An Open Letter to Ms. Caroline Kennedy

Re: Your statements “A President Like My Father”, The New York Times 27^th January, 2008 and “He is the most like my father”, USA Today, 29^th July, 2008

4^th September, 2008

Dear Ms. Kennedy:

Firstly, allow me to say, I am quite Conservative in my Political view(s), preferring a Rudy Guiliani and a Mike Huckabee, to any Democrat but, nonetheless, a great admirer of both your parents. I believe President Kennedy and Mrs. Onassis were two (2) of the most exceptional, brilliant, and exciting individuals to ever grace The White House, American Political and Cultural life, and the global community. Whatever their personal foibles and character flaws, they managed to place them aside and rise to the occasion of their unique and weighty journey upon the world stage. Their shared commitment to, and awareness of their place within history was remarkable. Their physical beauty, elegance of person and mind inspired and caused a sensation amongst the young and old, at home and abroad. Their unsurpassed commitment to excellence in all its myriad forms is much needed in this time of overwhelming mediocrity and expediency. Great style with underlying substance makes them very special, indeed. They made Americans proud to be Americans. I wish for the sake of our country, such willingly undertaken adult responsibility, were readily available in today’s climate, at all levels of American society and culture, instead of the capitulation and celebration of the lowest common denominator perceived as the only “truth” which presently grips our country.

I should also like to point out that I write you as a fellow American, not as some absurd pseudo-Princess of a mythical “Camelot” as the media might have you and often prefers. I for one, have never viewed you or your family as “America’s Royal Family” a common moniker I detest, as there is no such thing in the United States. Ours is a land of Plutocrats and nothing more, and in that context the Kennedys are eclipsed by other much more important and far wealthier families such as the duPonts, the Mellons, the Biddles, and the Rockefellers to name but a few. All families I should like to point out whose impact, for better and for worse, is very much woven into the fabric of our country, much more than yours.

Additionally, I object to the children of former Presidents playing a role in National Politics without any credentials whatsoever, aside from a bloodline. This certainly includes the sons of Ronald Reagan, as well as, yourself. As a rule, I dismiss such offspring and their opinions within the context of a National Dialogue where they are inflicted upon us; quite different from meeting them at a cocktail party or some other private event and asking to hear their opinions. Unlike your cousins Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Joseph Kennedy II, you yourself possess no credentials whatsoever to be directing National Politics, as you have never been elected to any office nor played any but a cursory behind-the-scenes role, highlighted by regular appearances at the DNC where such are presented as some ludicrous “royal prerogative”. Have you grown tired of being behind-the-scenes and are now jockeying for a Cabinet post in a possible Obama administration such as Secretary of Education where even more harm can be done to what passes for American Education? At any rate, because you have placed yourself in such a pro-active public role this election cycle, writing you is necessary.

For those of us who read books, particularly history, I confess to being left more than a little perplexed and completely appalled by your unconscionable comparison of President Kennedy with Senator Obama, and would welcome any clarification you might offer in the way of expansion, to myself and my fellow citizens, as to the thoughts which lie behind and prompted such a desperately sad comparison. Your extremely limited statements thus far are vague, inconclusive, and simply, not enough. I for one, simply do not see your father in Senator Obama, at all. In the USA TODAY article much was made of the fact that Mr. Theodore Sorensen was responsible for introducing you to Senator Obama. Mr. Sorensen’s enthusiasm for Senator Obama, I find as baffling as yours. I must also confess, given your cousin Maria Shriver’s close personal friendship with Ms. Oprah Winfrey and your relationship with her, as well, I am skeptical that you hadn’t met Senator Obama previous to Mr. Sorensen’s introduction. Were you not introduced to him at the 2002 Democratic National Convention (DNC)?

With all of the rampant associations with your father being advanced by the Obama campaign, of which you yourself are involved, most recently during the DNC, I must say I believe you are greatly and pointedly dishonoring, disgracing, and degrading your father and sacrificing his legacy for a short-term gain and that someone should defend your father against such shamelessness, gain some perspective, and put an end to such contemptuous and nonsensical associations.

Added to which is a very specific déjà vu, as you and your family offered much the same endorsement in 1992 benefitting Bill Clinton, all because he shook hands with your father in the Rose Garden. It was ridiculous then, and even more so, now. That Bill Clinton made irrelevant the quality of character of one under consideration for President, I must question you and your family’s choices and criteria for leadership. Now that character is irrelevant what is the next noble characteristic to be rendered unimportant in our potential leaders? Clearly, there is an enormous rift between you, your family, and the Clinton’s (given you and your family’s - exempting of course, Robert Kennedy’s children - lack of support for Senator Hillary Clinton) at this stage begging the question “what does a Kennedy endorsement really mean in the long-run?” This is an even more important question when one considers that Bill Clinton who himself had no International View, much the same as Senator Obama. Like Bill Clinton will a Barack Obama administration through controlled and purposeful ignorance and lack of focus, inadvertently lay the groundwork, for yet another attack upon American shores or will Senator Biden prevent such, while Mr. Obama is busy checking his poll numbers?

It appears as if you yourself are endlessly seeking a surrogate father, upon a national level no less, and that some part of you believes the rest of the country would benefit from same. I certainly hope I am mistaken. If by chance I am not, may I suggest you await the full-flowering of cloning at which point a virtual army of pseudo-JFK’s will be at your disposal? Your father was unique in the history of The United States and will never be replaced or replicated nor will there be anyone ever again, “like” him. Instead of seeking someone “like” him, I would much prefer both political parties sought originals. The lack of quality Presidential candidates amongst both Parties available in this country and the “elite” group of individuals on both sides who believe they know what is best for America, choosing them for the American voter to ultimately consider, sickens me.

Your father was a child of privilege, well-educated, well-traveled, a war hero, a voracious reader, an intellect, a brilliant orator, politician, statesman, and individual. He was very much of his own mind and opinion, but always open to the differing point-of-view with a courageous willingness to admit and take blame for his mistakes, and most importantly, learn from them. His learning curve from the Bay of Pigs to the Cuban Missile Crisis is extraordinary in the history of the United States Presidency. I have always liked your mother’s description of the President as “an idealist without illusions”. That he was a man of the highest and best ideals and principles tempered by pragmatism makes him a rare breed and just what one would hope a President would be. Senator Obama, on-the-other-hand, strikes me as a man who looks to others to tell him who he is, which is not a great quality in a man or a President. Please, kindly explain to me and the rest of the country just how Senator Obama is “the most like” your father?

President Kennedy resonates to this day through both imagery and oratory. He continues to captivate new generations through those powerful images and words (both with and without Theodore Sorensen’s influence or crafting). Film footage of him speaking remains riveting, be it a formal address, a press conference, or an off-the-cuff remark. His ability to think-on-his-feet was awesome, compared with Senator Obama’s constant stream of “uhs”,“ums”, and “mans”. Your father inspired confidence because he was in command of himself and very much conveyed an equal command of the Presidency and the country. His brilliant usage of the English language and poetry was and remains, refreshing combined with the fact that he never spoke down to the American public. Unlike Senator Obama, there was nothing dubious, murky, undecided, or indecisive about President Kennedy. Your father and mother represented the best in America, and what America could be and aspire towards. Senator Obama does not.  He is emblematic of our endless spiraling into mediocrity and chaos. If he were of a greater stature, such as Rudy Guiliani, Colin Powell, Julian Bond, or Hillary Clinton perhaps, his candidacy wouldn’t be so pathetic. More importantly, there would be no need for comparisons to your father or any other previous President, as each of the aforementioned are very much themselves in the same vein as was your father. In other words, genuine articles all, as opposed to a single wannabe.

Your uncle, Senator Kennedy, during his endorsement remarks at the DNC, has made mention once more of “the dream” and I for one would be very interested in knowing the details of this dream, as I have never quite understood its meaning. I believe this “dream” concept originated with your Uncle, Robert Kennedy during the 1964 DNC. Is it the proverbial call to Socialism or is it something more? Having grown-up around Senator Edward Kennedy’s influence, I am certain you are particularly qualified to expound upon his meaning, as well. Are you certain your father shared such a dream or Senator Obama shares the identical dream whatever it might be?

Clearly, I am missing something here? “Inspiration” without substance is meaningless. Your father was endlessly inspiring and inspired but he too (even with your grandfather, Ambassador Joseph Kennedy’s machinations), would have been meaningless had he not possessed the foundational substance. Senator McCain was completely correct in placing Senator Obama on par with the likes of pseudo-celebrities such as Brittany Spears and Paris Hilton, for, like them, Senator Obama possesses no substance. He is simply an image armed with, as Senator Hillary Clinton stated, “a speech from 2002” with many a variation all underscoring the usual antiquated tax and spend policies of the Democratic Party Platform, policies to which your Party remains committed even though their obvious failure and continued debt are crippling the United States, most notably Middle-Class Americans, more than the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I find Senator Obama nothing more than a media-contrived and propped-up figure, by such individuals, to name but a few, Ms. Winfrey, Mr. Warren Buffett, Mr. David Geffen, your Uncle, Senator Edward Kennedy, and, most surprisingly of all, yourself, for reasons which completely escape me. There is something all too familiar about Senator Obama’s candidacy and it’s the frightening similarity with the 1941 Frank Carpra film “Meet John Doe” where in this instance the “old fake-a-roo” is certainly in-play. I have long thought the Democratic Party operates like “D. B. Norton” in the film and this year you and your Party have more than confirmed this reality. Senator Obama, may represent some sort of vague pseudo-change in the minds of individuals such as yourself, but to me, and many others he is but a cardboard cut-out of a United States Senator, let alone a Presidential Candidate. Senator Biden, for example, possesses the credentials and strong opinions which Senator Obama lacks. In my view, your Party would have been better served by a Hillary Clinton/Joe Biden ticket.

Do not misunderstand, by my references to Senator Clinton that I in any manner support her candidacy, as I am no admirer of the Clintons. However, I did view each of the debates between Senator Clinton and Senator Obama where she clearly trounced him at every turn. While I emphatically disagree with Senator Clinton’s politics and platform, she is highly intelligent, a brilliant politician, and speaker. She has an agenda, knows who she is, and is always fascinating to hear. She, not Senator Obama, possesses both the stature and substance required of a Presidential Candidate and leader. Between July 2007 and January 2008 you suddenly withdrew your support of Senator Clinton in favor of Senator Obama, after years of a close relationship with the Clintons, which suggests a certain cloudiness of thinking and commitment on your part. That you and your party have opted to support Senator Obama, instead of Senator Clinton, is extremely bad for America.

The endless comparisons with your father permeating the media coverage of Senator Obama, and shamelessly advanced most recently during the four (4) day, too contrived, carefully orchestrated, choreographed, Hollywood cliché at its worst, overblown, protracted photo opportunity, pseudo-event, known as the Democratic National Convention are absurd. One moronic television pundit (of which there are far too many) even dared to call the Obama effort “The New Frontier” which is despicable. Your “1960” comment in the NYT Op-Ed piece was even more preposterous. This is not 1960, but 2008 and the “issues” facing our country are not remotely similar. You may operate within a time warp but the rest of the country and the world, do not.

I am astounded by the associations made between your father and Senator Obama as your father was throughout his career, first and foremost committed to foreign affairs and America’s leadership role and influence in such affairs, with Domestic Issues not being shall we say, his first priority. Spanning the spectrum of his life and commitment to International Affairs, I think immediately of his books “Why England Slept” and “The Strategy of Peace”. Generally speaking, this is easily understood as America enjoyed during your father’s tenure in The White House an unprecedented wealth as evidenced by the significantly large affluent Middle Class which existed during that period, one that is being continuously decimated even as I write these words. It may have been easy during the Kennedy years to think all was well domestically, with notable exceptions, such as Civil Rights and to delay change until after the 1964 Election. Nor do I feel you need to be reminded, though others might, of President Kennedy’s global efforts to assist troubled countries through such New Frontier efforts, as the Peace Corps and the Alliance for Progress. Naturally, I am speaking in generalities and simplistically, as I believe your father was clearly focused upon domestic issues as well, but his primary focus was unhesitatingly upon International Affairs and this is not the forum for a detailed history of the Kennedy Presidency. It is therefore enough to say your father was very much a Cold Warrior and committed anti-Communist constantly concerned over the security of the United States.

Further, I do not quite grasp the contemporary interpretation of President Kennedy as a representative Liberal, as I find him much more conservative and sober in his approach to governing than has been otherwise advanced. He certainly was not an FDR Liberal. It appears to me that the legacy your party meant to celebrate at the DNC was that of President Lyndon Johnson, an admitted and proud FDR Liberal, as it was to him and his “Great Society” which provided the explosion of the Welfare state (a debt under which we are still burdened) to whom Senator Obama owes the greatest debt, not your father. Shouldn’t the Johnson daughters, Ms. Lynda Bird Johnson Robb and Ms. Lucie Baines Johnson have played a more significant role in the most recent DNC? For me, that would have been a more logical approach than tying Senator Obama to your father. Strikingly similar to President Johnson are Senator Obama’s ideas and ideals and a wish to implement them without considering or being of little consequence to him, their long-term impact upon future generations of Americans. It is very much the “Walt Disney” approach to governing. Perhaps, we should all write-in “Mickey Mouse” while singing “It’s a Small World” this November!

I would welcome your much more in-depth explanation and further insight regarding your comparison of President Kennedy to Senator Obama. Certainly, you possess the personal courage to do so. Ms. Winfrey, ABC, CBS, NBC, and AOL would cheerfully provide you the format.

Thank you.

World Within World

Link to the New York Times Piece:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/opinion/27kennedy.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

Link to the USA Today Piece:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-06-26-caroline_N.htm