Sources Close to Gov. Paterson Say Caroline Kennedy Will Be Picked to Fill Clinton Seat
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Related subjects: Economic Recovery, Healthcare Policy, J.E. Robertson, New York City, U.S. news, U.S. Politics, Vote 2008 Comments (1)
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will have to vacate her seat in the United States Senate when she becomes Secretary of State, and speculation has been rife for weeks about who will fill that seat. Long seen as the top choice, both with the public and among party insiders, Caroline Kennedy, daughter of Pres. John F. Kennedy, will be the likely choice of Gov. Paterson of New York.
Kennedy is often described as “elusive” or “reclusive”, shying away from the public eye, unlike so many in her storied political family, but she has done important work for a number of charitable causes and has consistently involved herself in issues of public interest. She is now being described as a “forceful” candidate, though her contacts with the public over the Senate seat question have been limited.
The AP reported that “Two people close to Gov. David Paterson tell The Associated Press they believe Caroline Kennedy will be his choice, but the governor cautions he’s still looking.” Kennedy is the popular choice with voters, but some question how public a figure she will be if she takes over as senator; her private style is seen as a stark contrast with Clinton’s high profile, ambitious approach to the role of junior senator.
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New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver made headlines with his assertion that Paterson was on the verge of selecting Caroline Kennedy to fill Clinton’s seat once it becomes vacant. But the governor, through a spokesman, refuted the claim; Paterson’s spokesman said the governor is favoring no frontrunner and that he will make the selection after due deliberation.
It has also been reported that the governor will not appoint a “caretaker” senator to hold the seat till the next election in 2010, but would aim to appoint a senator who would serve ably and be a strong voice for New York before and after the 2010 election.
Kennedy’s approach to policy also seems to fit well with the president-elect’s pragmatic centrist style. She served as adviser and VP vetter for Obama, and on the subject of healthcare told the AP in a recent interview that:
We need to fix that system. It’s something we need to fix. It’s too expensive. We don’t invest in prevention. These things are affecting women and children. Also they’re completely tied together in a terrible way. I’d like to work to make sure there’s health and child care.
She is widely praised for her work on education issues, and her big-picture view of the national priority of education also meshes well with the incoming administration: “our country has an education crisis long term and we really need to solve it if we’re going to remain the strongest, most powerful, most admired country on earth”.
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John Tantillo did a post on his marketing blog on the Caroline Kennedy “brand”–predicting that Caroline would be not only Senator but the first female president.
For one thing–she’s a Kennedy; for another, Obama’s win has altered the political landscape. An underdog will now meet with fewer nay-sayers on the way up.
Tantillo also talks about how Kennedy, like Obama and Ron Paul, will be able to use push vs. pull marketing:
“Traditionally, push marketing was about getting the consumer (or the voter) to buy your product (or candidate) by having a third party push your product (or candidate) on the Target Market. This cost a lot of money because in effect, these third parties had to be paid up-front, typically in the form of commission.
What we’re seeing these days is the revolutionary use of pull marketing. Voters know what kind of candidate they want, and they are seeking that candidate out.”
Tantillo’s full post