The Hiller Instinct: Caroline Kennedy

This may surprise you, but I'm sorry Caroline Kennedy won't be going to the Senate because I think even with no legislative experience she would fit right in. And the way she got out proves it. First, she couldn't decide. Then, when she finally did, she gave contradictory explanations.

Was it concern about her uncle, Ted Kennedy? Or fear of losing her privacy? Or anxiety about not getting the job? Who knows?

So, she's leaving us confused, which is just what the Senate often does. Now, think for a moment about what we've lost: another celebrity Senator.

At a minimum, Caroline would have been on the covers of Newsweek and People magazines, which is just one more indication of the depth of her appeal.

And after just a few months in Washington, she could have challenged fellow New Yorker Hillary Clinton for the title, "Best Known Woman in the World."

After all, Caroline already has her own song, and she was in the White House long before Hillary was.

Some say Caroline's bid for the Senate was doomed by her unexpectedly frequent use of the phrase "you know" in her interviews. But Ted Kennedy is considered one of the most effective Senators in history, and we have all heard him fight to finish a sentence. So too bad for us, but Caroline, I hope you find a life with some privacy is worth more than people calling you Senator. And I won't be surprised if you do.

(Copyright (c) 2009 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)