His family’s famous entitlement gene is alive and well and thriving in Joseph P. Kennedy III.
The 31-year-old grandson of Robert F. Kennedy — who is seeking his first political office — has agreed to only three debates with Republican challenger Sean Bielat. The two are battling to replace longtime Democratic incumbent US Representative Barney Frank, who is retiring after three decades.
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With just slightly more than a month to go, three debates seems adequate to me.
Debates have become the holy grail, but most voters don't watch them at all, and many who do watch are only waiting to see if one of the candidates self-destructs via a misstatement. It's similar to going to stock car races just to see the accidents.
You can find out more about what a candidate stands for by reading news stories about candidates and their campaigns... or even visiting their websites.
Kennedy wouldn't stand a chance against Bielat and he knows it. Bielat not only held his own against Barney Frank during their debates but actually won many of them. Kennedy's campaign is trying to shield him from any gaffes and a lot of the media here is complicit, kudos to Joan for this article. There have more sightings of Elvis here in MA than of Joe Kennedy lll. I'm looking forward to the only televised debate this coming Sunday morning.
The voters have already seen Bielat when he debated Frank.I've seen all I need to of that guy. I know what the Kennedys have always stood for and I don't expect anything different from Joe III. Three debates are plenty.
nice open mind
Yeah. you're mad because he slapped Barney around.
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Joan, Joan, there's a reason Kennedy is loath to debate Bielat. He doesn't want to lose the election.
Joan, you hit the nail on the head in your first sentence: "His family’s famous entitlement gene is alive and well and thriving in Joseph P. Kennedy III."...and the media and the voters let him get away with it.
Isn't this the media? Is this media allowing him to "get away with it"?
You're in such a habit of blaming the media for every right-wing failure that you can't stop yourself.
Spot on, Joan. So the question becomes, what can change to encourage information about, and investigation of, the candidates.
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How about the Globe has a standard questionaire with policies and positions that each candidate fills out and which are posted on Boston.Com. How about videos of debates being posted in full. That would allow the public to investigate when they found the time, here and there. How about listing endorsements and paragraph from each endorser. How about a section listing candidate statements and a judgement of the factuality of each. In other words, collect and post all the information needed to investigate thoroughly. The globe could also post links to Globe articles on the candidate. In fact, it probably would be a good idea to make a whole package about a given candidate downloadable for easy navigation offline. In other words, provide complete information in a form that the public can easily peruse, here and there, as time allows.
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How about an organization forms to rate each candidate on information provided and transparency and accessibility (as in, for instance, willingness to debate). That organization could also facilitate a candidate becomming more accessable. In addition to a good numer of debates there is a big issue with Democrats and Republicans dividing up the pie and keeping out 3d party and independent candidates. The organization could push for making debates open to any significant candidate.
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How about an American version of the BBC? You would not expect it could be neutral but it is thought to be so in the UK.
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Much of this information is already out there in bits and pieces, here and there. The challenge is to make it easily and completely accessable to the voter.
Joe is just another sad entitled Kennedy who seems quite appropriate to fill the twisted degenerate Franks seat.
why don't you just switch parties already? If you think Frank is a twisted degenerate, the Democrats don't want you anyway.
Joan's got it right on this one. The answer to her question of Joe III "limiting debates" could be: "better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."
Joan, sounds like you have a little bit of an ax to grind with the Kennedys.
Joe Kennedy 3 doesn't want to debate because he does have any answers. He is an empty suit running on his name. He has zero experience. His handlers are keeping him away from the media for fear that he just may open up his mouth. Unfortunately, it apppears that the moonbats in his district will elect him anyway. What a shame!
This is the problem with politics that people will vote party only and not for the person qualified.
An unqualified Kennedy is running on his name and when this country needs experience like Sean Bielet has no chance to get elected in a liberal district. We get what we vote for, but for once will the liberals pick the qualified candidate not the name. Show me wrong liberals....please.
Only idiots vote for people who have political views wholy different from their own. Is that what you're doing, or is your experience argument merely empty rhetoric?
Tell I'm wrong, right-winger... that you would vote for a lefty if his resume was slightly more impressive that a conservative extremist like yourself.
whocares1940:
I am not a fool like you I vote as an independent for the best person for this country. Your the type that would vote for someone that drives off a bridge and reports it 10hrs later because you only vote party, just like my union friends.
Joanie babe, don't you get it? JPK-3 is merely following a Democratic Party/Kennedyesque pattern: dictating to the press and public when HE wants exposure. And the party loyalists keep him flush so he doesn't have to spend any of that rich heritage he certainly has access to by virtue of being what and who he is. Why should a third generation political Kennedy suffer the ordinary stuff that candidates like that Bielat guy must put up with? After all, a Kennedy is a Kennedy is a Kennedy and not a commonplace congress like a Barney Frank would have been. Kennedy is a celebrity and the idiots that make up the core of the Massachusetts Democratic Party salivate at thoughts of keeping a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives when facing a possible loss of such a seat by a 10-term hack married to a convicted jailbird and a possible loss to regaining the Democratic Party's presumed rightful seat in the U.S. Senate that was a career for JPK-3's uncle for nearly 50 years.
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It is very obvious why the 31-year-old grandson of Robert F. Kennedy is hiding from the public: He has no resume to compare with Sean Bielat: His name is Kennedy and he is betting that his name alone will gather him enough votes from people who don't read, refuse to compare the details of his worthy opponent (Bielat), but find their way to the polls to brag they voted for the young 'Kennedy.'
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Joan I agree with everything you said in your piece, but I bet the Globe still endorses the little Kennedy.
Words cannot describe my reaction to being accused of homophobia. Truth is I love men. My father was a really great guy. Good Ol' Frank was O.K. too. On the other hand, my automatic transmission starts to slip when I see that long, mountain road that Mr. Beilat is going to have to climb to reach the hallowed ground of Kennedy land. The genetic inheritance this grandkid is blessed(?) with insures his automatic transmission will not slip even if he tries to climb the Mt. Everest of politics, the presidency. That "folks" is the real goal here. Another Kennedy in the White House.
I find the Kennedy hatred game, counterproductive and a bit tired. Ted Kennedy, his personal issues aside, was a tireless and powerful advocate for the Commonwealth who helped transform Boston's reputation and bolstered our economy. He and his brothers JFK and Robert were pioneers in civil rights issues. I find it ironic you can embrace candidates like Beilat who would actively reverse this progress.
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Wake me up when this child has had a REAL job out here in the REAL world and has managed a company with more than 100 employees and has had to sweat-out making payroll after paying the rent and quarterly taxes! Until Joe III has experience creating jobs out here in the real world, he can be of absolutely no use to anyone in Massachusetts. At least Beilat has lived out here in the REAL world and has run a major product line. Joe III needs to run a company and then run a town as a selectman first, before disrespecting us with this run. Joe III can't help us when he has no experience in the real world. He certainly can't create laws that create jobs if he doesn't have this experience. Time to wake-up folks.
I'd like to take this opportunity to suggest to you that Mr. K has been working real jobs for many years. His resume smacks of a variety of experiences and accomplishments. Your conception of what connotates real work is childish, patronizing and narrow-minded. Running for office is not and never has been predicated on running companies, per se, and when businessmen enter into public office, their interests tend to remain other businessmen, whom they are often beholden to. Yours is a tired old canard.
Honest, his resume is weak and limited. You either understand that or you don't. Nothing on that resume suggests he has even the first CLUE how to create jobs, and what are the market forces people deal with every day that affect the decision to create a job... or to pull one back!! Your apology for his lack of experience is appalling. At best.
Joan,
HR is looking for you. They need you to review the ccomplaint in your fie for bashhing a Kennedy
Right now I would take a Kennedy on faith than a Republican any day. The Republican House has done nothing in the last 2 years but pass bogus bills that no one wants. There is no sense in sending another one to do the same.
and Harry Reid's Senate?
>and Harry Reid's Senate?
Compared to Mitch McConnell's Senate? Not even close. Harry Reid is just fine.
Three debates seem adequate on the surface. Better than one or none. Better than controlling the questions to be asked and discussed. But someone else posted something similar and I will chime in. When I lived in Seattle, you would get a voter pamphlet that listed each candidate running for office with their picture and a statement from them on their position. This was sent out to all registered voters. I found it very handy, especially for lower offices that don't get much press. Wish Mass would do that here.
Candidates have websites nowadays that state their positions. http://www.seanforcongress.com/views http://joekennedy2012.com/where-i-stand/
I agree. That's been done in the past -- by the League of Women Voters, if I remember correctly. It's been several years and I think they had problems with some candidates not participating.
"Why is Joe Kennedy III limiting debates?" Is this intended to be a serious question??????
You are kidding right? This is a softball question if I ever saw one. Why is he running with an air of inevitability?
2 million dollars to less than a 100k and a last name of Kennedy and running in Barney Frank's old district.
What the Globe suddenly doesn't understand politics?
Completely off-topic, but has anyone else noticed that the drawings of columnists that appear with their columns, have almost no resemblance to the photos on theie profile pages.
Maybe it's to prevent people from yelling at them when they're in restaurants. haha.