Cybach wrote:
His eldest brother was President of the US. One of the most popular US Presidents to have ever served in office, and who always lands in the top 5 Presidents list.
His other brother Robert was also a Senator. Not only that. He was the Senator of New York. A much more prestigious seat than being the Senator of Massachusetts. However he wasn't just a Senator. He was one of the Presidents closest advisors. He was also the Attorney General first under his brother, then under Johnson until his resigning. Then he became a Senator again. Becoming famous in retrospect for being one of the first outspoken critics of the Vietnam war, long before it was popular to protest against that war. Robert then ran for President. After beating Eugene McCarthy he looked to be the primary Democratic Candidate. Analysts giving him a fairly good chance at winning the Presidential election. But he was assassinated before we ever would have known if he would have won or lost the upcoming Presidential race. Robert Kennedy was also one of the strong voices in the Civil Rights movement, after the assassination of President Kennedy, Robert Kennedy undertook a 1966 tour of South Africa in which he championed the cause of the anti-Apartheid movement. Robert Kennedy saw voting as the key to racial justice, and collaborated with Presidents Kennedy and Johnson to create the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, which helped bring an end to Jim Crow laws.
Those two versus a Senator out of Massachusetts. Whose biggest political achievements seem to be failures in enacting immigration reforms and a yet unsure fate on his dreamed healthcare reform platform.
So yes. I am quite sure that despite the shorter career of the two elder brothers. Both of them were superior to Ted Kennedy in terms of success, achievement and prestige. Ted Kennedy was just the loser of that family. Not that there is much loser about being the Senator of a relatively minor state. However compared to his President and Attorney General brother, it simply doesn't cut the cheese.
Sometimes I think people don't hear anything that isn't in their own voice nor see anything they did not write themselves.
Forty-six (46) years. Over 300 bills became law that Ted Kennedy authored himself. Thousands of other laws had his hand on them. Those are federal laws, not Massachusetts laws. He saw landmark legislation that changed the rules on immigration, on gender discrimination, on voting rights. Those laws literally changed the face of America during the late 20th century, and all of them were authored or co-authored by Ted Kennedy. Not failures. Actual laws passed and enacted.
Wrap your brain around it. He was not an obscure backroom pol. He made a difference that his brothers were prevented from making. Whether anyone thinks it is a good difference or bad difference, the fact remains that he was one of the main movers of the direction this nation took.
Am I discounting Jack and Bobby? Not at all. But I am saying that I suspect history will elevate Ted above the "kid brother" status he was slapped with most of his life. And I think if you would look at reality, you might see what I mean.
. Then we won't even have to worry about incompetence.