She's No Kennedy

Caroline Kennedy is a woman. Some of the most oppressed people on earth are women named Kennedy. Ergo, appointing Caroline Kennedy to the US Senate is striking a blow for women and humankind. Caroline is not going to make this argument on her own behalf, so let me try.

In the hundred year history of the Kennedy-Fitzgerald family in public life, it's been all about the guys. There isn't a more vivid depiction of women dismissed and marginalized by men, and put in service to them, than the story of the Kennedy men and the Kennedy women. One Kennedy woman (Caroline's Aunt Rosemary) was even lobotomized to make her behave. You can see it in the pictures: The Kennedy boys are expansive and dazzling, the Kennedy girls are introverted and frumpy.

And, if the Kennedy boys treated women in their own family badly, they treated women outside their family--the women they worked with, or the random women they encountered--even worse. They used them, they harassed them, they abused them, they raped them, they killed them (Mary Jo Kopechne), and possibly murdered them (Marilyn Monroe).

Caroline Kennedy has undoubtedly been traumatized by many things in her life--her family's extreme disregard for the intelligence and well-being of women must be one of those things. Kennedy men--her grandfather, her father, her uncles, her cousins--shit on women.

Continue reading at newser.com

Comments

[merger]

She can not escape who she is--her heritage or her name. The Kennedy women have been famous for their faithfulness to build their men's legacies. But "love covers a multitude of sins." They have loved well, these women. I just don't know if she has the tenacity and energy for the job, but it is not our choice to make. That honor belongs to the Gov. I hope he chooses wisely and fairly and for personal political expediency.

[meko]

I tend to think that all of the people up for consideration love their families. Gillibrand and Maloney mention little about that sort of thing on their web sites, but I think it's because they've more professional accomplishments to list. I don't see any reason to assume they are bad mothers or their children are bad children.

[jsomerville5]

Nonsense. Rory Kennedy is a very successful filmmaker. And Maria Shriver made it on her own, going to work for a Philly TV station right after college and working her way up in broadcasting.

[merger]

i think he was referring to Kennedy women in politics.

[jingles32]

Kennedy men, or men in general? Your scathing critique of the (male) Kennedy clan (all them, over the course of a century?) describes the unacceptable behavior of more than a few men I've met, come to know, worked with over the course of my life; my friends as well.

And while utterly abhorant and unacceptable on any level, for historical context, lobotomies were routinely performed during that era, as was shock (ECT) and insulin (hypoglycemic coma) therapy for the treatment of schizophrenia and severe edepression. (Drug therapy did not come on board until the 1050's.) And let us not forget the much hearlded, U.S. government supported and promoted eugen ics movement of the '30's, an attempt to cull the so called inferior by means of forced sterilization. Lots of lessons to be learned.

I think your comment regarding Rosemary was a cheap shot. The subsequent generations of Kennedys have long since been advocates for the mentally ill, handicapped, etc.

[NGuarente]

Caroline Kennedy was not a victim of her father. He died when she was
6. Her grandfather died when she was 12 and her mother was already
engaged to Onassis. Onassis certainly did not "victimize" her. Some say
she has a 400 million fortune due to the savvy of her mother - - no victim.
She adored Bobby. She still adores Ted, who protected her as best he
could.

Caroline Kennedy should not be a Senator just because of her name.
Measure her against the qualifications of others considered. She is
definitely smarter than Bush.

[Cord]

How do we know if she smarter? She hasn't made a policy speech you know?

[plwood01]

If someone has a great accomplish in their youth and has been relatively silent since, should that person become Senator? Obviously, Burris had accomplishments, none recently though and he is eing seated based on past successes or deeds. Okay, why not elect someone who has recent successes and deeds for the seat since you have no trouble with retirees etc.? Seemingly, our problems are big enough to need as many people as possible who are volunteering to run for office or assume office. I say do psychological evaluations, physicals, intelligence testing, and use mock situation simulations on them all to determine who the best fit might end up being. It won't cost much, but would probably save the country a bundle later on! Stilll, keep in mind that there are absolutely no guarantees that anyone can stave off the tanking of our economy or keep America afloat! That will take a large group of people praying 24/7, 365 until things change!

[tanbark]

Dear Michael, could you take the time to compare Caroline's qualifications with, those of, say.....


Roland Burris?

Thanks. :o)

[jsomerville5]

Um, Michael - have you looked at Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand's qualifications ? She blows Kennedy out of the water.

Practising lawyer: Check. She was partner in David Boies' law firm

Elected to political office: Check . Twice, in a heavily Republican district

Fundraising Prowess: Check ( Ranked #11 in the House)

Congressional Committees: Check. Currently serving on Armed Services committee

Worked for Clinton: Check - she was a lawyer for HUD

Championed rights of abused women : Check

Mother: Check. Actually a working mother who gave birth last March - only the 6th woman in history of the House to do so while in office

Ivy League School: Check. She's a magna cum laude grad of Dartmouth

Votes in General Elections: Check. She's voted in every one.

__

I would say Kennedy's resume looks awfully threadbare next to this. Plus Gillibrand is wildly popular in her district. The political writer at NPR that Paterson will pick Gillibrand.

[speeddeeps]

She is a blue dog, we can do better than that

[glorialovelace]

It would be better -- and more to the point -- to compare Caroline's qualifications with those of Kirsten Gillibrand, Carolyn Maloney, Jerry Nadler, Andrew Cuomo, Steve Israel, Elizabeth Holtzman and Byron Brown.

[fem56]

I don't think Carolyn Kennedy sees herself as a victim but there is no doubt she has gone through a lot. There are a number of successful Kennedy women in the bunch. Carolyn is so appealing because she is so capable, hardworking, intelligent, educated , so natural and has a real depth of caring that comes through. She seems to have a deep understanding of what is important in life. She knows those things are only trappings and don't really mean much. People who are revived from near death often come back with the kind of mission to make the world a better place such as Carolyn has.

[jsomerville5]

Don't quite see how you can call Caroline hardworking, since according to the Chancellor of NYC schools, she hardly ever came into her office when she had that fundraising job. Come to think of it, she's never actually held a full time job as an adult. Never practised law... If you want to see someone hardworking, see my post on Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand.

But none of us knows what Caroline is like. People project their own fairytale ideas onto people. Take it from me. As a former celebrity reporter, I see people do that all the time. Usually they're crushed when the people they admire turn out to be nothing like their fantasy.

[glorialovelace]

I think that the Caroline Kennedy you are describing is an imaginery Caroline. If she had this "depth of caring" you describe, how come she remained politically and professionally inactive for so many decades?

[Overd0g]

Ahhh, the poor millionaire heiresses. My heart bleeds.

[arethabaez]

Harsh! These accusations are suppositions and , when considering the severity of the crimes mentioned , it seems you are merely trying to build up the "comments" count.
I'll be the first to help you meet you goal.
I agree that Caroline should not be choosen if, in fact, you are trying to make that point too.

[davidly]

I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a serious argument on behalf of a Senator Caroline Kennedy or not, and there are certainly worse reasons to nominate someone to higher political office than his (or her) historical servitude; but taken on the face of it, there is a huge downside: the psychological trauma to be unleashed upon the unwitting citizenry may well be worse than that which caused it.

[plwood01]

If anyone was worried about psychological trauma, one must have realized the same types of problems with McCain. I am not sure that I believe all this seeing as how I was alive and a grown up during these times, but if money were a cure all for the problems of humanity, wouldn't these people be the ones spared the trauma of life in modern times?

[meko]

HuffPo is a treat. If you like the Kennedys, support Caroline, because she will continue all that is good of their traditions. If you don't, support Caroline, by supporting her you will change the narrative and make that which was bad about them good.

Americans need to support representatives based on who will serve us the best, not based on mythology. The Republicans didn't get everyone to fall in line with "this stuff about narratives" (as Noonan called it) and I hope we Democrats are smarter than to fall for it.

New Yorkers deserve the senator who will best serve the state. The senator is there to legislate on behalf of the citizens. The job isn't about continuing a legacy, and it isn't about healing family dysfunction. Advertisers and PR people push us to think about everything in terms of myths, emotional drives, and what it says about who we are. But things are tight right now. Now is the time to be practical when choosing senators and boots.

There are 10-15 people up for the seat. I hope Paterson makes a choice based on accomplishment.

[glorialovelace]

"HuffPo is a treat. If you like the Kennedys, support Caroline, because she will continue all that is good of their traditions. If you don't, support Caroline, by supporting her you will change the narrative and make that which was bad about them good."

The best idea is not to support her at all.