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Say No to Hereditary Titles of Nobility
Rumors abound throughout the news media that Arizona Governor Doug Ducey is poised to appoint Cindy McCain to fill the remainder of John McCain’s senate term in the event he expires prior to the 2023 expiration of his term. Paul Mirengoff has a piece at Powerline arguing that Mrs. McCain is a qualified successor to her husband, although perhaps not conservative enough to be a good choice for the seat. With respect to Mr. Mirengoff, I suggest the issue at hand is not her qualification for the job, the issue is our nation’s longstanding rejection of hereditary titles of nobility.
It is one thing for a family member to run and be elected in his or her own right to succeed a close relative. While it happens often enough it is still something most Americans seem at least uneasy with. Running for office with the benefit of a beloved family name can be helpful to a candidate but it is also a turnoff for many voters and the genesis of much low hanging fruit for political attacks. But in the end, at least there is merit in being elected to one’s own term rather than being appointed to succeed a relative.
Frank Murkowski served in the United States Senate for two decades before he was elected governor of Alaska. Upon taking office Governor Murkowski promptly appointed his daughter, Lisa Murkowski, to finish out his Senate term. This blatant act of nepotism so enraged Alaskans that the law was changed by referendum in 2004 to require a special election to fill a Senate vacancy and was a major factor in Governor Murkowski losing his re-election primary to one Sarah Palin.
For an elected official to appoint or arrange to have appointed a family member to succeed his term in office seems entirely undemocratic. In fact, it feels decidedly aristocratic. Someone needs to remind the good Arizona governor that in America we don’t do hereditary titles of nobility. Governor Ducey may be free to appoint whom he wishes in the event of Senator McCain’s untimely death, but he should beware the unintended consequence of appointing Mrs. McCain to fill the vacancy.
Published in General
I’m not sure I approve of several generations of parasites.
Exactly this. I have a different set of priorities in life. Outrage for me was standing with 3 other officers on a call looking at rope burns around the necks of a 6 and a 4 year-old. Then watching an officer roll up their sleeves so he could count the cigarette burns on their arms. Some of what goes on in DC, especially the preening does not affect me. Most of these people on both sides of the aisle are shameless self seekers.
She knew enough. She would have been able to hire a person to do the wiring, while maintaining the books, and customer relationships.
You mentioned drama. Isn’t that politics?
I’d be much happier if the seat went to Meghan, who then passed it along to Ben Domenech.
I’m ABJA on the appointment. Anyone But Joe Arpaio.
This is disgusting. I will make it a point to vote against any Republican in the future who tries to play this nepotism game.
We are not the Roman Republic where you needed to be a Patrician of the Claudia, Aemilia, Cornelia, Antonia or Junia families to be a magistrate.
Nepotism is when a person appoints a relative to a position. If the electorate votes that relative in office, it’s not nepotism.
I think we’re talking both scenarios. The Frank and Lisa Murkowski appointment was nepotism. Her subsequent re-elections technically are not, unless you go by the fruit of the tree argument (incumbency not earned).
The same would apply to the McCain instance if it happens.
More hyperbole. We’re not the Roman Republic (or Empire). But human nature being what it is, we’ll never escape some form of dynastical impulse in our politics or business.
The few times these things happen are not a threat to our Republic.