BLACK PRESIDENT, Chapter 54. Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg decides to become a candidate for President, with Jackson Little as V.P.

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a12824767/john-f-kennedy-jr-run-for-president/

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

JUNE 21, 2012

As the Democratic convention convened, it was thought that only someone with a Kennedy name – Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg in particular – had any real chance of breaking the Republican stronghold after three terms. No other Kennedy, certainly none of Bobby’s kids, had emerged from the shadow of their illustrious father in the way that Caroline had. Her attributes were easy to add up. First, she could pull in the feminist vote from both sides of the aisle. Her stand for women’s rights was solid and unequivocal; she was possibly the only liberal who could win carrying that flag. Most other front-runners had needed to placate the rising tide of the Christian right, support school prayer and the anti-abortionists as John McCain and his people had done. But Caroline was her own woman. Only Caroline could bypass the primaries and stand a chance of being nominated at the last minute in San Francisco.

Before Caroline agreed to become a candidate, she called a meeting of her husband and children. With two kids still in college and another in her mid-twenties, discussing the risk of the venture with those closest to her was the least she could do.

‘I’m considering a run for the Presidency.’ She spoke the words abruptly and waited. The look on her husband’s face was grave. He knew it would be difficult for him whether she won or lost. Would he become ‘First Man’? And what would people think if he took over the Lincoln Bedroom or some equally spacious part of the White House for his messy oil paintings and constructions? It would totally change his life – but he believed in the cause.

‘Jesus,’ said Schlossberg after half a minute. ‘It’s a huge step. But I don’t really think there’s anyone else who can win right now. Jackson Little can’t possibly pull it off, if you believe the pollsters.’

The three siblings nodded in agreement, acknowledging the following the Republicans had built for themselves. That party’s determination was no less than in 2000, when they had refused to acknowledge the fact of defeat. And Republicans had used every dirty trick to win again in 2004; those in the know ventured an educated guess that there might have been hundreds of CIA and ex-CIA operatives helping to make sure that CIA-connected George W. Bush won that second term.

‘I feel I have to . . . for all of you,’ said Caroline, looking toward her family.

‘But it’s dangerous,’ Schlossberg blurted out. He couldn’t help himself. He’d read those airport paperbacks about the mob, JFK’s ties to Giancana, the stuff about Marilyn and Bobby. The vendettas. The murders.

Caroline stared ahead, while her husband felt a flush of perspiration under his cotton sweatshirt. He thought of all the dead Kennedys. Even John Jr. What was the real danger to his wife?

‘You’d do the same for me, for the kids, if you could,’ said Caroline, making the difficult decision thanks to her strong beliefs and ideals. After all, she had written several books about the inner workings of government, and the erosion of civil liberties. She had seen the evidence of rampant government abuse; wire-tapping, snooping into personal emails and cell-phone communication. With more sophisticated computer retrieval systems, faster chips and bigger storage, it had become possible to keep records on virtually every single citizen. In truth, Caroline had finally decided to run when she was shown the secret government records on her own children.

So a plan was formed. Caroline would run for President, with Jackson Little as her running-mate, throw her hat into the ring at the convention in spite of the damning photos, or whatever else the opposition might dredge up. Her advisors believed that any defamatory onslaught from the Republicans might even have a positive effect, since sympathy would be on the female side of the equation. Jack and Robert had indeed cheated on their wives; but Caroline’s own mother, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, had been a woman betrayed.

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