Posted on 08/27/2009 1:01:46 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
After Ted Kennedy was elected for the first time, at age 30, his home state sent him back to the Senate eight times, all but once by unassailable margins.
Here in Massachusetts, people understood him and wanted him on their side – and it wasn't just because of his the name.
It was the accent that was as much Boston as Brahmin. It was his collection of imperfections and failings trumped most of the time by his stubbornness, real passion and just plain will.
And there was something else about him that made him an untouchable here: He came from a patrician family that often, as an entity, angered people but he was the one that plain people seemed to be able – and eager – to relate to.
There are a lot of stories about his "everyman" qualities being told around Hyannis, where he was often just another guy in the produce aisle. But he carried that accessibility everywhere.
Jimmy Sullivan, the co-manager and bartender at the Union Oyster House, a landmark restaurant in the center of Boston, explained how Kennedy exuded those qualities whenever he came in over the years – often by himself.
"You sit at the Oyster Bar and you can't help but be a regular guy," said Sullivan. "You're sitting face to face and back to back with all the regular people. He used to come in all the time…For a guy who came from wealth, he had a genuine soft spot for the working guy."
It was part of his political skills. I've seen it, as has any reporter who covered him. He would look someone he was just meeting right in the eye, wordlessly repeat the person's name, and remember it later.
(Excerpt) Read more at fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com ...
7 posted comments
My name is David Kopetchny, MaryJo was my first cousin. To bad she didn’t live to see poor Teddy die. May he rot in Hell! I for one do not forgive or forget how that drunk killed a truely wonderful person and friend and then lied thru his teeth to get out of trouble.
Report David R. Kopetchny, 08/27/09 - 3:41PM
http://www.standardspeaker.com/news/liberal_lion_kennedy_left_his_mark_on_n_e_penna
Why does San Fran elect Pelosi, Chicago ... Daley, Illinois ... Ryan, or Blogojevich, Ct ... Dodd, NY ... Schumer, and Clinton, California ... Scwartzenkennedy, WI ... Feingold, MN ... Franken, and Jessie the Body? Let’s face it, this country is chock full of idiots who vote for the dembest people, for the dumbest reasons. Boston is the mainstream
People like this get elected over and over again because the franchise has been given to the proudly ignorant, the equally even more proud degenerates and to those who are hangers-on and societal parasites. The vote, which all and sundry proclaim to be oh, so precious and important, is granted to the dregs as well as the noble, to the welfare scrounge and the criminal, to the mentally unbalanced and to the barely functional illiterate.
We get degenerates like Frank and Kennedy because this is what the people admire and want to lead them. We get corrupt fools like Jefferson, Rangle and Dodd because people are satisfied with them and content to be ruled by people who sell their offices to anyone who has the price. They reelect seditious dolts like Kerry or Miller of California or that clod from Seattle because they feel that people like this will ensure the security of the nation and they can sleep safe in the knowledge. They MUST want this because the elect them over and over and over knowing what they are.
I guess Ted’s gonna have his own Big Dig.
It’s interesting that he spells his name differently from Mary Jo’s family. Theirs is “Kopechne.”
...I guess they “understood” that murder is sometimes necessary.
Does that include the over 60 million little souls that were killed as well on his watch?
“Does that include the over 60 million little souls that were killed as well on his watch”?
...I would imagine it does. I’m not condoning the behavior of the entire state of Mass. I’m pointing out that these a##hats don’t have a conscience and/or they’re oblivious to the amount of damage this idiot caused.
the same reason they keep electing Murtha in Johnstown, PA....he delivers thousands of patronage jobs to an area that is too regulated and statist to generate employment in the private sector
I’m not condoning the behavior of the entire state of Mass.
No need to explain - I’m from Louisiana - I know exactly what an a##hat is. Our little conservative part of our parish has to suffer with the ignorance of other, more well known, parishes.
John and Samuel Adams never dreamed how dumb their descendants would become.
Overall, perhaps it is simply about name ID among the uninformed.
Okay, the above is a total load of BS. My family is from Boston and I live here. Ted Kennedy and the rest of his clan are well known for not paying bills, stiffing people for work, pulling the “ do you know who I am “ line, leaving lousy tips and boorish behavior.
Out local conservative talk radio host, Howie Carr has had hundreds of people call his program with stories about these people. Howie would have entire segments on this subject and the phone lines were filled in no time. TONS of stories from people who were not paid for work done on buildings, houses etc.
There was one caller who owned a grocery store not far from the Kennedy compound. The man explained credit was never allowed for the Kennedys. He had been burned too many times with the ‘ol “ put it on my tab “ line.
I beg to differ from you. I am a cousin to the Adams line. My mother’s lineage is traced directly back to John Alden and Priscilla Mullins of the Mayflower. They had, I believe 10 children, we are from their son Joseph’s line. The Adams’ were from another child of theirs. While many of my 10 siblings are Dems, there are 1/2 of the near dozen of us that have been life long conservatives living in Massachusetts. We have never voted for a Democrat BUT since there is rarely a Republican on the ticket, it hasn’t been easy! Nevermind that no matter where you work being a conservative in MA, you keep your political opinions to yourself unless your sure you are working side by side by another fellow conservative.
We are proud of our heritage and lineage to such wonderful Americans, the Adams family. (chuckle listening to the show’s theme song)
My best FReegards,
jhw61
Being willing and able to listen to a stranger, then later remember his name are very valuable political tools.
The Kennedy family is to public service what the Borgia family was to Catholic service.
Kennedy’s career was made possible by the Founders’ inability to foresee that politicans would make the Senate into a lifelong career and live like Oriental potentates on the public dole.
A cry for term limits, in other words.
No, a cry to repeal the 17th amendment and give governors and legislatures back the authority to appoint Senators, who will then be beholden to the state which sent them there. And who will then represent the STATES, which is how the Founders envisioned it... the House to represent We, the People and the Senate to represent the interests of the Several States... Then take that phony 435 cap off the House and let us BE represented.
Having Lived in Massachusetts for 20 years, I will tell you why the state of Massachusetts re elected Teddy...because The democratic Party would not let anyone else in their party run against him in their Democratic Primary... Ted would win the Democratic Primary for Senate, and would never have anyone worthy of taking him out.. except that one time.. Mitt Romney ran against Ted Kennedy for Senate.. Thank you Mitt Romney for making Teddy sweat in that debate.
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