Caroline Kennedy Leads in Quinnipiac Poll

A major argument against appointing Caroline Kennedy to fill Hillary Clinton’s senate seat is the argument against establishing an aristocracy. There is resentment that Kennedy would be receiving the seat largely because of her name and family. While this is a valid concern, one problem in excluding Kennedy on this basis is that she very well might be the winning candidate if the seat was determined by a special election as opposed to an appointment. A Quinnipiac poll shows:

New York State voters split 40 – 41 percent on whether Caroline Kennedy is qualified to be a U.S. Senator, but they expect by a 48 – 25 percent margin that Gov. David Paterson will name her to the Senate seat being vacated by Hillary Clinton, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Offered a choice, 33 percent of voters say Gov. Paterson should name Ms. Kennedy, while 29 percent say Attorney General Andrew Cuomo should get the nod. Another 4 percent pick Albany-area U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, while 24 percent want someone else and 10 percent are undecided, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.

Kennedy leads Cuomo 42 – 27 percent among New York City voters and ties Cuomo 30 – 30 percent among suburban voters, while Cuomo leads 31 – 27 percent among upstate voters. Men back Kennedy over Cuomo 32 – 27 percent while women back her 33 – 31 percent.

Republicans prefer Cuomo 33 – 20 percent while Democrats back Kennedy 41 – 27 percent and independent voters back Cuomo 33 – 30 percent.

The results might be different in an actual election where Kennedy was forced to campaign before the voters. At least this does show that if the seat is to be given by appointment, choosing Kennedy would not necessarily be undemocratic.

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