Also worth noting about the Kennedy endorsements: This is at least the third prominent political family to be publicly split among the presidential candidates.
Jesse Jackson, who himself won the South Carolina primary in 1988, criticized Barack Obama back in September for “acting like he’s white.” He hasn’t endorsed Hillary, but he and the Clintons are longtime allies. Even so, his son, Jesse Jackson Jr. cut an ad for Obama in October encouraging African-Americans to vote for him. “Obama has a heart that beats for our community,” he said.
The Bushes, too, have undergone an election season rift. Jeb Bush Jr., son of the former Florida governor,
endorsed
Rudy Giuliani in October and has served as chairman of Young Professionals for Rudy in the state. Meanwhile, his brother, George P. Bush,
backed
Fred Thompson’s prospective campaign back in June, when Thompson was the party’s shining hope. Another George W. Bush nephew, Sam LeBlond, worked for Thompson, then
quit
in July. Former Gov. Jeb Bush has kept quiet so far, but he’s widely believed to support Mitt Romney.
Now comes the Kathleen/Kerry/Bobby Jr. vs. Caroline/Teddy feud. Granted, everyone has gone out of their way to “respect” the decision of their relatives. But those summer retreats to Hyannis Port could get a little awkward.
