The First 100 Days

Well I’m back to writing on this for the time being. I didn’t post for a few months because I swamped with reading and writing for my classes and then for the last month and half just need to take a break. But, last week one of my good friends bluntly said, “Kevin when you talk about politics or history I just zone out.” So, I decided I better find an outlet to talk about them so I don’t completely bore most of my friends.

That being said, the last time I wrote on this blog, the economy had not collapsed (at least anywhere near the extent to which it did a week later), McCain and Obama were still neck and neck and Sarah Palin was still being seen as a brilliant political move. Let just say since then, things have “changed.” Yes, I know that was corny but get over it.

Two weeks ago Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. I don’t think that it is any shock from my past blog entries that I voted for him and was extremely proud to see him sworn in as president (both times). However the past two weeks have left me a little irked—and it’s not the problems with taxes or elusive answers that many of his cabinet and cabinet-level appointees are facing in the Senate or the GOP’s opposition to the stimulus package. Let be honest, the GOP, after getting absolutely obliterated in the election had to show some early opposition to Obama and couldn’t give him a string of huge bipartisan victories in the first few weeks he was in office. Rather it is the media, specifically the liberal media and even more specifically MSNBC that is bothering me.

Let me preface this by saying that I have always been a fan of MSNBC. The website is my homepage and when I get home from work (on nights I don’t have class) I usually like to watch or at least listen in the background to Hardball, Countdown or Rachel Maddow when I’m making or eating dinner. In the morning I usually watch the online clips of Morning Joe when I’m at work. The network was even pretty balanced until Barack Obama declared his candidacy in the winter of 2007. After that they began the fairly rapid transformation into the Fox News of the left. They even took it a step further than Fox has done in the past as Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews all but proposed marriage to Obama on air. Between Matthews’ comment about getting a “warm feeling go up his leg” when he hears Obama speak and Olbermann’s daily rants against the Clintons in the primaries even their NBC News colleagues like Tom Brokaw began appearing on their shows less. What’s more is that Chris Matthews seemed proud on election night and during the inauguration that the network had been so pro-Obama.

That being said you would think that MSNBC would be the network most beneficial to the new administration and while you can’t say that their coverage has been anything less than flattering, I would make the argument that the network as a whole is setting the bar too high. Every time I hear the networks flowery, orchestra music come on with an announcer talking about “the first 100 days” I want to scream. (And by the way, The Huffington Post, and Politico are just as bad.) Yes the first 100 of days of a presidency are important but in reality there is only one president who had an enormously successful first 100 days—Franklin Roosevelt. Think about some of the president’s we now consider great (or even mediocre) and their first 100 days—Lincoln had to deal with the Civil War, Kennedy botched the Bay of Pigs, Clinton couldn’t get a healthcare bill off the ground, and Reagan was shot.

The network that did its best to get President Obama elected is now, seemingly unintentionally, setting the bar too high. With expectations to win two wars (and get the troops home soon), save the middle class, end Washington corruption, and create a post-partisan, kumbaya atmosphere in Washington anyone, even FDR, would fail. If MSNBC and other overtly left-leaning media outlets like The Huffington Post truly want Obama to succeed they need to tone down the Messianic rhetoric. Yes, I believe Barack Obama will bring change that is needed to this country and I love the cabinet and administration he has put together (especially now that Bill Richardson is out of the picture), but if the bar is set too high, too soon he will appear to have failed which will then lead to the actual failure of his policies. If you want a sports analogy for this look at this year’s Dallas Cowboys: They were the prohibitive favorite to win the Super Bowl at the start of the season. But the bar was set too high—the team started to flounder and injuries caused this pattern to continue. The team couldn’t live up to its hype and fell apart from the inside out. If the media doesn’t tone down expectations for Obama, I fear the same will happen to his administration.

A Memo to Sens. Obama and Biden

NOTE TO READERS: This post is meant to be addressed to the Democratic Ticket, sort of as a means of catharsis for me after watching them flounder the past two weeks:

The time for a clean campaign has past. Sen. McCain threw his clean campaign pledge out the door the second he hired Steve Schmidt to take over the day to day operations of the campaign. Every gaffe Sen. McCain or Gov. Palin makes needs to be broadcast all over. You need to call them liars and then say what they are lying about. Explain that she completely supported the bridge to nowhere until Congress killed the idea. Only then was she against it—hell, supporting the damn bridge was one the major planks of her platform when she ran for governor. Ask how someone who was raised by his grandparents and a single mother on food stamps can be called an elitist by someone who has nine homes and his running mate who had a tanning bed installed in the governor’s mansion. Why are the words “Beltway Johnny” not being uttered every time you talk about “Change?” Why won’t you point out that Sarah Palin doesn't know what the Bush Doctrine is instead of leaving it to the media to do your bidding? If I were you I would fire your entire campaign staff and beg on hand an knee that James Carville and Paul Begala run your campaign. Please, please, please, take Jon Stewart’s advice and simply, “SHIT ON THEM WITHOUT REGARD!!!!!” They don’t respect you, so don’t respect them. And by the way, for every campaign stop that Sarah Palin makes with John McCain, you need to make one with Hillary Clinton. And for every snide comment she makes about community organizing, Joe Biden needs to make a comment about Wasilla having the worst crystal meth problem per capita in the country or a crack that just about everyone in her administration graduated high school with her. Finally, call both of them liars about you’re tax plan and point out the fact that even Fox News and Karl Rove have admitted they are lying about this. Then tell the American people that you want to do to lower taxes for the lower, middle, and even upper-middle class. Also, will you PLEASE run footage or audio of the Kennedy’s saying that you are the closest thing to Jack (that’s JFK’s personal name for those who are confused) and Bobby Kennedy since they were assassinated—Ethel, Teddy, and Caroline (Matriarch, Patriarch, and Matriarch-in-waiting) have all said you are their natural political successor! Finally put the picture of John McCain awkwardly hugging George W. Bush in every damn add you run (print or tape). That thing needs to be as familiar to people as the picture of a young Bill Clinton shaking JFK’s hand was in 1992 and 1996.

And two more things, for Sen. Biden. One: Why did you fuck up your answer on abortion so badly? You gave the perfect answer: You are pro-life and as a Catholic that is your choice and your opinion but you do not think you should impose your belief on others. Likewise you don’t think others' beliefs should be imposed on you and so you don’t support legalized partial birth abortions or government funding for abortions. Why did you have to try and play theologian at the end of your answer. You’re a senator and law professor not a theologian. Secondly: Don’t worry about being called mean or sexist in your debate. Dick Cheney by all accounts won the VP debate in 2004 and he was the meanest son of a bitch he could be.

Democratic Convention Recap

Ted Kennedy: No one can argue that this was not the most emotional moment of the convention. When the Democratic icon, suffering from brain cancer, walked out onto the stage and gave his impassioned speech he set the tone for the convention. Plus, he and his niece Caroline were once again able to present Sen. Obama as the successor to his slain brothers’ message of hope, peace, and justice.

Michelle Obama: Mrs. Obama has not been the stereotypical candidate’s wife. Perhaps because her husband was running against a woman until three months ago, she was not a very visible presence on the campaign. For that reason, no one really knew much about her and Republicans were somehow able to float a rumor that she was unpatriotic. She masterfully portrayed her and Senator Obama a happily married couple and ‘true American’ family (whatever that is). With help of the video narrated by her mother and the introduction buy her NCAA basketball coach brother, she portrayed her story as a true American success story—the story of the ever elusive American Dream.

Bob Casey, Jr.: Not really a media highlight but it was a big deal for me to see the DNC let a fellow Pro-Life Democrat speak in primetime at the convention. It was a good speech too.

Brian Schweitzer: Gov. Schweitzer gave a great speech on the need for energy independence. His speech is seen as energizing (no pun intended) western, moderate Democrats like himself.

Mark Warner: This was not exactly a highlight of the convention. His story really didn’t have much credibility a night after Mrs. Obama told her story. People didn’t want to hear about how he got rich by investing in one of the first cell phones right after they hear about a woman from the South Side of Chicago who got through college and law school only to leave a high paying corporate law job to do community work. In short, the speech was missable.

Hillary Clinton: Senator Clinton took her message of party unity to the next level. She went from telling her supporters that she supports Sen. Obama and they should too, to telling them why she supports Sen. Obama. In addition, she explained why McCain cannot be the president. Furthermore, she came off as sincere. It was not the half-hearted speech we have come to expect from Sen. Clinton since her appearance with Sen. Obama in Unity, NH.

The Roll Call Vote: A great display of both democracy and party unity. Sen. Clinton followed her show-stealing speech up with an even more profound call for party unity by ending the roll call and calling for the nomination nominate Sen. Obama by acclamation.

Bill Clinton: President Clinton finally publicly endorsed Sen. Obama and made it clear that he feels Sen. Obama is ready to be the president. He effectively explained that Sen. Obama was qualified to be a world leader. It was good speech and he, like his wife the night before, did a good job of attacking John McCain’s record.

John Kerry: To be honest, I was surprised that the DNC gave him a primetime slot--especially between the two speakers that he was between. However, he did a great job of doing what the GOP did to him so masterfully four years ago—pointing out every time John McCain reversed his position on a major issue. He also told the story of Sen. Obama’s great uncle who helped to liberate a concentration camp in WWII. On this point, I just have to quote Jon Stewart: "Are you fucking kidding me?! Barack Obama has an adorable, white, war hero uncle. Why is this the first time we're seeing this?! If I'm Obama, every time I campaign down South, I'm having that guy strapped into a Baby Bjorn and walking around!"

Joe Biden: Joe Biden did his job and did it pretty well. First through the video and introduction by his son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden (who is shipping out to Iraq as a member of the JAG Corps in a few weeks) the DNC portrayed Joe Biden exactly as they want the public to perceive him. He was portrayed as blue collared man of faith who holds close to him traditional family values and has overcome incredible tragedy in his life. Second, he assured voters of his foreign policy experience and finally he masterfully tied Sen. McCain to President Bush (especially through his now famous ‘Freudian slip’). Bonus Points: In case they didn't pound the fact that Sen. Biden comes from a big, blue collar Catholic family down everyone's throats enough, his whole extended family (his mother, wife, children, in-laws, grandchildren, brothers' families, and his sisters' family) came out on stage to close the night reight before a Catholic Sister of St. Jospeh offered the Benediction.

Bill Richardson: I just had to mention him because Gov. Richardson was the first one to use the term “Flip Flop” in reference to Sen. McCain reversing his views on several issue since declaring his candidacy.

Tim Kaine: Gov. Kaine’s role was similar to that of Gov. Schweitzer. Whereas Gov. Schweitzer energized moderate and conservative, western Democrats over Sen. Obama’s energy credentials, Gov. Kaine’s job was to energize moderate and conservative, southern Democrats over Sen. Obama’s work as a community organizer. Furthermore, he portrayed both Sens. Obama and Biden as men guided by their faith. He, like Sens. Casey and Biden, also made several references to his Catholic so as to help draw in undecided voters (who in this election, according to a NBC/WSJ poll are overwhelmingly Catholic women).

Al Gore: While the substance of his speech on the importance of this year’s election in light of Global Warming was good, his delivery left something to be desired. As Pat Buchanan said, “It seemed like he thought he was talking to a group of 20 people not a stadium of 80,000.” I can’t believe I’m agreeing with Pat Buchanan on anything but he really is right; Vice President Gore didn’t even pause to acknowledge the crowd’s applause most of the time. To be honest, I was disappointed.

Barack Obama: What can I say about the speech? I really think that the speech said it all. The video and introduction by Sen. Dick Durbin told his story and it worked perfectly as a bookend to Michelle Obama’s presentation of their story as the American story. His speech was specific about what he means by “change” and he finally took off the gloves and went after Sen. McCain’s record. What’s more is that he completed what Pres. Clinton, Sen. Kerry, and Sen. Biden has done the night before and tied Sen. McCain to Pres. Bush. The speech has been called one of the best convention speeches ever and I think that it was. Even Pat Buchanan was impressed. But what’s more, Sen. Obama was able to show that a McCain presidency would be disastrous not just for liberals or Democrats but for the whole country.

I think I've seen this one before

Many who know me know that I am a huge West Wing fan and have seen every episode of the show several times. That being said, it’s not surprising that I often see things in the actual news that remind me of a plotline from the show; and I’m sure I’m not the first person to make this observation, but this year’s election cycle is eerily similar to the election cycle that was portrayed in the last two seasons of the West Wing. So here is a list of similarities between the show’s election and this year’s real-life election:

Democratic Primary Candidates:
The West Wing: Party heavy weight and current Vice President Bob Russell had a huge lead going into the primaries; former Vice President John Hoynes was seen as a major contender early on; Junior Congressman Matt Santos is a young, minority candidate whose upstart campaign relied heavily on his message of Change and grassroots efforts amongst young voters
2008: Party elder Hillary Clinton was seen as the front runner going into the primaries; former Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards was seen as a major contender; Barack Obama is a young, minority candidate whose campaign is based on a message of change and whose lead in national polls is largely due to support amongst young voters

Republican Primary Candidates:
The West Wing: Longtime, western Senator Arnold Vinick campaigned on his moderate viewpoints and maverick tendencies; the last major candidate to withdraw was the darling of the evangelical right and minister
2008: Longtime, western Senator John McCain has campaigned on his moderate viewpoints and calls himself the original maverick; the last major candidate to withdraw was Gov. Mike Huckabee whose support came largely from evangelicals and

Democratic Primary Results:
The West Wing: Going into the primary there is no presumptive nominee however after a fourth candidate enters the race on the convention floor Santos delivers an electric speech that unites the party behind him as the nominee; Hoynes was practically a non player in the party by the time of the convention due to a sex scandal
2008: The primary fight lasted until the last primary though it was settled before the convention, some Clinton supporters were hoping she would not concede and would attempt a floor fight for the nomination; John Edwards was a non-player at the convention due to a sex scandal

Democratic Vice-Presidential Selection:
The West Wing: Plagued by accusations of being inexperienced and having weak foreign policy credentials, Santos picked party elder, Leo McGarry, to be his running mate; McGarry came from blue-collar Catholic roots and made it as a major political player in Washington, his career almost ended when he suffered a near fatal heart attack earlier in the show
2008: Plagued by accusations of being inexperienced and having weak foreign policy credentials, Obama picked party elder, Joe Biden, to be his running mate; Biden came from blue-collar Catholic roots and made it as a major political player in Washington, his career almost ended when he suffered a near fatal brain aneurism in 1988

Republican Vice-Presidential Selection:
The West Wing: After he is unable to get the evangelical base of the party excited over his candidacy, Vinick chose a relatively unknown and inexperienced small state governor, Ray Sullivan of West Virginia.
2008: After he is unable to get the evangelical base of the party excited over his candidacy, Vinick chose a relatively unknown and inexperienced small state governor, Sarah Palin of Alaska.

And the winner is.....

Like most people I am getting a little annoyed that neither candidate has selected a running-mate yet and I am getting a little tired of trying to guess who each will pick. (Although, I will let you know that as much as I would love to see Tim Kaine as Obama's running mate, it looks like he won't be the choice due to Mark Warner's speaking spot at the convention. In fact, its looking more and more like it will be Joe Biden, especially with his trip to Georgia--the country not the state--to evalutate the situation over the weekend.)

Candidate speculation aside, I've decided to play a new game and try to guess when the candidates will announce their running mates. According to an email sent from the Obama campaign to supporters, it is fair to assume that the selection will be made before the convention and not at the convention. With that in mind, Obama has to compete with the Olympics for press coverage, something that will be immensely easier this week now that Michael Phelps has finished his races and the gymnastics team and all-around competitions are done. That being said, based off of the Olympic TV schedule, my guess is that Obama's decision will come Tuesday. Yes, it is the same night as coverage of the last of the gymnastics individual apparatus finals but any other night and he would risk competing with coverage of any number of team finals that are likely to feature American teams (Beach Volleyball, Indoor Volleyball, Women's Soccer, Basketball, etc.) and several track and field events that highlight promising American talent. As far as McCain's pick goes, he has to navigate Olympic coverage as well as the Democratic convention. This makes guessing his time-frame a little more tricky. My guess is that it will come on one of three days. He will announce on Tuesday (which if Obama announces on that day as well could be disasterous for both camps as far as press coverage is concerned), on the first of the Democratic Convention to try and steal some of the press coverage away from the Democrats (Monday is really the only night that this could work as the other nights are too top heavy with significant Democratic speakers), or on the Friday after the Democratic convention in order to try and control press coverage after Obama's acceptance speech on Thursday night (that day will also be McCain's 72nd birthday and could help deflect attention from the fact that his turning 72).

Veepstakes

With every other political blogger out there commenting on the “Veepstakes” I figured I might as well do the same. And like most, I’m going to focus my energy on the Democratic side because McCain really only needs to fulfill three criteria to give him a boost in the polls and make sure the evangelical vote actually votes. He needs to pick someone under the age of 55 who is a devout Christian with little to no affiliation to the Bush administration. That will help allay the fears of those who think he is too old or too much in the front pocket of Bush and Cheney and will make sure that the Christian Right can get excited about his ticket rather than stay home on Election Day. Obama’s predicament is a little more complicated. While most of the worries that people associate with McCain are cosmetic and can begin to be fixed with a quick photo-op the day he announces his running-mate, the fears that many undecideds have about Obama need to be allayed by the prior experience of his running-mate and his (or her) performance in the VP debate.

There are eight names that have been mentioned the most throughout this process but really only three are getting much media coverage now that we are only three weeks out from the Democratic nominating convention. So right away let me cross off five names and give a brief reason why they won’t get the nod: Hillary Clinton (too polarizing to be a VP candidate), Kathleen Sebelius (doesn’t do any harm but doesn’t bring enough to the ticket), Chris Dodd (too dull), John Edwards (he lost four years ago as a VP candidate and did not do well in the debate), and Bill Richardson (there are rumors and regardless of whether or not they are true the last thing the Democrats need in a close election cycle is another ‘zipper-gate’). With those four names gone it leaves three serious contenders for the Democratic Vice Presidential spot: Sen. Evan Bayh, Gov. Tim Kaine, and Sen. Joe Biden. There are a few factors that Obama has to consider: party unity, his lack of foreign policy experience, his lack of executive experience (however, it is something McCain will have trouble attacking as he lacks it as well), what states will the VP selection help swing towards his favor, and how compatible his VP selection is with his ideas and policies.

Party unity is something that Obama has tried to address ever since Hillary Clinton suspended her campaign in early June. He has done a decent job on this front and really the only way he would be able to sway those who voted for Hillary but now support McCain back from the GOP would be to put Hillary on the ticket and that just won’t happen. Some argue that putting an early Hillary supporter like Bayh on the ticket would further his cause of party unity but it is not likely a lightweight like Bayh will be able to pull disenfranchised Hillary supporters back to Obama. Tim Kaine would help alleviate the fears of many moderate and conservative Democrats as he is fairly conservative for a Democrat on social issues like abortion. Biden could do the same as both men have publicly stated a personal opposition to abortion but politically support a woman’s right choose.

Obama’s lack of foreign policy experience is perhaps what is getting the most attention right now due to his recent trip to the Middle East and Europe. Biden clearly offers the most in this category as a result of his thirty-six years of experience on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. However, there is a fear in the Obama camp that Biden would overshadow the top of the ticket in this area and only highlight Obama’s inexperience rather than fill the void (this is likely why Biden, who publicly expressed interest in participating, was not invited to attend Obama’s recent overseas trip). Bayh also offers some experience in this area as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee but nothing compared to Biden. Kaine has no substantive foreign policy experience to speak of outside the time spent as a Jesuit Volunteer in Honduras during Law School.

Obama’s lack of executive experience is something that is not as vital for him to cover in and VP selection as McCain lacks the same experience. In this category, Biden would not help—he was practically born in a legislative committee meeting (to steal a line from The West Wing, Season 7 Ep. 2). In this case, the conventional wisdom choice is Bayh who served two full terms as Indiana’s governor. He can bring more executive experience to the ticket than the other two. While Kaine also has executive experience, he has much less than Bayh as he is only three years into his first term as governor and his four years as lieutenant governor will not get much play in the press as substantive executive experience.

Thirty years ago there was only one thing a candidate considered when choosing a running mate: how best to create a geographical balance on the ticket that would help swing states in his favor that he would not have won otherwise. For example, John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson could not stand each other, yet Kennedy being from New England needed someone to help him in the South and West. Of late, however this has not been much of a concern on the winning tickets. Bill Clinton (of Arkansas) chose Al Gore (of Tennessee) and George W. Bush (of Texas) chose Dick Cheney (technically of Wyoming but in reality he is a Texan and changed his residence to be on the ticket). However, with the potential of this year’s Electoral Map being turned upside down as Obama mobilizes the African-American vote and puts the South into play for the first time since Johnson was president, the home-state of one’s VP selection could be crucial. For Obama, all three candidates can help him in some fashion. Bayh will most certainly deliver Indiana and perhaps carry some of that momentum into the ever crucial state of Ohio. But Indiana has only 11 electoral votes and Obama, though only slightly, has led in the state fairly consistently. Kaine would obviously help Obama not only in Virginia (13 electoral votes) but could help in other Southern states as a moderate, Southern Democrat. Biden’s help is less obvious as Obama is almost guaranteed to carry Biden’s home state of Delaware and its measly 3 electoral votes. However, as a northern, Catholic Democrat he could help Obama enormously in Pennsylvania as well as with northern, blue collar voters everywhere, a group which Obama lost to Clinton miserably in the primary season.

The last factor that Obama has to consider is whether his selected VP would continue, for the most part, the policies he set in place—an easier way of putting this is will the guy down the hall from you be on your side of the battlefield or the other guy’s. In this case, Bayh finishes last since he backed the other candidate in the primary. Biden finishes somewhere in the middle as he was running against Obama for a short while; however he threw his support and money behind Obama pretty early on into the primary season. Plus, Obama can’t really count on Biden to always back him up as Biden is a bit of a wild card and has made several gaffes in several campaigns and has no problem speaking his mind. Kaine wins by far in this category. Though is a moderate Democrat who is (or was) close allies with Joe Lieberman (who is stumping across the country for McCain) he is a strong advocate of “changing” how Washington works and carries no baggage of being a Washington insider like the others.

So who do I think Obama should pick you ask? Well to be honest, I keep going back and forth on this one. I do not think it should be Bayh, he doesn’t have the name recognition that Obama needs on his ticket. Obama needs to make sure that he does not completely overshadow his VP so any benefit the VP might bring to the ticket would be dwarfed. That leaves Kaine and Biden. Kaine has been staunch supporter of Obama since he announced his candidacy; Biden has both charisma and experience. However, I fill like this election cycle its going to come down to who will give Obama the most electoral help. Sadly, the South is unlikely to vote for a Democratic ticket that boasts both an African-American and a Catholic (both Kaine and Biden are practicing Catholics). So the help that Kaine could potentially bring in the South is thrown out. Kaine can help Obama win Virginia but Biden can help Obama in Pennsylvania and Ohio as a northern Catholic with foreign policy experience (both are states that Obama lost to Clinton mainly because he lost the blue-collar white vote). That all being said, I think Kaine makes the better choice. Simply because he helps with three of the five factors I just discussed: he has executive experience, he can help deliver Virginia (as well as possibly help with some of the northern, blue collar, Catholic voters that Biden might deliver), and he is more or less from same mold as Obama as a reformer and Washington outsider.

(Plus, Biden would be an AMAZING Secretary of State!)

Barack Kennedy?

This election cycle, many people seem to be obsessed with the notion of comparing Sen. Barack Obama to President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert Kennedy, including the Kennedys. While comparisons of the Democratic nominee and the late Kennedy brothers are nothing new, what is new is that they are being made by the Kennedy’s rather than the candidate’s top aides.

President Bill Clinton and his campaign communications team presented him as the natural heir to President Kennedy during both the 1992 and 1996 campaigns. It made since at the time as well; Clinton was youngest and arguably most charismatic nominee either party had seen since Kennedy. George Stephanopoulos made sure that there was no media outlet without a copy of the picture of a young Bill Clinton shaking the hand of then-President Kennedy. Clinton said often that Kennedy was his political hero as a young man. Once in office, Clinton prided himself on his work with Sen. Ted Kennedy, the late president’s youngest brother (former First Lady and Sen. Hillary Clinton did the same once she took office in the Senate).

While Al Gore never tried to position himself as a successor to Kennedy, he did cast himself as Clinton’s hand-picked successor. However, in many ways this worked to his advantage as many had already associated Clinton with Kennedy.

In 2004, John Kerry’s campaign began making Kennedy connections to their candidate as well. However, they focused on biographical connections rather than drawing connections between the two men’s age and perceived charisma. This was most likely because Kerry was not young at the time of his candidacy (and rumors of Botox injections also through out any hope of him being perceived as young) nor was he perceived as charismatic (he in fact was perceived by many as an Ivy League snob). The Kerry campaign aides had plenty to work with though. Both men were of Irish-Catholic descent with fathers who served in the diplomatic CORE. Both were graduated of Ivy League schools and had distinguished, wartime military records as naval officers. Finally, both men were senators from the state of Massachusetts (Kerry also serves as a senator with Ted Kennedy) and both men had the initials JFK.

Now again in 2008 parallels are being drawn between the Democratic nominee and the late President Kennedy. This time however, Obama’s campaign staff hardly has to lift a finger, the Kennedy family is doing most of the work. Ted Kennedy has served as the family patriarch since the assassination of his brother, Robert, in 1968 and Caroline Kennedy is the sole surviving child of John. So when the two of them took the stage with Rep. Patrick Kennedy (Ted’s son) back in January to endorse Obama, Obama’s top campaign aides had to be doing cartwheels.

A day before the endorsement event, Caroline Kennedy had written an op-ed for the New York Times titled “A President Like My Father” in which she stated that Obama was the only candidate since her father that she felt could inspire people the way her father did. What’s more is that she credited Obama with inspiring her children who in turn inspired her to be a part of Obama’s campaign.

At the endorsement event, the Kennedy’s constantly drew parallels between the late president and Obama. However one theme was constant throughout the entire event: that both President Kennedy and Sen. Obama have the capacity to inspire people of all ages. With two generations present on stage and numerous references to an inspired generation of “young people” the Kennedy’s made it clear that in their opinion Obama, like their father and brother, is a candidate for people of every age.

Not mentioned as much as the endorsements of Caroline, Patrick, and Ted are the endorsements of Robert Kennedy’s children and widow. Robert Kennedy Jr., Kerry Kennedy, and Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend all originally endorsed Hillary Clinton and were frequent guests on cable news shows in her defense. However both Max Kennedy and Rory Kennedy Bailey (also children of Robert) endorsed Barack Obama. Most significant, and perhaps the least covered, however is the early endorsement of Ethel Kennedy for Barack Obama who said in her Huffington Post endorsement, “Barack is so like Bobby…With courage, caring, and charisma, Senator Obama is leading us toward a kinder, gentler world.”

For forty years a generation of progressive baby-boomers has been waiting for a presidential candidate to pick up the torch of hope and inspiration they felt was lost with the assassinations of Kennedy brothers. Now the Kennedy family (or most of them at least) has said that Barack Obama is the person to pick up that torch—in fact they all said he already has.

So what does all this mean now that we are in the general election and past the primary? Mobilization. While few people would have been drawn from the undecided center by a simple press release endorsement by Ted Kennedy, the Kennedys endorsing Obama brilliantly used the political capital of their fallen patriarchs. Undecideds are not voters who are looking for a polarizing figure, they are looking for a figure that can unite the country—they want a “rally around the flag” president without the tragedy of a “rally around the flag” event. Both John and Robert Kennedy were those figures (or at least that is how their folklore is remembered today). Undecideds looking for unity and people who stopped voting because are disenchanted by the polarizing political process of today now have a candidate to rally around. Young people who couldn’t get excited about a candidate in the past now have people telling them that this man is not just the John Kennedy of their generation or the Robert Kennedy of their generation but both the John and Robert Kennedy of their generation and that may just be the thing to get the youth vote out of the cave.