she'll be able to construct a coherent sentence so I guess she'll be president instead.

[1Marie23]

She wants to return to Camelot. However, her speaking skills are so bad that she becomes a joke. She doesn't even vote in many elections, so how concerned is she about politics and serving. I really think that New York is making a big mistake. However that is not new to this seat!

[Anandas]

There is absolutely no thesis here- just a lot of blather about
the past, and an encounter subjectively judged, if not politically,
then judged all the same. I am continually amazed at the increased
presence of articles with a lot of words yet nothing to say.

[MagisterLudi]

"lot of words yet nothing to say." That describes your post of a T, Anandas.

[standard]

Well said! Too many posts express unsupported opinions, too few reveal or rely on facts.

[Beachrunner]

I sure Caroline Kennedy throws the most sophisticated dinner parties in existence.

Let's leave it at that.

[mountainweb]

If you are dumb enough to be electing a comedian (Franken) to office you need to stop attacking Caroline Kennedy.

[anneesezz]

To be fair, Franken did graduate cum laude from Harvard and has been involved in politics for years, albeit as a commentator/comedian. Nevertheless, he ran a campaign and was elected - unlike Ms. Kennedy, who apparently feels she is entitled because her family has done great things in politics. Patterson needs to pick someone who has actually fun for office and paid their dues.

[melponeme k]

No, Sir, Ms Kennedy was not having an off day. You met the real deal and it puts all the little sour comments she has made since this fiasco started into a clearer picture of her character. Someone who wants all the perks of money and family name but does not want to deal with the unwashed masses.

This is not the person who should be in my state senate. Especially when there are more qualified representatives around the state.

[Evelyn]

Your state senate? She's, um, applying not to be a state senator but a US Senator, from your state. Not the same thing.

[melponeme k]

My State, My Seat. This seat represents New York, not the rest of the country.

A government belongs to it's people, especially in a representative government.
Which is what we are told that we have.

But apparently not, since a trust fund baby can just announce that she wants to be a politician and she is taken seriously to boot.

[metivo]

I am a Caroline supporter in that I feel she is very intelligent and incorruptible. Even without political experience, I'm confident she would do excellent things for NY. My sense is the quality Bragman speaks of - being an extrovert - is precisely why Caroline could never have gone the conventional route to becoming a senator. However, this frog leap into the senate doesn't require much in the way of backslapping or gladhanding. If she is appointed by Patterson, the true test will come when she is up for re-election. People may respond to her soft-spoken charm and the good work she has done - or they may not. My guess is that once she got into the senate, she would most likely be there for as long as she wanted.

[mady]

I love that she sacrificed her privacy and endorsed Obama. And I agree that she is probably incorruptible which would be a great attribute in a Senator. But Bragman's anecdote about meeting her is telling me that she is not equipped to deal with the life of a politician. Find another job for her...ambassador maybe.

Oddly, Sarah Palin has that "a stranger is just a friend I haven't met yet" quality down pat.

[glorialovelace]

I think that if she is touting her close friendship with the President Elect as one of her assets, then she has already been corrupted.

A senator is not supposed to be in the President's pocket. That's the idea of "separation of powers," aka our "checks and balances" system.

[Dukedraven]

Sorry about that, Howard. I know things like that will stay in your mind for years. I'm a Kennedy junkie and I hope Caroline gets what she wants. Lord knows why she would ever want the job. It's an introvert's nightmare.

[MindyM]

My one and only concern about Caroline Kennedy's ability to serve as senator of New York, is her ability and willingness to handle the public life that will be an inevitable part of this job. She has mirrored her mother's life in so many ways. She focused on raising her children, made appearances when necessary for the Kennedy Center Honors and the Profile in Courage award and promoting the books she has authored. Other than that, she has led an extremely private life.

But she has surprised me ever since she came out and endorsed Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primary. I thought she would give him her blessing and then retreat back into privacy. I took notice when she continued to stay in the limelight and campaigned for him and made speeches on his behalf. This was clearly a major departure from her past life. I think her desire to seek the senate seat has a lot to do with her experience campaigning for Obama. She was clearly inspired by participating in it. Maybe this is what made her feel strongly enough to give up her precious privacy.

I have to believe that Caroline Kennedy knows what she will be giving up. If she is okay with that and feels ready to handle a more public life, then she should go for it.

[nomobull]

different priorities at different stages of her life. seems like a smart choice to me.

[glorialovelace]

Kennedy should not be appointed for the simple reason that there are a dozen or so far more talented and experience people available to take that job.

[Mike169]

If there's only a dozen or so "more talented" people in NY State then she is among the elite in talent. So what's the big deal?

[karela]

The author's premise that only a person who loves the attention and limelight of living in the public eye is fit for public office is a flawed perspective. I would say that a person who was willing to serve because they understood they had much to offer at a time when their country had great need, even though it would require sacrifice of privacy on their part-----that person who genuinely desires to serve without the need for the public glory; that person has a nobility of character that is rare and is to be treasured for they offer that thing of rarest beauty: a pure heart.

[neosoul]

I concur!

[Hawise]

It isn't about Loving the attention and limelight but being skilled at handling it and Caroline Kennedy hasn't shown an interest in gaining those skills. Like any job being a politician is aided by having an appropriate skill set which allows you to function at the job. It is interesting how few Senate and House interns go on to political careers even though they have the direct experience and skills that would give them a leg up on the work of a legislator. They see the social skills that are needed to navigate the public aspects of the job and shy away from the career path.

Few celebrities are able to balance the public and private aspects of their careers and all successful politicians must, Carolyn Kennedy has dedicated her life to the skills of remainging private and hasn't shown much skill at being public.

[antaeus]

Nailed it. She wants "it," but her idea of what it is appears to be different from that which most other serious political candidates understand.

Even her fiercest admirers like to point out that she is more the product of her mother's influence than she is of the Massachusetts Kennedy family. So what? It's been written that in the '60s Jacqueline Kennedy was approached about a Congressional seat, to which she supposedly replied, "Can I do it every other Tuesday?" or something to that effect. Your thesis about serene privacy being incompatible with political rough and tumble appears sound.

[SethBLiNK]

Wow. Howard, you nailed it.

The level of privacy Ms. Kennedy has enjoyed is unique, a product both of her desire for it, and the willingness of the media and the public to grant her this wish after the enormous exposure and tragedy that was part of her childhood.

When I read her stirring endorsement of Barack Obama, the thing that made it so remarkable was that she was sacrificing some of the privacy she held dear to take that stand.

But Howard, you are absolutely right, after spending a lifetime using her name and position to do good without drawing too much attention to herself, it is odd that she is doing this now.

The people who pursue a life in politics and do best at it tend to be those who not only tolerate that contact with the public, but crave it and who develop that ability to withstand anything to be in the public eye. John McCain has it. Cindy McCain does not. Bill Clinton has an enormous amount of it. Chelsea Clinton, none.

And certain things, like Caroline's thin-skinned response to reporters' questions telling them they should be working for women's magazines, indicates that she may not have the temperment that her father did and her uncle still does. She should really look inward before embarking on this journey.

[karela]

The people who serve from a love of America and Americans, and not from a desire for wealth, power and glory, are the people who become our leaders of extraordinary nobility and purpose. The ones who love the limelight lie thick on the ground and often thin on working for the good of ordinary Americans. Caroline Kennedy has a nobility of spirit about her that will never be corruptible---and we need that in the state, in the country and in the Senate. We'll be the poorer for it if we reject that in favor of politics as usual.

[SethBLiNK]

I don't doubt that many (okay, some) govern and represent based on their love of America, anybody who seeks out public office is by nature a public person who thrives on the love and adoration of the public. Bill Clinton once said that a politician is somebody who isn't good looking enough to be a movie star and there's a lot of truth in that. Success in both ventures requires a drive that can only come for a love for the limelight. If Caroline Kennedy gets appointed to this seat, she will have bypassed two steps that most other go through. Most politicians have to get us to know and like them. She's already got that. Most also have to be elected, and usually to lesser spots before the US Senate. Caroline would be drawing a bye into the Senate, which is fine, but I think the author here is saying, and I am agreeing, that a year or two in, or maybe after she has to run for re-election, she may find that she hates that aspect of the job.

[ClarkJensen]

We have a new form of aristocracy in the United States. And we like it because its easy and it's marketable.