On Tuesday after winning five States primaries said in response to learning Hillary Clinton won 4 out of 5 Donald Trump quipped If Hillary Clinton were a man I dont think shed get 5 percent of the vote." His assumption that Clintons political career is based on her gender is false however. She hasnt advanced this far because she is a woman there have been many women in politics before her no she has advanced because of her name.
Political dynasties are supposed to be relegated to old Europe but America has had its fair share of them. In fact Hillarys story mirrors closely another beneficiary of Americas fascination with powerful family names Edward Kennedy.
Tedas he was he was known to the public only became a Senator on the coattails of his President and Attorney General brothers despite a cheating scandal at Harvard. Clinton was elected Senator of New York after eight years as First Lady of her husbands scandal plagued Administration.
With few accomplishments to show for their time in the Senate both decided to run for President. They both lost to men who would be considered to be amongst the worst Presidents in our history.
Hillary Clintons story diverges from Kennedys when she was rewarded for her Presidential bid with the post of Secretary of State while Kennedy remained a Senator.
Her performance as Secretary was a disaster from the failed reset with Russia to her illegal use of a private email server to send and receive classified material and the terrorist attack on our consulate in Benghazi.
While Kennedy learned from his presidential primary defeat and stayed in the Senate Clinton once again has run for the lands highest office. Despite her years in public office her supporters are unable to name any accomplishments that would set her apart from her competition. However this Presidential run once again connects her story with Kennedys as they both have run for president after killing someone Ted with his car and Hillary with her dereliction of duty.
While Trump was wrong about the cause of Hillarys rise he was right about where a politician without a famous name would be with her record with 5 percent of the vote and therefore out of office. The Founding Fathers established our form of government as a Republic and barred it from granting titles of nobility. It appears that they underestimated the influence powerful families could wield in our Republic. Perhaps it is time that we the people establish further restrictions hereditary power.
