Avedee, Kennedy made a mistake running against Markey, no doubt about that. I share your animosity about that. However, that does not make Kennedy politically irrelevant for all time, nor that his political career is dead and buried.
Avedee, Kennedy made a mistake running against Markey, no doubt about that. I share your animosity about that. However, that does not make Kennedy politically irrelevant for all time, nor that his political career is dead and buried.
We can and should do better than an anti-marjiuana crusader nepo baby who challenged one of the most progressive senators in the country on a platform of elect me i'm a Kennedy.
I'm not as opposed to JPK3 as Avedee, but at the same time: what does he bring us? He's not ideologically special. While I wouldn't call him weak in any categories of policy expertise or communication, he also possesses no special strength in those categories. While he would be younger than most congressmembers, he's not uniquely young as a potential statewide candidate in MA. Pressley is 50 vs his 44. Auchincloss is 36. Trahan is 51. Moulton is 46. (Although I'd certainly prefer him over Moulton...)
The only thing special about him is his last name. Which in a tough election (e.g. if he had challenged Baker) would have value. There are no expected difficult elections in the state in the near future for him to put that to use. It also would have no real value for a presidential ticket, as democrats in particular are shying away from anything that they can call dynasties. Plus, his uncle is doing his best job to run the family name into the mud.
Kennedy as a potential senator doesn't give us anything special.
Pressley is by far the person we should want to replace Markey or Warren, whoever leaves first. And I'm on board for both of them making their current term their last, considering their ages.
"Plus, his uncle is doing his best job to run the family name into the mud."
That would seem to be an argument in favour of a Kennedy run, to restore some more lustre to the family name and legacy.
But even in Massachusetts, a Kennedy restoration only goes so far. Younger voters might not be hostile to the prospect, but they don't automatically gravitate to it and building a campaign mostly around nostalgia often doesn't work out well.
Avedee, Kennedy made a mistake running against Markey, no doubt about that. I share your animosity about that. However, that does not make Kennedy politically irrelevant for all time, nor that his political career is dead and buried.
We can and should do better than an anti-marjiuana crusader nepo baby who challenged one of the most progressive senators in the country on a platform of elect me i'm a Kennedy.
I'm not as opposed to JPK3 as Avedee, but at the same time: what does he bring us? He's not ideologically special. While I wouldn't call him weak in any categories of policy expertise or communication, he also possesses no special strength in those categories. While he would be younger than most congressmembers, he's not uniquely young as a potential statewide candidate in MA. Pressley is 50 vs his 44. Auchincloss is 36. Trahan is 51. Moulton is 46. (Although I'd certainly prefer him over Moulton...)
The only thing special about him is his last name. Which in a tough election (e.g. if he had challenged Baker) would have value. There are no expected difficult elections in the state in the near future for him to put that to use. It also would have no real value for a presidential ticket, as democrats in particular are shying away from anything that they can call dynasties. Plus, his uncle is doing his best job to run the family name into the mud.
Kennedy as a potential senator doesn't give us anything special.
Pressley is by far the person we should want to replace Markey or Warren, whoever leaves first. And I'm on board for both of them making their current term their last, considering their ages.
"Plus, his uncle is doing his best job to run the family name into the mud."
That would seem to be an argument in favour of a Kennedy run, to restore some more lustre to the family name and legacy.
But even in Massachusetts, a Kennedy restoration only goes so far. Younger voters might not be hostile to the prospect, but they don't automatically gravitate to it and building a campaign mostly around nostalgia often doesn't work out well.
Who woulda thunk that RFK Jr could make Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana (unrelated) look like the more reasonable Kennedy?