Caroline Kennedy. . .Bread and Circuses

The notion of Caroline Kennedy being appointed as the next Senator from New York state neatly summarizes why New York state is a declining empire which is likely nearing collapse: an arrogant, elite that monopolizes all political thought; geritocracy; and one-party rule by fiat.

Let's take these in reverse order:
1) New York state and especially New York City is one-party rule by fiat. The Republican Party is completely dead in this state, and the Democrats have absolutely control of the entire government from top to bottom, and from Upstate to the tip of Long Island.
Who gets to pick the next Senator? The Governor does: Governor Patterson.
Who picked Governor Patterson? Eliot Spitzer did.
Who picked Eliot Spitzer? Well, nominally, there was an election in November 2006 where he was elected, but, effectively, the Governor was really determined in the Democratic primary in May 2006. And Spitzer and the Democratic bosses scared off anyone else from running; they paid off Andrew Cuomo by promising him Spitzer's old chair as Attorney General.

Recall that both Spitzer and Cuomo are made men, they are daddy's boys. Bernard Spitzer's real estate wealth financed Eliot Spitzer and Mario Cuomo's name recognition and stint as Governor allowed Andrew to ascend in politics.

New York State has 18 million people, and yet, we keep having to go back to a handful of handpicked Democrat bosses to find our leaders.

2) Geritocracy: I have heard a lot of aging hippies reminisce about the Kennedy Camelot so much this week 1961-1963. Blech! That was 50 years ago; that is ancient history. Camelot was manufactured tripe to begin with, and after 50 years of Kennedy Camelot retreads it is wearing thin. For gods sake, people are reminiscing about Teddy Kennedy just because he is closing to dropping stone dead of brain cancer. Get over it! He killed Mary Jo Kappacheck people! He left her to die and did nothing about if for a few days. That fat bastard should be strapped into the chair; who has time for the brain cancer to work?

3) The Elite: The New York Times -- Sulzberger & Co -- have been fomenting for Caroline Kennedy all week; it is disgusting and unseemly.