More on Nepotism.

[coloradodem2005]

In 20/20 while talking about nepotism, THe Gores, The Clintons and Kennedys were also mentioned. Your thoughts.

[SoCalDem]

1. I missed 20/20.. ( I usually do these days)

but that does not surprise me in the least...

The three families mentioned are no different from ANY well to do family. It's only natural for people of one generation to "set the stage" for the next.

Most of us translate that into a U-Haul full of hand-me-down furniture, Mom's old car and a job lead or two for our kids.. If we have more, we DO more.

It's one thing to bring one's children into the family business, but politics is a different kind of "business". The ones at the top are there because of the favors they have managed to either dole out or call in.

The obscene amount of money they raise to acquire their position, far out paces the salary that the position pays. That is the nasty little fact that people do not question, but should. Why would any "good businessman" spend 14 million dollars for a business worth $300,000 ($150,00 x 2 year salary for congress)? It's about the connections and the "favors".

The pernicious nepotism in government is troubling to me, regardless of the party affiliation or surname. When we elect an official , it should be because of WHAT they know, rather than WHO they know.

Did 20/20 mention Ted Steven's son? Did they mention Frank Murkowski's daughter? Did they mention GW or Jeb or Marvin or Neil?
Did they mention Liddy Dole?

The fact that they mentioned Gore is odd too, because it is NOT a bit unusual for father/son to both serve in congress. The husband/wife angle is new, but that's only because this crop of women is the first to reach the "proper age" and experience level.

The Kennedy's are another story in themselves. NONE of the Kennedy "kids" ever needed to do a single day's worth of work. They could have all lived out their lives playing golf, sailing,globe trotting, or just lounging about. The difference is that they were taught that they should give back to the country that had "given" them so much.

Republicans are jealous of the Kennedy's and Clintons because they have always had the two things that republican money cannot buy.. Charisma and empathy..

Why they continue to pick on Gore is beyond me. He is out of their league completely. He is a decent guy with a nice family. His only "sin" is that he was vice president to their target of hatred... Clinton

[Nay]

2. Did they mention the plum media job Mike Powell got for having a

father named Colin Powell? Or the corporate/wives husbands who are all working on the same network of corporate boards/govt depts?

[Eric J in MN]

3. I watched about 10 mintutes, then changed channel because it was jumping

I watched about 10 mintutes, then changed channel because it was jumping all over the place.

There are substantive questions like:
1) Should alumni kids get a preference in college admission?
2) Should there be an inheritance tax on large estates?

But instead of addressing those questions, in the section I watched at least, they were jumping from famous athletes whose parents are famous athletes to Al Gore to people who inherit family-restaurants, and I couldn't take it all the pointless jumping around.