Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Princess Caroline

James Taranto has some amusing thoughts on Albert Hunt’s salute to Caroline Kennedy (H/T: From on High).

Hunt, in his obsequiousness toward mainline Democratic party hacks, appears bound and determined to give the late Arthur Schelesinger, Jr. a run for his money in doing the liberal limbo (How low can you go!) I particularly liked this blossom from Hunt’s bouquet: “An even more dramatic example might be the young man who was elected four years before Baker, and with even fewer credentials. Riding a celebrated family name, he defeated more experienced rivals in both the Democratic primary and the general election. That was Edward Kennedy in 1962. He has gone on to become one of the most influential senators in the history of the institution.” Who can deny it? On the other hand, who but a blindly partisan propagandist would view that fact as anything other than appalling?

William F. Buckley, Jr. once suggested that perhaps we ought to simply declare the Kennedy’s the official royal family and pension them off, with the strict understanding that no one in the family would be permitted to hold elective office. In retrospect, I think it would have been a bargain.

Update: Request for disclosure? Apparently that is an act of of lèse-majesté.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think there's any doubt that having hereditary office holders can often produce some pretty capable people (although I think there is considerable doubt as to whether Kennedy has contributed anything to American society apart from contribution to the drink driving debate). It's a funny position to hold in a republic though. The great problem with hereditary offices is that you take what you get. One only has to imagine the prospect of WW2 fought with the nazi sympathising Edward VIII on the throne to see the problem.

On another matter, can I wish you and the various Paco family a Happy Christmas?

Paco said...

CAC: A very happy Christmas to you and yours, too, CAC!

RebeccaH said...

Appointing Princess Caroline to a senate seat just because she asked for the job goes against everything America is supposed to stand for. Damn the Kennedys, I wish they would go away.

RebeccaH said...

Oh, and merry Christmas to all from one of the little people.

kc said...

Why does it irk me that the press seems to be calling her Kennedy, not Schlossberg? Didn't she take her husband's name?

Merry Merry Christmas to all who celebrate that, Happy Hanukkah to those of that persuasion...and may you all have a beautiful & most interesting New Year!

From another one of the Little People!

Paco said...

Merry Christmas to all, and a prosperous New Year from the executive management, operations group, secretarial pool and cleaning staff of Paco Enterprises.

I'll be blogging through the holidays, so check in from time to time (but remember: if you find any gifts under the tree that were purchased from PE, this is NOT the complaint window).

Anonymous said...

Happy Christmas to you. Here it is a mere 10 hrs away.

I say -
Even an American Princess will probably be of more benefit to the world than any other prince or princess from anywhere else ever was.

God Bless America.

Paco said...

Bruce: Hear, hear!

Anonymous said...

The Founding Fathers are spinning in their graves.

I just can't figure out which is worse from the Kennedy Clan: a vapid senatorial princess, or a horny senatorial lush.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Anonymous said...

And the MSM will be weighing in with Palinesque-IMO "Oh, no! Insufficient experience!" in how many seconds? Weeks?
Would ya believe never? Well, at least until they have the anti-venine, consisting of what fairy dust has been sprinkled by virtue of hereditary factors.
Republic? Bah!

Anonymous said...

So Caroline is to get Hillary's seat just because she wants it, and never mind her experience only amounts to living in the White House for three years when she was pre-school age. Then I hear Teddy wants his wife to take over his seat when he falls off the perch. Huh. Can you say dynasty?

For all anybody can complain about a Bush dynasty, they got into elective office by being elected. The Kennedys seem to think they should be given elective office on the strength of sympathy for an assassination that happened 45 years ago.

It won't surprise me if Princess Caroline gets her wish. After all we elected Obama president so experience seems to be a drawback these days.

Fie! on politics for the next week. Brit Hume did his last Special Report last night, just in time to enjoy Christmas without the irritation that political news has become lately, so Merry Christmas everybody. I'm going to see how wrapping presents and decorating the tree turns out tonight with the aid of single malt in the glass and the Rat Pack Christmas on the stereo.

Retread

SwampWoman said...

It must be a blue state thing, because I don't see anything remotely remarkable about that family.

If Caroline wants a public office, perhaps she should actually run for one, like Sarah Palin did.