I don't think that Caroline Kennedy is qualified for the NY Senate seat.

[Rubystreak]

@Lochdale

I believe it helps. Palin was brough up (for reasons I still don’t rightly know) and the fact is that Palin is an elected official, Kennedy is not. So Kennedy has no actual experience. None at all. None.

Everyone has to start somewhere. What experience did Palin have in government before being elected governor? I know, the key to you is “elected.” But “elected” isn’t an option right now, and when it is time to run, she will have experience if she’s chosen.

Let’s have an election instead. Now.

Despite the fact that’s what you want, it’s not done that way.

I spend one week a month in NY and have for several years now. I think Palin has been dragged in as a strawman. Kennedy isn’t qualified and is simply there due to her name and money she gave/raised to Obama.

What does your one week a month have to do with Caroline Kennedy’s qualifications? I agree that Palin’s presence in this thread is puzzling and irrelevant, though what were her qualifications to be Governor? Just as flimsy as Kennedy’s to be Senator. We elect people all the time with little or no previous experience in government, often because they have face recognition value and a big war chest (Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan as governors for instance). While you might find the practice overall distasteful, as I do, it doesn’t necessarily mean the person in question is going to fail at her job.

Don’t paint her to be anything other than what she is.

How exactly am I painting her, and what do you think she is? I think she’s a wealthy person from a famous family who’s highly educated, involved in public service, and has lived in NY for decades. There are more qualified candidates, and I’d prefer one of those to her, but if she gets chosen, it won’t be an offensive travesty of sense or justice either.

[pseudotriton_ruber_ruber]

Good point, rubystreak, about the citizen-Governors of California. Do Kennedy’s detractors denounce them, and if not, why not? I don’t care for either of them, but just because they were brainless neanderthalers. The idea of “citizen” being qualification enough for higher office is much unappreciated.

[haymarketmartyr]

Several people here have cited the experience of Sarah Palin that would qualify her for the Senate. It is precisely that very experience that strongly disqualifies her for any elected office.

[Marley23]

Zoe… I’m not sure publishing books (particularly books about one’s own family) qualifies as public service. Some of her other roles look like strong resume points, but I’d like to know what she actually did in those jobs.

[Burton]

I disagree with with this: “Caroline Kennedy is probably less qualified to hold a major political office than Sarah Palin.”

I don’t see how conducting a campaign qualifies anyone for anything except honing self promotional skills.

I think her reticence up to this point, beginning with her endorsement of Obama.,her law degree, her inside view of politics and her name could serve her well.

I think she’s way more qualified than say, congressman Tom Delay.

[OtakuLoki]

@Measure_for_Measure

Ah, AP has a list of possible candidates. Rep. Carolyn Maloney might be an interesting choice.

Looking over that list, I believe that anyone boasting experience in the NY State Legislature should be disqualified, based on proven incompetence. Even if they are no longer a member of that body.

Which means that the following candidates are damned in my eyes: Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, served five years in the State Senate; Rep. Jerrold Nadler, served sixteen years in the State Assembly; Rep. Brian Higgins of Buffalo, six years in the State Assembly from 1998 to 2004.

Carolyn Maloney seems like a logical candidate - I don’t know her all that well, which implies that she’s never made an effort to generate any name recognition outside of the NYC area. I’m not trying to suggest that the new Senator should come from upstate, but I think it’s valid to ask for proof that whoever will be appointed to the seat show that they are aware that the state isn’t just Westchester County, and points south, with a little bone tossed to Albany. Certainly that concern matters more to me than any specific qualification based upon race, gender or sexual identity.

Of course - by that test, the following persons all need to prove their ability to represent the upstate constituencies: Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion Jr, Rep. Steve Israel, Rep. Carolyn Maloney. One of the many things that Hillary Clinton did right was that when she came carpetbagging into the state for Moynahan’s seat, she did tour the whole state for her listening campaign, to familiarize herself with the issues of constituencies outside of NYC.

Personally, I’d probably be happier if there were more talk about Kirsten Gillibrand, but as much as I’d like to see more representation for constituencies outside NYC, I can’t deny that any one seriously considered for the seat needs to be able to command a significant amount of support in NYC.

Of course, given that NYC voters* were willing to re-elect a Comptroller who’d admitted to misusing his office for personal benefit I am inclined to believe that so long as the candidate is Democratic there will be a good deal of ready-made support of any candidate.

*As well as a majority of voters across the state - I don’t mean to imply that the rest of the NY electorate is less sheep-like than the run of NYC voters.

[OtakuLoki]

@Burton

I think she’s way more qualified than say, congressman Tom Delay.

At the risk of starting a personal melt-down, can I ask that we stop with the BS “she’s no better or worse a person for the position that goat X”? It doesn’t matter whether she’s better or less qualified than Sarah Palin, Tom Delay, George Washington, Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary!

Compare her to the other people suggested for the lousy seat. We’re stuck with suck, now, whoever is chosen. I maintain that she sucks less than all but one or two people on the AP list linked by Measure for Measure. If you want to bring other suggestions, that’s fine, like Fran Drescher - but let’s talk about who might actually be appointed to this seat, now. No one else.
ETA: Burton, I’m picking your post not to attack you specifically, just to use it to emphasize a behavior in this thread (and the one I’d started) that is really horking me right off.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

I don’t think the Empire State is “stuck with suck.” Caroline Kennedy is, by all accounts, bright, articulate, committed and capable. She’s written several books and edited others. As a lawyer, she’s developed an expertise in civil liberties. She’s shown a lifelong commitment to public service and is tight with the President-elect. I think she has the potential to be a very good U.S. senator. If I were the governor, I would seriously consider her.

[OtakuLoki]

Elendil’s Heir, I’d feel a lot less apprehensive if she’d actually talked to anyone upstate.

Yeah, it’s provincialism. I still claim that it’s at least as valid a concern as wanting to specify the plumbing on the new Senator.

[Cervaise]

@suranyi

She’s written some pretty interesting books.

So did L. Ron Hubbard.

[DanBlather]

@Starving_Artist

IIRC from old films of the young Kennedy family, they pronounced her name so that it rhymed with line, not lynn.

Still, not a bad effort, Dan.

A comely young lass name of Caroline,
Was the latest to serve from a long line,
To be Senator of New York,
She stabbed Fran Drescher with a fork,
And said there will be no nanny state this time.

[sciurophobic]

If she thinks she’s qualified she should try to get elected fair and square and not expect it to be handed to her.

[suranyi]

@Zoe

Co-authored In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action with fellow law graduate Ellen Alderman.

Co-authored another book entitled The Right to Privacy (1995).

I’ve read both of these books. They are very good.

Ed

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

@mswas

So we’ll be going from one unqualified social climber who never cared about New York to unqualified aristocracy who might actual care about New York. Fair trade IMV.

FWIW, Hilary wasn’t a climber- she was definitely going downmarket when she married Bill.

Anyway, like it or not, nepotism is endemic to American politics. Ironic, annoying, but here to stay.

I don’t know why people are point out that she’s got a law degree, though. She doesn’t appear to have practiced law in nearly thirty years, if ever.

[Captain_Carrot]

@DanBlather

A comely young lass name of Caroline,
Was the latest to serve from a long line,
To be Senator of New York,
She stabbed Fran Drescher with a fork,
And said there will be no nanny state this time.

That would be a lot better if every line wasn’t about five syllables over. And if ‘time’ rhymed with ‘line’.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

There once was a Kennedy scion
Whose uncle was quite the old lion
An appointment she sought
To the Senate, hard-fought;
Will Andrew C. just be left cryin’?

[DanBlather]

@Captain_Carrot

That would be a lot better if every line wasn’t about five syllables over. And if ‘time’ rhymed with ‘line’.

But other than that, Mrs. Lincoln…

[mswas]

@Really_Not_All_That_Bright

FWIW, Hilary wasn’t a climber- she was definitely going downmarket when she married Bill.

Hardly. Maybe she’d be an executive at Wal Mart today instead of Senator without him. He’s far more charming and intelligent than she is.

Anyway, like it or not, nepotism is endemic to American politics. Ironic, annoying, but here to stay.

It’s endemic to politics period.

[Shodan]

@Rubystreak

Everyone has to start somewhere. What experience did Palin have in government before being elected governor? I know, the key to you is “elected.”

City councilmember, and two terms as mayor. All elected offices, FTR.

Cite.

… I agree that Palin’s presence in this thread is puzzling and irrelevant, though what were her qualifications to be Governor? Just as flimsy as Kennedy’s to be Senator.

Well, only if 3 = 0.

I am not a New Yorker, but ISTM that Ms. Kennedy has learned a lesson from the late campaign, that Democrats are willing to vote for someone young, pretty, charismatic even if they have little to no direct experience at all. Maybe Obama will do well enough to justify the choice for other politicians. Maybe he will screw up badly enough to distract from it.

Regards,
Shodan

[mswas]

OT but I haven’t seen anythig about Palin’s actual performance in school, only that she switched schools a lot. Shiftlessness in youth has never been evidence of a lack of intelligence to me.