Caroline Kennedy would be a wonderful choice to become an ambassador in the Obama administration. She could have her pick of countries where she could serve. I remember interviewing Jean Kennedy Smith in Dublin in 1996 where she served as the American ambassador to Ireland. She was a popular pick and Caroline would be the same today to serve as our ambassador to the Emerald Isle.
However, choosing Caroline as the next United States Senator from New York seems to be not such a good choice. If Caroline wants to be a United States Senator, she should wait until the next election in 2010 and run for the office. After all, Hillary Clinton and Robert Kennedy both ran for office the office and were elected in their own right.
What does Caroline Kennedy bring to the position as the junior senator from New York that the current state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo does not bring? Does she know more about the law than an attorney general?
Why is Caroline more qualified than the actress Fran Drescher who is speaking out on talk shows across the country on why she would be a good pick? The actress famous for her television show The Nanny is a public diplomacy envoy for women's health issues for the State Department. She is also the founder of the Cancer Schmancer Movement.
Wouldn't a choice of one of the qualified congressmen or women such as Rep. Jerrold Nadler or Rep. Carolyn Maloney make more sense as they have been elected to their current positions?
I have nothing against Caroline Kennedy. I have always been a fan of the Kennedys and I wrote my graduate paper on how brilliantly JFK successfully solved the Cuban Missile Crisis. I liked Bobby Kennedy when he ran for president and I feel that Ted Kennedy has been one of the better senators to have served in the past few decades. However, I don't think it is a good idea to start a trend of presenting senate seats and other positions in government to individuals who happen to be from famous political families.
So, what exactly does Caroline Kennedy bring to the United States Senate, or more importantly, what does she bring to the people of New York?
Granted, she is instantly recognized and has done positive volunteer work in New York over the years. Unlike Hillary and her late uncle she actually does live in New York, which is definitely a plus.
But what does New York Governor David Paterson get out of appointing Caroline to the Senate? Will it bring in more campaign contributions to the Democratic Party in the future? Will it help him with fundraising for his re-election campaign for governor?
Does her possible appointment boil down to bringing in more money for the New York Democratic Party because she is so well known? Is this about helping with fundraising or is it about who will best serve the people of New York in the United States Senate?
What exactly is it that Caroline Kennedy brings to the table? Her interviews with the media have been less than satisfying with regard to her grasp of the issues, so there would have to be some other reason for her appeal.
Caroline Kennedy would be a wonderful choice to represent America abroad as an ambassador. If she felt the need to become a United States Senator, she could resign as ambassador after a year and come back to New York and launch her campaign for the seat. If she won, her position would be secured for a long time as she would have shown she could be a winner in an election rather than being appointed.
Caroline for ambassador....and not for the Senate. At least, not until she runs and wins the office on her own.