Stop the Heirs!

Caroline Kennedy is a fine lady, but Nick Kristof has it right on his blog regarding the aristocratization of American politics. My own entry on this demoralizing phenomenon was a column back in March 2001, reprinted below. Nothing's changed.

Forget Soft Money -- Stop the Heirs!

I know we're all supposed to moan about "soft money" this week, but to my mind there's a bigger campaign scourge that John McCain has missed altogether: the plague of heirs running amok on the political landscape. Surely the Heir Factor does more to undermine the morale of our democracy than a thousand Clinton coffees or Republican Eagle fundraisers ever could.

You can hardly turn on the tube these days without stumbling over some smiling scion primping himself for high office. Like most rot this starts at the top, as last year's emblematic showdown between George Walker Bush and Albert Gore Junior proved. But the specter of inherited political power is so commonplace nowadays that it's getting hard to keep track.

There's Andrew Cuomo, the former housing secretary under Bill Clinton, now readying himself to run for governor of New York, like his father. Presidential wannabe Evan Bayh holds the Indiana senate seat held by his father. So too with Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd. New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg's daddy was governor. Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu's father was mayor of New Orleans. West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller has two uncles who were governors. And, as Ron Brownstein quipped in a 1998 look at this trend in The American Prospect, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's father was emperor.

Jesse Jackson Jr. waltzed into the House as Jesse Johnson never could have -- as did Rep. John Sununu (son of the former New Hampshire governor and White house chief of staff) and Charlie Gonzales (who inherited papa Henry's Texas seat). Three generations later there are so many Kennedys in power that no one actually knows the number anymore. Does anyone think Colin Powell's son Michael would be chairman of the Federal Communications Commission today if his last name were Powers?

This weird inventory could go on (and on). James Hahn, son of legendary Los Angeles county executive Kenneth, has a lock on this year's mayoral race in LA. Before long we'll doubtless see Karenna Gore, Chelsea Clinton and Jeb Bush's son George P. join the parade.

Many of these folks are fine people. And going into the family business is a proud American tradition. But at some point the sheer volume of political heirs gets a little ridiculous for any self-respecting democracy.

It's bad enough to have these constant reminders that the system is rigged. Yet governance by heir may also be dangerous. The men and women who inherit their power tend to be far more bland and cautious than their dashing forbears -- who had to make their name, after all, and not simply avoid squandering it.

It's not unlike the ethos of those who inherit great wealth, who are more concerned with preserving their pile than with taking risks to build a fresh one. This means we're increasingly led by a species of timid tacticians, groomed from birth to censor any impulse that might make them more interesting as human beings but less viable as politicians.

No wonder politics seem so dull and unimaginative, except when enlivened by political Gatsbys like Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton [update: or obviously Obama today].

What to do? Any reform has to address the enormous built-in advantage heirs have when it comes to name recognition, the family fundraising rolodex, and opportunities for political apprenticeship.

One option would be to offer huge amounts of compensating public financing to any average Joe who finds himself in a race against an heir. Lawyers will naturally quibble over what relationship should trigger this provision, but you get the idea.

But more radical steps may be needed. Taking a page from trust and estate law, Congress could adopt a "generation skipping" rule, under which the children of high officeholders would simply be barred by law from seeking office themselves -- only the grandchildren could.

This would nip the whole Chelsea and Karenna thing in the bud.

Of course, it might also present a few little First Amendment problems -- but then that makes it a perfect fit with every other campaign finance reform being debated.

Come on, John McCain, do something before we morph entirely into an aristocracy. Flabby heirs are as big a threat as soft money!

Comments

[scooperss]

It's a "family business" you know?

And I quoted that from a Huffpo contributor who saw absolutely nothing wrong with families making their living as politicians.

[texanna]

publicly funded elections. it's the answer to taking the heir advantage away as well as to taking the advantage of lobbyists in getting our elected representatives to act in the lobbyists' best interests and not our best interest. a side benefit would be that with all of the extra time our senators and representatives would have when they no longer have to dial for dollars everyday, they might actually become better legislators.

[customgreen]

Mr. Miller needs to check his history books. This has been going on since the beginning of our country. John Adams, John Q. Adams. There is nothing wrong with Caroline Kennedy tossing her hat into the ring. She has just as much right to be the Senator as anyone else who meets the basic requirements. You need to be at least 30 years old. You must have lived in the country for at least 9 years at the time of the election. You must be a resident of the State you want to represent. Hmmmm, check, check, and check. She meets all the requirements. All the rest of it is sour grapes.

[andyboy]

The premise that just because your an heir your bad is faulty. It's if your honest or not. Just knowing right from wrong and doing what's right. Has nothing to do with who your Daddy was.

it's like there could have been a good Bush somewhere. It's not impossible. I think Caroline could do very well. one of the big myths is how smart you have to be to be in government. Puhleeze.

Give me Gomer Pyle for President. He'd be the best ever becuase he's honest.

[karela]

The author seems to be complaining that he doesn't like the way democracy works. If a family produces people who work for the people and who stay honest, that's a plus. It works in the same way that small towns work when we ask, who are your folks? We know something about this person because we know things about the family they came from. The Kennedys have served this country well and they've spilled their blood for it. If you think that it is somehow un-American to remember that and think that it could happen again, then I think perhaps you don't understand how people decide things. It isn't about dynasty. It's about doing the best we can to find people we can trust to run the country. It isn't the name we care about. It's the people who molded the thinking of the one we're looking at. And on that score, we think Caroline Kennedy represents a wonderful chance for honest legislation for the state of New York and for the country.

[quinnc]

I have no problem with her being appointed to finish out a term but at some point she'll have to run, and hopefully that will take care of the heir apparent issue. Even with name recognition, she will be scrutinized by the press and public. Let's just hope the press does its job, and the voters are as informed as they should be!

[MagisterLudi]

OK,,, so we make her A US.Senator. Then after a few years we may find out who she is. Or not. Or maybe.
I think you got the thing backwards.
Here's a suggestion. Lets appoint a politically savvy Brooklyn Democrat.
Then in 2010 Ms. Kennedy can run for office. And let the electorate decide her fitness for US Senate.
Now THAT would a Solomonic decision.

Oh, and Ms. Kennedy, stop writing letters to PE Obama asking for favors.

[scooperss]

You should know by now how hard it is too get an incumbent OUT of office. look at stevens (sure he lost this time but...) and jefferson.

[meko]

I think they all have the right to run. But I do wish the electorate were a little more skeptical.

[mmerose]

Great. Chime in now that we've got a chance to get a GOOD heir! My two bits is that we just have to look at each individual.