I know it’s kind of superstitious but I couldn’t help feeling a new day might be dawning for America when I learned that another Kennedy is stepping into the political limelight.
To me, the Kennedy name is like a talisman. Consider the magic it has wrought in past generations. John, Robert, Ted… names to conjure with…
And now, here comes Joe (photo).
Joseph (Joe) Kennedy III, Robert Kennedy’s grandson, has been tapped to give the Democrats’ response to Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night. Could that be a signal of bigger – much bigger – things to come?
Can we dare to dream of another President Kennedy? A second Camelot?
I know. You are aware of all those Kennedy scandals – Marilyn Monroe and Chappaquiddick, William Kennedy’s Smith’s rape case… and so on. You are familiar with the stories about the first Joseph Kennedy, the bootlegger of legend, and his alleged mob connections.
And you are aware of the tragedies that stalked the family. The two assassinations. That dreadful plane crash. Patrick’s substance abuse…
Yes, the Kennedy clan is as human as anyone. And they are not without human vulnerability and human failings.
But here’s the really important thing: At their core they are true idealists.
They are staunch defenders of America’s better angels. They believe in the right things. They fight for the right causes. And they are formidable fighters.
If anyone can rescue America from the tawdry, cynical depths to which this nation has sunk under Trump, it is likely to be someone named Kennedy.
