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But how will it play in Peoria?

Jan 29th, 2008 by Nelson Benton

Much is being made of the Kennedy family’s anointing of Barack Obama as the candidate best suited to follow in JFK’s footsteps.
Sen. Ted Kennedy, who’s long since given up his dream of becoming the second Kennedy brother to occupy the White House, was at his rip-roaring best Monday as he declared Obama “ready to be president from day one” during an appearance with the candidate at American University in Washington, D.C. They were joined by the Massachusetts senator’s son, Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy, and niece, Caroline, who this week wrote an oped piece for the New York Times comparing Obama with her father, the late president.
Coming close on the heels of Sen. John Kerry’s endorsement of the candidate, Obama would seem like a lock in the Massachusetts presidential primary next week.
But how will those endorsements play in other states?
The fact is that while Massachusetts is steeped in Kennedy lore, many voters elsewhere have no real memory of the man who occupied the White House from 1961 to 1963. (The median age of today’s voter is 44, meaning half those who go the polls were born the year after Kennedy was assassinated.)
As for Ted Kennedy and Kerry, they carry the banner of a state that’s mostly known these days as home to the Big Dig and the Patriots. The latter, former, of course, is the most expensive public works project in U.S. history; while the Pats have become everyone outside of New England’s least favorite football team.

Posted in Massachusetts politics, Nelson Benton, Presidential race | Comments

  • jacrlsn
    In your last paragraph, Mr Benton, I think you might have meant to say the former was the most expensive public works projects....
    Grammer aside, I don't believe endosements by anyone, politician, actors or actresses, sports celebreties or any personalities will change anyone's mind. If anything they harden one's position for or against a candidate.
  • michael cook
    You know, years ago when the Rogers family controlled what my late father used to call the "Evil Tribune", he would throw the paper to the floor and rail about the "illiteracy", on the part of so many of the paper's editorial staff.

    That often made life awkward because Irving Rogers, Jr,. who was the editor at that time, and his family, were my family's neighbors at Seabrook Beach.

    Mr. Benton's confusion of the concepts of the "latter" and the "former", in my view, just give current day credence to the Tribune's long history of journalistic, communal, and grammatical incompetence, the two Pulitzers aside

    I have no doubt my father would agree.
  • Chris Condon
    People born after the Kennedy assasination can vividly recall the tragic event as well as the Kennedy White House they were well documented and aired over television and movies. The sixties were unique to the following decades in that most people got involved, they voted, they spoke up! Especially in and around the home. The Kennedy assasination left a mark on the entire country. Those of us who were to young to remember the events in real life, know them through the images of television, books, and most vividly the accounts of those we all knew who lived through those difficult days, our parents. As for the idea that Ted Kennedy will leave an impression to the benefit of Obama, that remains to be seen! If I were Mr. Obama, I would have asked Mr Kennedy to refrain and make better use of his time, possibly answering phone calls or placing push poll calls for the Huckabee camp.
  • jacrlsn
    If there is anyone among us who speak perfect English, let him rise above the rest. I suspect that even in your language Mr. Cook (Gibberish, so far as I can tell) you probably have many grammatical errors . I can't tell because I don't speak it.
  • michael cook
    Mr. Carlson, I finally figured out why you're so nasty and have to resort to personal attacks and insults.
    It's because you're not very bright and your arguments have no merit.
    How sad.
  • JasonW
    @michael cook:
    It's odd that you disparage another commenter as resorting to personal attacks, yet your original criticism did not address the blogger's content, but only his grammar!

    @Nelson Benton:
    I agree that the various Kennedy endorsements may not mean much to younger voters. But this may be part of the Obama campaign's overall strategy. He's already fairly popular among younger voters, but can use these endorsements to tap into some of the older crowd.
  • jacrlsn
    Thank you, JasonW for being observent and sticking to the facts.
    I may not have this 100% correct, but I believe that any influence of the Rogers family is long gone (Although I have heard they had a conservative bent which I'm sure is the basis of Mr. Cooks and apparently his fathers animosity)
    What needs to be kept in mind by intelligent and unbiased users of this blog is that there is a great need in this part of the country for the owners of these newspapers, the Boston Herald, Fox news and channel, and yes, Rush Limbaugh and other conservative talk show hosts to somewhat counter balance the considerable influence of the New York Times, Boston Globe, CBS, NBC, ABC, Chris Mathews etc. Without the former group, We as a people would have a hard time getting at the real news.
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