Too Bad About Caroline, Ya Know?

When it comes to political drama, it seems nothing can top the twin efforts to fill US Senate seats in New York and Illinois. Just when it seemed the controversy surrounding Rod Blagojevich's pick for the latter was dying down, New York's selection process has been thrown into chaos.

That's because Caroline Kennedy, the presumptive choice of Gov. David Paterson, has taken herself out of contention. Speculation abounds about why. Various media are reporting the move caught the governor's office completely by surprise. We may never know the real reason she dropped out.

Fact is, Caroline Kennedy was ill prepared for the blood sport that is New York politics.



Her public rollout was badly flawed, her credentials seriously questioned after a flurry of early positive press. All this she should have expected. Unlike her good friend President Barack Obama, she was incapable of responding effectively to the negative media coverage.

A good speech coach, for example, could have gotten her past the awkward "ums" and "you knows" that made her public interviews agonizing to watch. On top of that, does anyone remember a single policy position she articulated during the course of her shadow campaign for the office?

Why she dropped her bid is anybody's guess. The New York Times cites a person "close to her" as saying it was worry about the health of her uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy. Others are speculating it was a graceful way out, since Gov. Paterson was not going to choose her despite the speculation he had little choice.

And the governor's office doesn't come away unscathed in all this either. As recently as 7:00PM last night, his people were saying reports that Ms. Kennedy was dropping out were "just the rumor of the day". A little more than an hour later, his press secretary asked that the previous statement not be published. Say what?

If there's one thing you never do, it's ask the media not to report something you told them. You issue a clarification, you say the governor didn't have all the information, whatever. This is New York! People should know better. All this has conspired to make Gov. Paterson, a thoughtful man, look indecisive and confused.



I don't think he is. In fact, I was never as certain as some of my colleagues that Caroline Kennedy had a lock on the senate seat. David Paterson has always managed to confound even his friends with the choices he makes. He is his own best counsel. Caroline Kennedy dropping out doesn't change that.

Gov. Paterson will make his choice for Hillary Clinton's senate seat known by the weekend. Who do you think he'll choose?