Idolatry and Ideology

“Caroline Kennedy is going to be the next senator from New York, so get on board now.” So spoke a top aide within the New York mayor’s office, according to phone records obtained by the New York Times. But the union leader on the other end of the line shouldn’t have been surprised to hear it. A number of influential sources, from politicians to journalists, have already pegged Caroline Kennedy as the front runner for Hilary Clinton’s soon-to-be-vacant senate seat.

Not everyone is so gung-ho. Over the past few days, the legitimacy of a Kennedy senatorship has been hashed and rehashed by pundits, politicians, and the people themselves. Still, if Kennedy is to be handed the seat, American voters should be concerned, and not just because the prospect reeks of dynastic politics. Her case is merely the latest and most blatant example of how politicians’ personalities eclipse the ideas they represent.

Supporters praise Kennedy for her charm, her bestselling book, and her dedication to education advocacy. Critics attack her on the same grounds, as the recent charges of her inarticulateness make clear. Lost in all the vitriol is any real interest in her policy views.

Even if the press were dying for a clear delineation of her platform, they wouldn’t have much to go on. Kennedy’s op-ed in the New York Times last January marked the first time she has publicly endorsed a candidate for office. While she has, in the past few weeks, taken a public stand on media-friendly issues like same-sex marriage and school vouchers, she continually side-steps questions about how she might depart from the party line. Even her editorial, entitled “A President Like My Father,” neglects any argument for Obama’s policies, extolling instead his inspirational character. Kennedy may indeed be capable, but if so, she is hiding it well; New Yorkers have at this point no reason to believe that Caroline Kennedy will actually represent them if appointed. That she is still a top contender despite this portends an ominous turn for American politics.

Kennedy’s candidacy manifests a problem more serious than one Senate seat, however. Political discourse is beginning to feel more like a clash of personality cults than a real debate. This type of discourse was all too prevalent this past election, when we heard more about McCain’s “maverick” brand and the antics of his running mate than we did his economic policy, and more about Obama’s immutable “hope” than his actual agenda. Indeed, despite the unique confluence of a crashing economy and a vice presidential opponent who provided day after day of material for SNL, it is hard to deny that Barack Obama owes a great deal to his messianic, “presidential” persona.

The politics of personality are certainly nothing new to the American political game; leaders from Washington to Reagan have ridden their charismatic poise to the White House. But as history has shown, precarious times tend to breed particularly ready discipleship. With disquiet overseas and recession on the domestic horizon, there is an aura of unconditional public trust around the man many call the next Jack Kennedy that is already putting his decisions unsettlingly above scrutiny.

At 72 percent and rising, Obama’s Gallup approval ratings have been surpassed by only two newly elected presidents since FDR: Kennedy approaching the peak of the cold war, and Johnson after Kennedy’s assassination. “That’s the sort of rating you see when the public rallies around a leader after a national disaster,” CNN analyst Bill Schneider remarked last month. Put another way, Americans are seeing a savior where they should see a Democrat.

Granted, a leader’s ability to inspire shouldn’t be underestimated, and Caroline Kennedy’s star power could well bring a good chunk of federal funding to New York. But the most fundamental part of representing a constituency is voting for them. Even in times of uncertainty, Americans need to step far enough back from political celebrities to keep sight of where they are leading us. Some may be shocked to discover that admiration is not always synonymous with agreement.



Sean R, Ouellette ’12, a Crimson editorial writer, lives in Strauss Hall.