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Political Analysis, Washington Post Style

Chris Cillizza has been writing The Fix, a Washington Post political blog for several years. Back during the late and unlamented primaries he ran a series of ?Case For/Case Against? articles on the various candidates, and he has decided that ?now seems like the right time to dust off that oldie but goodie to make the argument for why Gov. David Paterson (D) should pick [Caroline] Kennedy? to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate. Today is ?Case For,? and he will present the ?Case Against? tomorrow.

Here are a couple of analytical nuggets from today?s ?Case For?:

Universally Known

One of the unique challenges for whomever Paterson ultimately picks is that he/she will have to run statewide twice in the next four years -- in a 2010 special election for the remaining two years on Clinton?s term and then in 2012 for the full term.

With such a short calendar and such a big state, it is a major advantage to start as a known commodity to voters. No one fills that role better than Kennedy who, although she has spent very little time in public life, is universally known by voters due to her famous family.

So, big plus: Kennedy is ?universally known.?

After discussing other Kennedy advantages ? money, she?s a woman, money, she?s a Catholic, money, she?s a ?new face? (I know, I know; that conflicts with ?universally known,? but hold on), new generation, etc., Cillizza then writes:

Kennedy is uniquely able to do this [?to position herself as a natural heir to the ?new politics? that Obama ushered in during his victory] because there is so little known about her issue positions or political ideology. She is the classic tabula rasa ? onto which almost anything can be put. And, because of her lack of a record (or even a series of public pronouncements on controversial issues), it will be very hard for her opponents in either a primary or a general election to dispute the way in which she positions herself for election and possibly reelection.

I think I?ve got it now: Kennedy is a ?known commodity,? is in fact ?universally known,? and she is ?uniquely able? to present herself as the embodiment of Obamaian ?new politics? because ?there is so little known about her issue positions or political ideology? that she is ?the classic tabula rasa.?

Hmm. Now that I think about it, Kennedy does sound like the perfect Obamian candidate, and Cillizza?s reporting here continues the clear, perceptive analysis that we?ve come to expect from the mainstream media.

Full post as published by Discriminations on December 23, 2008 (boomark / email).