Helpful hints for Kennedy [Jonn]
Drudge put up an article from a New York City TV station about how tought Upstate NYers are being on poor Caroline. Tough and mean questions like this;
“What makes you think you can represent upstate?” she was asked.
“Well as I, first of all this was a great visit and I’ve already learned a lot and I want to come back,” Kennedy said.
The question came again: What have you learned?
“It’s a process so I just hope everybody understands this is not a campaign, but I have lived a life committed to public service, wrote a book on the constitution, the importance of independent participation, raised my family committed to education in New York City,” Kennedy said.
Yeah, that’s the kind of stuff Upstate NYers want to hear – she wrote a book once. She’ll fit right in. In the Syracuse Post Standard, Hart Seely gives her some tips that might be better advice than anything she’s had so far;
1. At the State Fair, devour an entire sausage sandwich with onions and peppers. (Note: Knife and fork not allowed.)
2. Attend a Buffalo Bills game in sub-zero weather. (Face paint optional.)
Harry DiOrio / The Post-StandardLast chance, Ms. Kennedy: The Bills are home Dec. 283. Learn to pronounce Throop, Schroeppel, Pulaski, DeRuyter and Cheektowaga.
4. Lose the winter tan. (4a. Or gain 10 holiday pounds.)
5. Declare self to be a lifelong fan of the Yankees. (Or Mets, but must also denounce Red Sox.)
6. Apply for a fishing license. (Note: You do not need an attorney for this.)
7. Demonstrate an appetite for Buffalo wings, Binghamton spiedies, Utica greens, Croghan baloney, Rochester’s white hots, salt potatoes and Labatt Blue.
8. Appear in public wearing a bulky orange sweatshirt.
There are others, but nothing about telling people you’re qualified to be their Senator because you wrote a book about the Constitution.
And here’s something no one else will tell you, Caroline; Upstate New Yorkers will never approve of you because you’re from the part of the State that strips their wallets every payday without giving anything back. Yeah, everyone will smile at you and shake your hand, but you’re still from New York City and you’ve never, in all of the history of New York State, ever given back to the upstate like you’ve taken away.
Governor Paterson has a unique opportunity to let half of his state finally get some representation in the Senate by naming someone from Upstate New York to the Senate and what does he do? Names a Kennedy. Well, she’s going to get the appointment because she’s a Kennedy and she’s the easy choice. New Yorkers won’t get change. There’s more to New York State than Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo, but not to folks in New York City.
Anyway, Caroline, since I gave you all of this valuable advice, when you do get to DC, bring a couple of 12-packs of Saranac Adirondack Lager, will ya?
Category: Politics
One of ladies who post to the RC Pirate Forums, leavingroch posted this to our discussion on Caroline’s interest in the NY Senator seat:
Have you ever had to live on a budget, balanced a budget, or even balanced a checkbook?
Do you know what WORK is?
Can you name our MLB, NHL, NFL teams? And where the play?
What is the crime rate in NY state?
What are our educational rankings vs our spending?
Can you spell Irondequoit?
Can you find Rochester on a map (without names on it)? Heck can you find WNY on a map?
Unless she knows where to get good pasta fasool (fagioli anywhere but Buffalo) in Western NY (Santasiero’s on Niagara is the best), can eat a pound of sponge candy from Broadway Market, knows the significance of the downfall of Bethlehem Steel, or pronounces “pants” with a really long nasal “a”, then she isn’t qualified to represent Western New York. I only just discovered that Buffalo was considered “upstate” by NYC. I always thought we were just south Canadians.
Population of New York State from 2006 census: 19,306,183
Population of New York City from 2006 census:8,214,426
When one city makes up nearly half of your state’s population, you’re damn right it deserves representation.
Jonn wrote: But should it get ALL of the representation? They’ve got Schu-phhht-mer (sorry I had to spit), doesn’t the other half deserve representation, too? I’m surprised Syracuser McAullife isn’t saying this.
ArmySergeant,
Downstate interests dominate New York State politics and have so for many years. Things are broken in Albany (NY State capitol) and the office of the Governor was shamed by a crusading Eliot Spitzer who as Attorney General, went after prostitution rings, while he was patronizing them while being an AG and also as Governor. Our present Governor Paterson proposed 88 new fees and taxes in the most heavily taxed state in the Union, in order to close a budget gap, that was due to Albany’s excesses and downstate interests and corruption.
The least Governor Paterson could do is appoint a person from upstate New York as Senator, to fill the seat vacated by carpetbagger and political ladder-climber, Hillary Clinton, so that the people of upstate New York have fair representation in the Senate.
I’ll be honest, I’m completely ignorant of New York politics outside “the city”.
I agree that Hillary Clinton was a carpetbagger, though. She served neither downstate nor upstate. I am far from her biggest fan.
I think it’s less downstate/upstate than that no other city has the pull or power to get things its own way, and the cities upstate don’t seem to band together. Admittedly I’m ignorant on the matter and heavily prejudiced in favor of my hometown.
Also, we know that Caroline Kennedy is being chosen by virtue of being a Kennedy. It has nothing to do with books.
Right, it has to do with being a Kennedy and that means a lot of fundraising potential for Dems. and especially Gov. Paterson. Follow the money.
As a Buffalo Girl I have to say not only should she be able to pronounce Cheektowaga but also Scajaquada, and not by cheating and calling it the 198.
While at the Broadway Market she has to manage to not get robbed, eat a pound of sponge candy, get some tripe AND a “You Bet Your Pierogi’s I’m Polish” t-shirt from the “gift” shop. (Yes, I own that shirt) and take a ride on the “subway” (and on more than just the free portion).
Let’s be fair. As Mark Levin pointed out, Caroline Kennedy co-authored 2 books (kind of like Hillary, although Hillary’s book was just a ghost-written excuse for a big payday). From wikipedia:
“Kennedy and Ellen Alderman have written two books together on civil liberties:
In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights In Action (1990) and
The Right to Privacy (1995)”
Ever since I left NY (Upstate), that place has gotten weirder and weirder. I feel like I need a passport to visit anymore. I only miss my family and Wegmans at this point.
Code Monkey posted:
Ever since I left NY (Upstate), that place has gotten weirder and weirder. I feel like I need a passport to visit anymore. I only miss my family and Wegmans at this point.
You don’t miss Nick Tahou’s famous garbage plates? How about the duo of Schallers and Charbroil down by the lake on Island Cottage and Edgemere? Sea Breeze is still going strong! However, the taxes are killing us!
I met Nick himself once, a long time ago. That man was an icon. Ok, maybe I miss Tom Wahl’s and Abbott’s and the Park Ave Pub. I cried when the carousel at Sea Breeze burned down. Does CMF still play Stairway to Heaven and Freebird all day every day?
At least here we have Ted’s and no snow…
Code Monkey,
I never met Nick, but his daughter was the RPD Officer in charge of my PACTAC group (Genesee Section).
Does CMF still play Stairway to Heaven and Freebird all day every day?
😆
Yeah, they sure do, some things never change! Brother Wease is gone after a contract dispute and is on 95.1 FM now. He kind of went off the deep end to the left. When he started calling conservatives “haters”, I refused to listen to that asswipe. Dave Kane had been let go, but they brought him back after they canned Wease. Do you remember Unkle Rog who hosted the “Home Grown”? He was murdered by one of his rental houses, back in 2003. It was quite a tragic incident as Roger McCall was well liked by all and helped out alot of Rochester musicians by featuring them on his radio show.
I checked out your blog. Are you on the West Coast? I was stationed at Vandenberg for a year back in the mid 70’s. It was beautiful on that part of the coast and heading north on Highway 1 up to Big Sur was a spectacular drive.
I knew Rog as well. Have they found his killer yet? He was a very good man. I read somewhere Wease got a little hateful after Sept. 11 towards anyone who didn’t think the way he does. I was never really a fan of his though. I just found their live stream for the station and so far it’s been exactly as I remember it. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re just using the same playlist as they were in the late 80’s.
Chuck’s the main proprietor at the blog and he’s Back East. I got sick of the snow and black ice and moved to the Phoenix area a while back. Funny thing is, we’re all pretty sure we’re going to see some snow this year like Vegas did. I think it would be awesome if it did, except for the fact that people out here can’t drive in rain, let alone snow.
No, they haven’t found Roger McCall’s killer yet.
I worked in casino security in Vegas, after I got out of the service. I had friends who had a mini-ranch in Dolan Springs AZ., just north of Kingman and I spent alot of time there. Joshua trees as far as they eye can see, Mitten Mountain, and the southeastern arm of Lake Mead is 60 miles straight down Pierce Ferry Rd. There’s not much else there, so it was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Vegas.