Here We Go Again

Recently, a friend of mine was reacting to a person who was being very critical of Caroline Kennedy's candidacy for the Senate from New York. My friend stabbed at the air with her finger and asked, "What do the following have in common?" Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, Caroline Kennedy? There was silence at the dinner table because the answer was obvious. These are women who seek powerful positions and when they enter the public arena, the press hammers them pointing out every misstatement, gaffe, and of course, their "lack of experience."

The gentleman argued that Caroline Kennedy could not even speak well, saying "you know" over 200 times in a recent interview with a reporter. Sound familiar.... does Katie Couric help your memory? I am not sure that Caroline Kennedy should be the next senator from New York but it is impossible for me to reach that decision when I have to first deal with the knee-jerk sexist reaction to her even thinking about it.

Let's talk about experience. What has she done and what experience do you want or think is a pre-requisite to becoming a senator? She is a lawyer, graduate of Colombia Law School, an author of books on privacy law and the constitution, is a "community volunteer" on boards like the Commission on Presidential Debates, the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense Fund and Education Fund and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. She was very involved with all of these as well as raising 70 million dollars for New York City Schools. All of this was done while she was a mother to her children. There have been millions of words written about experience and how it differs from culture to culture and men to women. Would we even be talking about this if the potential nominee were a male Kennedy??

Some may say, there you go again, claiming sexism like you did with Sarah Palin. Well, yes I am and I want to give you examples of why I am right. Let us look at some other Senators. How about Bill Bradley from New Jersey---his experience as a professional basketball player in the NBA definitely qualifed him, didn't it? Or how about Sonny Bono--an actor or for that matter Fred Thompson, another actor. And the new Junior Senator from Minnesota, Al Franken, a former SNL comic and radio host whose qualifications have never been questioned. Sports and entertainment are big pre-requisites, it seems. Did we have this discussion when those men stepped into the political spotlight? Where is it written that one must have some sort of political resume before applying for the senate? If you are a man, we accept a doctor's background (Frist), a man without a college degree (Truman), basketball player, (Bradley), and actors, even comedians but women are different.

It reminds me of a conversation I had with an attorney before I made my decision to go to law school in my late thirties. He asked derisively Why? Why do you want to become a lawyer? He was a lawyer and clearly didn't see the "big" deal. I answered that a law degree would give me status. He scoffed and said, "That and one dollar will get you a cup of coffee? My answer was .... when I walk into a room, I am a woman easily ignored and often dismissed. If I walk in and I am a lawyer, people stop and say, "really." And that has been my experience with sexism. A man walks into a room and he is instantly a person people look to for answers, an authority. When I can say I am a lawyer and a judge, I get instant acceptance, instant respect as a person with substance. But, I have to have those credentials first. A man doesn't.

Caroline Kennedy has a problem with speaking. Does it really mean she is stupid? How many of you thrown into the public eye could respond smoothly and coherently and if you could, would that really make you a good senator? Speaking well may be a gift but it can also be learned. Truth is there are no qualifications to be a senator and that is probably because the Founding Fathers didn't want to be prevented or limited by faux standards. Once elected, what do you as a senator do? You show up and vote. Your staff does all the research, preparation, and writing for any proposed legislation. You remain busy getting elected and re-elected. The latter is most important and Caroline Kennedy certainly can do that.

I don't often agree with the opinion writer Margaret Carlson but in a recent column she said it well when she indicated that Caroline Kennedy's real challenge was to get up after being knocked down. Carlson wrote, She now has to show she is a trooper by getting up after being ridiculed. Think of all the philandering, felonious, lying, cheating politicians who have no trouble asking for votes after doing worse. All she did was stammer.

I think it is ironic that right now, I bet Kennedy understands Sarah Palin better than she ever thought she would.