Kennedy's Legacy Overshadows Primary Election

by Curt Nickisch

November 16, 2009

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November 16, 2009 from WBUR

There's a special primary election next month in Massachusetts for the seat left open when Sen. Edward Kennedy died in August. The blue state is widely expected to elect a Democrat to succeed the liberal titan, who held the seat for 47 years. But it's been hard for the Democratic candidates who want to replace him to emerge from Kennedy's legacy.

STEVE INSKEEP, host:

And we're going to tune in, now, to the election campaign in Massachusetts. Voters there will be choosing a new senator in a special election for the seat left open when Edward Kennedy died in August. The primary ballot is next month, to be followed by the election in January. Now this state is widely expected to pick a Democrat to succeed Kennedy, who held the seat for 47 years. But it's been hard for the Democratic candidates to emerge, as Curt Nickisch reports from member station WBUR.

CURT NICKISCH: This Senate seat has been held by John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, and JFK. You'd think that this race would be full of passion and fury. But a poll here a few days ago reveals that most people don't even know what month the primary is, and it's just three weeks away.

Scott Ferson, Kennedy's former press secretary, says so far the race has been more about the predecessor than the successor.

Mr. SCOTT FERSON (Kennedy's former press secretary): Ted Kennedy, you know, through his illness and through his death and funeral, sucked up so much of the attention, it's natural to want to connect this race as sort of the next chapter in the Ted Kennedy story.

NICKISCH: To varying degrees, the wannabe replacements have been trying to write themselves into his story. The Democratic frontrunner, Attorney General Martha Coakley, says she wouldn't be running were it not for Kennedy's work against sexual discrimination.

Ms. MARTHA COAKLEY (Massachusetts Attorney General): They think whoever gets elected to that, will probably ask himself - or herself in my case - you know, what would Ted have done in this instance, and where would he have gone?

NICKISCH: But Democrat Mike Capuano says he doesn't need to ask himself what would Kennedy do, because he's already doing it - as a congressman.

Congressman MIKE CAPUANO (Democrat, Massachusetts): Bringing home the bacon. I know that's a tough term. Some people never want to hear that. Well, guess what? Ted Kennedy did it for years - proudly, rightly - and I think if we don't replace him with somebody who knows how to do it, this state will suffer.

NICKISH: Other candidates invoke the senator's social change. Alan Khazei founded the service program City Year, now part of AmeriCorps. Khazei remembers seeing Ted Kennedy wear a red City Year jacket during his first public appearance after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

Mr. ALAN KHAZEI (Founder, City Year): Here's a man who just was informed that he's got a terminal illness and he's thinking enough to send a message to all the young people who are acting on their idealism. You know, I did, I got a tear in my eye. I did.

NICKISH: And the other candidate, Steve Pagliuca, part owner of the Boston Celtics, compares replacing Ted Kennedy to replacing the legendary coach Red Auerbach.

Ms. KELLY CASSA(ph): Boy, they're trying to be more Kennedy than the Kennedys.

NICKISH: Over fish and chips at an Irish pub in Boston, Kelly Cassa says what she wants is a real hard debate on the issues. But she says she's not seeing it yet.

Ms. CASSA: It's almost like watching five-year-olds play soccer. You know, they all move around in a clump and you can't tell who's who and who's doing what and who stands out.

Mr. FERSON: Massachusetts has come to expect that its senators will not fit in, but will stand out.

NICKISH: Former Kennedy staffer and political analyst Scott Ferson says voters here don't really expect another Ted Kennedy, but they don't want average senators either.

Mr. FERSON: I mean we expect them to run for president, we expect them to stand out. When you look at the Lodges and the Kennedy brothers and John Kerry, they all have carved their niche.

NICKISH: The winner of next month's Democratic primary faces the Republican nominee for a shot at, maybe not filling Kennedy's shoes, but standing in them.

For NPR News, I'm Curt Nickish in Boston.

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