In this series, which started in July ‘08, wowOwow follows the political news swirling around Caroline Kennedy since her surprise endorsement of Barack Obama and high-profile placement on his VP selection committee. Could Caroline be ready to launch a political career of her own? With The Caroline Kennedy Candidacy Watch, we’ll follow all the latest news. 

Caroline Kennedy isn’t counting on her name alone to get her Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat.

The news today is that Kennedy has in fact officially tossed her hat into the ring of possible contenders to replace Clinton. But not everyone’s jumping for joy over the prospect of having yet another Kennedy in Congress. After all, America isn’t the land of the political dynasty … but perhaps some would like a return to Camelot. 

So, the daughter of John F. Kennedy has launched her own type of PR campaign to convince doubters that she has what it takes to fill the big shoes of not only Clinton, but her uncle, the late Robert F. Kennedy, who also once held the seat. She’s said to be the favorite of New York Gov. David Paterson, who will decide who fills the seat.

From The New York Times:

In addition, a person with direct knowledge of the conversations said that Ms. Kennedy and Mr. Paterson had spoken several times in recent days and that the governor had grown increasingly fond of her. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid antagonizing the governor, said that Mr. Paterson also had come to see Ms. Kennedy as a strong potential candidate whose appointment would keep a woman in the seat and whose personal connections would allow her to raise the roughly $70 million required to hold on to the seat in the coming years.

Not only could she raise a ton of cash to help keep the seat when she runs in 2012 to finish out the last two years of Clinton’s term – then again in 2012 if she wants to seek reelection — but insiders are also saying a Sen. Kennedy could help Paterson win election as governor in 2010 as well.

“The upside of her candidacy is that the 2010 ballot will read Kennedy - Paterson,” an adviser told the Times. “David craves national attention and money. If you connect the dots, it leads to her.”

That’s right folks, it’s all about politics and who can help who.

Here are some of the things Kennedy is doing to get the job:

• Hired one of New York’s top political consultants, Josh Isay, who Politico says “has deep connections to New York powerhouses Sen. Charles Schumer, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Rev. Al Sharpton.” Isay can help introduce Kennedy to people she must know to be “in” with the New York political scene and power brokers behind it. Something else this hire does: it “scares the s- - -” out of lesser-known Democrats actively pursuing the appointment, one New York Democrat told Politico.
• Launching an effort to show she has she skills and the stomach to perform the job, with plans to visit parts of the upstate region. The Times says Paterson has been frustrated with how other elected officials are campaigning for the seat too openly, but he’s done nothing to discourage Kennedy.
• Calling top New Yorkers to make sure they know she’s interested in the position, including Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY.
• Having surrogates get the message out that she’s a "real" person, not some celebrity; she rides the subway, just like us.
• Talking with Clinton? So far, we don’t know if Kennedy has called the former First Lady to get her blessing. But politicos in the know say it would be surprising if the two women haven’t spoken. MSNBC’s Chuck Todd said Paterson will consult Clinton and if the soon-to-be secretary of state has any reservation about Kennedy, the governor will listen.

“Some kind word from Hillary Clinton or Bill Clinton probably would seal the deal tomorrow,” Todd said today. But “there’s part of the Clintons themselves … that likes the idea that a Kennedy wants to replace a Clinton, that it’s that big of a Senate seat.”

Some Democrats are questioning her credentials, saying the Kennedy name isn’t enough.

U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-NY, said last week that he did not know what Kennedy’s qualifications were, "except that she has name recognition — but so does J. Lo [Jennifer Lopez]."