When Hillary Clinton became a U.S. Senator,

[mykpart]

It was the first public office she had ever held. Caroline Kennedy may do just as well.

[aquart]

1. She may. But Hillary Clinton was elected.

And don't you ever forget it.

[lapfog_1]

2. OK, but no matter who is appointed, there won't BE an election this time.

So using that as a measure of some sort of qualification is simply not possible.

Now, had things been different and Hillary was being appointed to the Senate (without holding any other elected office), would it matter to you that she hadn't?

[Bodhi BloodWave]

3. there is a number of people who'd claim that Hillary was appointed as well

Sure she ran against a republican but the party was quite nice in paving the way for Hillary and more or less basically removed any serious democratic contenders she might have had when she ran

Personal opinion: none

[SoCalDem]

6. Kennedy is up for an appointment, and does not have to "run" for this seat NOW...BUT

if she wants to keep it, she has to run in "10 and AGAIN in '12, when that seat's full-term comes up for re-election..

HRC was planning to run for about 8 years:rofl:, and if she had had an opportunity to be appointed to an open seat, she would have jumped on it :)

[cali]

4. she ran for office. she put in the gritty work of campaigning

she also had a far deeper resume and people knew her positions on a wide array of issues.

[thatsrightimirish]

5. agreed

and she will have to run in 2010 and 2012. That alone equals the amount times Hillary ran for Senate.