If you want evidence for the thesis Richard laid out in his terrific post about Caroline--that her appointment would help the GOP conflate social and intellectual elitism, to devastating effect for Democrats and the country--look no further than today's Rich Lowry column:
Heretofore, whatever their other merits, fundraising for the American Ballet Theatre and the Fund for Public Schools has not been considered the proving ground for high office, yet some of the same liberal pundits who were hell on Sarah Palin for her lack of experience are taken with Kennedy. How silly the Alaska governor must feel: To think running for office was the best way to build a political career, when what she needed was fashionable charitable causes and a storied last name.
Obviously, Palin's problem wasn't her last name, or that her resume didn't boast enough fashionable charities. It's that she was an unqualified nincompoop. But, if I were a part of the GOP message machine, I'd be making the same argument.
--Noam Scheiber