Reactions

An interesting opinion from Forbes written by Joel Kotkin. The title says it all: Good-Bye Gentry. It is a lament about the gentrification of the Democratic party.

The proposed investiture of Caroline Kennedy as the replacement senator for Hillary Clinton has inspired a surprising degree of opposition–at least from other claimants to the throne, such as the Cuomos, and from those obstreperous parvenus, the Clintons.

Perhaps less obvious may be a wider disdain expressed by even liberal New Yorkers who feel Kennedy’s elevation may be one celebrity rising too many. Although the big New York editorial boards are expected to line up, like so many obedient lap dogs, grassroots dissent seethes. Queens Congressman Gary Ackerman, in a remarkable display of chutzpah, groused: “I don’t know what Caroline Kennedy’s qualifications are except that she has name recognition. But so does J. Lo.”

You really have to read the whole thing. I really have not posted about the Kennedy attempt to gain office, although I have linked to a couple of articles that discuss it. Obviously, Kotkin self-identifies with the “lunch pail” Democrats rather than the Princess Caroline of Camelot faction of the party. He is also, obviously incensed at the thought of a hereditary monarchy. Or slightly less than monarchy, but hereditary, nonetheless. Meanwhile, another blogger finds Obama’s latest “grassroots” efforts little more than “astroturfroots” and more than a bit creepy:

In raising my concern about cults of personality, I recognize and regret how much this sentiment might be compared to certain charges levied against Obama by the Far Right, a drumbeat of opposition they started long before the Senator became President elect. In turn, this regret compels me to clarify that I believe Obama is as non-arrogant and unassuming a man as we’ve had on the doorstep of the Presidency in some time. Though he has certain innate gifts which might too-easily lend themselves to feeding a potential cult of personality, he (thanks in part to his upbringing, his spouse, etc.) will not be easily consumed by the superhero-ness that others try to project on to him. Even then, even if Obama resists said cult, there remains a danger — a predisposition to creeping blindness among his supporters — that’s rooted in the proliferation of too much rhetoric about this singular man and his singular agenda……..

…….Even so, I think Obama would demonstrate even greater respect for the Constitution if he were to reign in the grassroots movement bearing his name, and make it perfectly clear that, while this movement might do many things, it will not directly or indirectly encourage grassroots interface with Congress on behalf of Obama’s “agenda.”

That from someone who campaigned for Obama. There is a backlash building. A buyers remorse is setting in. The far left went bonkers when Obama triangulated (and he most certainly did) and invited Rick Warren to give the invocation at Obama’s inauguration. The less fanatic are also feeling some of those queasy feelings that maybe, just maybe, they picked wrong.