Saturday, August 29, 2009

Kennedy Mystique Illustrated

One of Kennedy’s close friends, former editor of Newsweek and New York Times Magazine Ed Klein, tells the Diane Rehm Show that Chappaquiddick jokes were high up on the list (of the jokes Kennedy enjoyed).

"I don’t know if you know this or not, but one of his favorite topics of humor was indeed Chappaquiddick itself. And he would ask people, 'have you heard any new jokes about Chappaquiddick?' That is just the most amazing thing."

Yes, indeed. That is the most amazing thing.

I believe this is an amazing illustration of the irrational absurdity of the Kennedy mystique that has pervaded this country since the election of John in 1960. Not just the fact that senator Kennedy would feel free to ask about the jokes, but that his friend, Klein, feels free to reveal the fact and not suspect that America will be shocked and disgusted.

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3 comments:

Tsofah said...

Malott:

You can find at least 3 pages of websites/blogs about "Ted Kennedy jokes" in a web search. Sadly, now there are "Dead Ted Kennedy jokes" as well.

In this interview with BBC's Katty Kay, Joe Klein was giving an example of how Ted knew there are some very hateful Kennedy/Chappaquiddick jokes out there. It's called "the best defense is a good offense". This also happened years ago.

When Ronald Reagan died, a man whose wife consulted with psychics and mediums, was this type of vitriol a part of your thoughts? What about other Senators/Representatives, etc?

Here's what one reader on the many websites out there had to say about this story:

"Nice job of twisting the facts into another entry in your unending smear job against Kennedy. While conservatives and liberals alike were eulogizing him, you were putting together a slime article that entirely misrepresents what Kennedy said.

For the record, this is an old canard from the violently lunatic right. Kennedy indeed joked about Chappaquiddick, but not, as you attempt to insinuate, jokes about how funny it was to watch a girl drown or how amusing it was to get away with something of this nature. Rather, he joked about the right's obsession with the incident, and how it had permanently crippled his political career. Very dark humor. People who knew Kennedy have said for 40 years that the death of that girl haunted him every day of his life.

But you -- while his memorial is being broadcast -- come in here and twist reality to try to slime and besmirch his memory with your insinuations.

This is a truly filthy piece of work."

As far as many of the stories about Ted Kennedy goes: I cannot hold such hatred in my heart.

8/29/2009 9:22 PM
Malott said...

Tsofah,

You're probably right, I shouldn't be bringing up abortion, Chappaquidick, and bearing false witness, but should be talking about the good in Kennedy.

We should not speak of the bad things men have done... men like Ted Kennedy, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, Yasser Arafat, Charles Manson, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, and Adolph Hitler.

We should only speak of the good they have done. We don't want to be hateful.

8/30/2009 11:07 AM
Tsofah said...

Malott:

You can say whatever you wish, it's your blog.

It just comes across badly. I don't think I would compare any of our leaders, former or present (yet?), with Ahmadinejad or Hitler.

8/31/2009 2:45 PM

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