In Defense of Kennedy’s Inexperience

RWDSU President Stuart Applebaum is the latest member of the New York political establishment to throw cold water on the possibility of Caroline Kennedy replacing Hillary Clinton in the Senate by calling into question her qualifications.

He lamented her lack of experience in office and said she was a "blank slate" on New York issues.

But if that sounds familiar, it's may be because inexperience, like Kennedys in the Senate, is something of a tradition here.

Political consultant Joe Mercurio emailed me to say, "One of the important things to remember about this [U.S.] Senate seat is that several of its recent occupants: Kennedy, Buckley, Moynihan and Clinton to name a few, did not hold elective office before the Senate."

UPDATE: Appelbaum emails a response:

But Azi, Kennedy, Buckley, Moynihan and Clinton had been speaking out on public issues for years before running for office – and their views were well known. You wouldn’t have called any of them a blank slate. The issue isn’t about holding elective office – that is a strawman, but being engaged consistently in the public debate.