So, it doesn’t bother me especially that Caroline Kennedy lacks “political experience.” Rah-rah democracy and all that, but on the rare cases where we’re going to appoint someone to Congress, it seems like a grand opportunity to pick precisely the kind of person who wouldn’t normally get elected—someone who’s spent their life acquiring experience and expertise as a scholar or entrepreneur or activist rather than a professional campaigner.
Rather, it’s that Kennedy doesn’t seem to have done much at all with the massive wealth and privilege she was born into. She’s licensed to practice law, but I haven’t seen reference to any significant legal work she’s done. People cite her work as a fundraiser, which again seems to come down to being a Kennedy and having wealthy friends. That leaves her work as an “author”—which aside from slapping her name on a few edited collection of Kennediania appears to consist of two semi-serious legal books she co-authored. I’ve read one of the two, The Right to Privacy, mostly because I read any book I can get my hands on with “privacy” in the title. It’s been a while, but my recollection is that it was pretty damn mediocre. It’s not bad if you want a quick, readable layman’s intro to privacy jurisprudence, but I don’t think I’ve ever recommended it to anyone. There’s nothing there to make you think she’s an unusually deep thinker on these issues. If that’s what you’re looking for, I hear Nadine Strossen’s free.
3 responses so far ↓
1 Milena Thomas // Dec 19, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Here, here! Or is it, Hear, hear?
Who cares.
I’d rather be governed by the first 500 names in the phonebook.
2 Julian Sanchez // Dec 19, 2008 at 5:06 pm
I had many occasions to shout this as a parli debater, so I can attest that it is, in fact: “Hear, Hear!” (As in: “Listen to that guy!”)
3 Anon // Dec 20, 2008 at 2:40 pm
She will more than likely get it. That being said I hope the Gov doesn’t cave and choses someone with better qualifications.
If people were to read more older background on her they would realize she was not brought up in the Kennedy political arena. Her mother always kept Caroline and John away from the rowdy Kennedys. Ted has been something of a mentor but has generally had too many of his own problems to be much of an influence. If Caroline is like her mother, which I think she is since this was her sole influence growing up, then she is an elitist who knows nothing of the life of everyday Americans. It would be a waste of a seat in the Senate to appoint her.