Draft Teddy

No matter who wins the Democratic nomination, a lot of party activists and voters are going to be frustrated. If Barack manages to narrowly defeat Hillary, the Clintonistas won’t be consoled by knowing that their candidate ran the most successful losing primary campaign ever. Conversely, if Hillary manages to squeeze by Barack, the African-Americans and young voters who powered his candidacy will be left to feel that their votes didn’t count. There’s an obvious solution to this problem: the introduction of a consensus candidate who can unify the party and lead it to victory. Al Gore has been floated as a possibility, but his disinterest with electoral politics becomes more apparent with each passing day. Fortunately, there’s another leader—a familiar leader, a definitively Democratic leader, and a unifying leader—who might be up to the task. Draft Teddy. +/-

I make this suggestion half in seriousness and half in jest. At first glance, a Ted Kennedy candidacy makes no sense. He turned 76 a little more than a month ago. When he entered the Senate, Barack Obama was still a toddler. But think of this: Kennedy’s would-be opponent, John McCain, is no spring chicken, either. If McCain were to win a second term, he would do so at the ripe young age of—you guessed it, 76. And unlike McCain, Kennedy has never had a serious medical scare. What about Chappaquidick, you say? Well, although I’m sure Sean Hannity would bang that drum repeatedly during a campaign, as long ago as 1979, nearly 79% of Americans said the event does not factor in their evaluation of the Senator. It’s safe to assume that that number has only increased since. There’s no question Kennedy could unify the party. He’s the very definition of a Democrat. He practically invented Medicare, he heroically blocked Robert Bork, and he inveighed against the Iraq War before it was cool. Latinos, union workers, women, African-Americans and white liberals love him—in other words, the groups that are essential to victory but that Obama and Hillary have split. At the same time, the allure of the Kennedy name would ensure him a fair hearing among independents and perhaps even some conservatives (the sort who still uphold his brother Jack as the model of foreign policy excellence). The chance to restore Camelot some nearly five decades after its demise might be difficult for the country to resist. Of course, there’s virtually no chance that any of this happens. Teddy Kennedy is not going to seek, nor will he accept, the nomination of his party for president of the United States. But then again. At the 1968 convention, Mayor Daley wanted Teddy to run. Kennedy declined. It’s forty years later. We’re on the verge of a convention that are some are anticipating will be as chaotic as 68. And there’s still a powerful guy named Mayor Daley. If Denver descends into chaos, Al Gore refuses to commit—well, crazier things have happened.