She was very diplomatic with respect to other names being mentioned for the appointment. She lauded Andrew Cuomo right off the bat, mentioning that she had known him for several years. This is mainly because Cuomo was once married to her cousin, a relationship that didn't end well.
She also spoke favorably of her predecessor, Hillary Clinton, once referring to her as a "very visible, very strong, very powerful advocate." At another point, she said, "Well, I think she spent a lot of time traveling around the state and really working to represent all the people of the state, and that’s the kind of commitment I would make, so I think she did a great job, so I would love to continue in that tradition."
Ms. Kennedy has been getting some push back from Clinton supporters in New York State who remember, not with fondness, Ms. Kennedy's endorsement of then Sen. Obama over their own home-stater, Hillary. For her part, Hillary has let it be known that her supporters are not to interfere or impede Ms. Kennedy's campaign for the appointment, though did anyone catch the Politico article last week that casually mentioned that Ms. Kennedy had had some trouble getting through on her call to Hillary?
To the criticism that she expected to be handed the job, Ms. Kennedy said, deftly:
Actually, I think that actually a campaign would be an easier way, because I think it would give me a chance to explain exactly what I’m doing, why I would want to do this, and, you know, and get people to know me better and to understand exactly what my plans would be, how hard I would work, you know, kind of...
She wandered off at the end there, but her main point was to express willingness to campaign and contend. Moreover, she's right. A political campaign is easier. We have established methods and certain forms that are followed in a direct electoral contest. Appointments are different. You have to be both coy and aggressive, without being seen as either.
The interviewers--Nicholas Confessore and David M. Halbfinger--sound young. The atmosphere seemed to be pretty informal, and it did, in fact, take place in a coffee shop. There was some banter back and forth. That's the only way to explain what appear to be some fairly odd questions, such as this one, about which Ms. Kennedy made some wry fun herself:
DH: Do you think you would be the best for the job of the people who are out there?
CK: Well, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I would be the best. (Laughter) Do you think you’re the best for your job? I assume you do. Uh, yeah.
And this one:
NC: Was he (her husband) the first person you told — do you know if you uttered the words, ‘I think I’m gonna go for this?’ Or, something like it?
CK: Well, I don’t know if I utter those kinds of words, but yes. You know, it was a mutual decision.
NC: Could you, for the sake of storytelling, could you tell us a little bit about that moment, like, where you were, what you said to him about your decision, how that played out?
CK: Have you guys ever thought about writing for, like, a woman’s magazine or something? (Laughter)
DH: What do you have against women’s magazines?
CK: Nothing at all, but I thought you were the crack political team here. As I said, it was kind of over a period of time, you know, obviously we talked about politics, we talked about what’s going on, we’ve been watching the team that the president-elect is putting together — Hillary Clinton is going to be a spectacular part of that team, you know, then there was a vacancy here, you know, just like everybody else, you know: who’s going to fill it, isn’t that interesting, there’s a lot of great candidates, you know, obviously I have become much more politically involved than I have in the past, so you know, I figure, why not try, I really think I have something to offer.
Her grammar skills could use some work. She said "you know" something like 140 times in this interview, which comes across as somewhat adolescent. Her political manner, however, seemed quite astute. She was always careful to flatter everyone else while at the same time making the pitch for her own particular skill set. She managed to go through her talking points several times without being overly repetitive or rote.
That last answer is encompasses many of those points--the light-hearted moment, closed with a wry comment, then followed by a return to the current political situation, the nod toward Hillary, the kind word toward the competition, and then a reference to her particular assets. You don't know for sure how things are going to pan out on a deal like this, but I'd say she handled Nicholas Confessore and David M. Halbfinger just fine.
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