It's a long shot. Andrew Cuomo is the favored candidate to take over Hillary's Senate seat if she's confirmed as Secretary of State. But Caroline Kennedy's name is surfacing more and more. That's because it makes the best Machiavellian sense to have a player in that fading but still headline-grabbing dynasty in the Senate vs. in the Cabinet.
Sweet Caroline is not someone to be treated roughly or blown off, the way the Dems did with Oprah at the Democratic National Convention. The Queen of Talk, also a fading icon, was secured safely in the peanut gallery instead of on the stage with Susan Eisenhower and the Everyman who wanted government to care as much about him as it seems to care about Smith Barney.
But, face it, she could be a threat in the Cabinet. For one thing, she's inexperienced. Her stumbles would be duly noticed. For another thing, she would been dealing with tremendous challenges. In the Senate, as Kennedy Dem, she would be clearly and completely pre-defined by an ideology, responsibility to the folks back in New York, and the rigid political power game the Senate is. Of course, she could become "her own person." But that's unlikely. After all, she's a Kennedy. And it would be tough to muster the strength and courage to be anything but Sweet Caroline.
The Obama transition team would be shrewd to push to have Sweet Caroline have a seat in the Senate.
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