Ted Kennedy: A Cultural Icon In American Politics

By F. W. Holcombe (August 31, 2009) He entered politics as the least impressive candidate his family had to offer. The fat kid who was caught cheating and almost expelled from Harvard during his freshman year. The hard-drinking playboy who one night drove his car and Mary Jo Kopechne into the drink, making Chappaquiddick a household name. The brother forced to endure unthinkable tragedies and hold together a family that, as a surviving member, must have made him feel if not cursed then like someone walking around with a bulls eye painted on his back. The reluctant Presidential hopeful who couldnt out run his demons, he would forever be that tragic gure. Yet despite all his foibles and circumstance, he would leave Washington having had by far the greatest impact on the American political scene of any of Joseph Kennedys offspring, including one who happened to be the 35th President of the United States. For most of his generation, Ted Kennedy has been the staple of the Democratic Party. The proverbial thorn in the side of Republicans for over 40 years; a constant and persistent y in the ointment. He had long been recognized as the GOPs toughest adversary, referred to by some as simply that pain in the butt from Massachusetts. President Ronald Reagan, in a humorous explanation of his position on the political spectrum, once said Jesse Helms wants me to move to the right, Lowell Weiker wants me to move to the left, (and) Teddy Kennedy wants me to move back to California. Throughout his career, Kennedy has been a looming presence on Capital Hill, respected by most and never afraid to play the heavy. Acknowledged by Republicans law makers as the liberal barricade they would have to break through, while to fellow Democrats the one ally they would denitely need in order to push legislation through the Senate. It wasnt the blessing of Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid that colleagues most often sought out; they wanted Ted Kennedy to champion their cause. His endorsement carried with it a certain prestige that only experience and respect can command. To the end, he was the gate keeper on the left side of the aisle. The passing of Kennedy leaves a tremendous void in the Democratic Party, one that the consequences of which will be a ripple down effect of such magnitude that it will be felt long after Massachusetts appoints someone to occupy its vacated Senate seat. One can only imagine that at the risk of wishing any ill fate on a fallen senator, the news and its subsequent political signicance must have ushered in a collective sigh of relief from the right. For conservatives, Kennedys departure represents nally being able to shake loose that pesky bulldog from their pant-leg, or losing that massive albatross from around their neck. For liberals, the horrifying thought associated with the near impossible task of having to ll the shoes of someone with such an enormous political stature.