Talented Joe Kennedy the next great Kennedy political leader? -- The next generation of Kennedys comes to bat in Boston race

Joseph P Kennedy III on the campaign trail

When it comes to politics, regardless of possessing a famous name, you can’t fake it when it comes to the red meat: mixing with, chatting to and addressing people, solving their problems.

That was the way with many of the offspring of the Kennedy family, who were ill fitted for political offices despite the incredible family history.

That was no knock on them. As Brendan Behan remarked, “Genius does not come in litters” and following in the footsteps of Jack, Robert, and Teddy Kennedy was surely the most difficult political undertaking in the world.

Inevitably, there was disappointment and regret that the Kennedy dynasty seemed at an end, especially when Patrick, Teddy’s son, stepped down from Congress in 2010 and ended an unbroken run back to 1947 when John F. Kennedy became a congressman.

But now comes a young Kennedy who is ready to restore the legacy. Joe Kennedy III is running for Barney Frank’s seat in the 4th district in Massachusetts and looks like a sure thing as the polls have him far ahead.

The grandson of Robert Kennedy, son of former Congressman Joe, will reignite the Kennedy name in national politics and I have strong suspicions this guy will go a lot further than the congressman.

I had the occasion to meet Joe, now 32, last week at our “Irish New England Leaders” awards held at the Irish Consulate in Boston – and I came away very impressed.

He was the winner of our Young Leader award and according to Consul General Michael Lonergan who hosted the evening, he was the first Kennedy clan member to come to the consulate.

While it is always difficult to size someone up in a brief meeting, Joe Kennedy strikes me as a natural politician, which was certainly not the case with many of his relatives.

When he got up to speak at our event, I was even more impressed.

He threw away his notes, spoke eloquently about his Irish heritage and drew the crowd in with his recitation of what his family history of commitment to the poor and the needy had meant to him.

“I believe this country was founded on a simple idea: that every person deserves to be treated fairly, by each other and by their government,” might sound clichéd when coming from someone else, but given the family history and the fact that two of his family predecessors gave their lives for those very sentiments, it came across as genuine.

He has walked the walk too, spending two years in the Peace Corps (he is a fluent Spanish speaker), working for free legal aid in Harvard, and developing a reputation as a crusading assistant district attorney.

Don’t look for any scandal allegations circling around this redheaded Kennedy either. His strongest drink is coffee, he’s engaged to his college sweetheart and his social life is said to be as tame as some of his relatives were wild.

There will be great expectations and outsized publicity when he arrives in Congress, as he surely will. But this Kennedy is hardly likely to have the bright lights or the family reputation turn his head.

There is a lot to like about young Joe Kennedy and the feeling of a new era in America’s most famous political dynasty is real. It will be fascinating to watch.

Boston keeps its Irish roots - community’s presence felt through out Massachusetts

BOSTON – 38% of the state of Massachusetts is of Irish extraction, and every fourth face or so you see here reflects that ancestry.

On the plane from New York to Boston on Monday, I felt like I was on Aer Lingus. Across the aisle sat a red haired beauty straight out of The Quiet Man, and an elderly pair of ladies in front of me were ringers for every Irish nun I knew.

The Irish experience is overwhelming and heartening in Boston. The great Kennedy dynasty came out of here of course, but also generation after generation of Irish leaders in every possible field.

From church to education to business and politics, the Irish in Massachusetts often led the way nationally. It is a proud history that is being lived every day.

Not far from here is the town of Scituate, the most Irish town in America where, according to ancestry records, almost 50% are of Irish background.

The latest American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau shows 34 million Americans claim Irish heritage. If it seems like many of those live in Massachusetts then it may be because it is true.

All in all 16 communities within the South Shore neighborhoods of Boston have the highest percentage of people of Irish descent in the U.S.

In addition to Scituate, at least 44% of the population in Braintree, Hull, Marshfield, Avon, Pembroke and Milton claim Irish ancestry also, according to the Census Bureau.

Scituate, on Cape Cod Bay, is also close to Plymouth Rock where the Mayflower arrived. It has a population of a little over 17,000

The data shows that the South Shore's "Irish Riviera" hasn't significantly changed since the census of 1980, the first one where the ethic question was asked. Irish Americans continue to dominate the large majority of suburban Boston.

According to the 2005-2009 American Community Survey, 19 of the top 20 most Irish communities in Massachusetts are south of Boston. 

A decade ago there were similar results. These same towns were among the top Irish American communities in the state of Massachusetts, according to the 2000 census.

Richard Finnegan, professor of political science and director of Irish studies at Stonehill College, maintains that the South Shore has long been home to a large Irish community.

The migration of Irish families from Boston to the South Shore dates back to the end of World War II, and continued through the 1950s and ‘60s.

Finnegan says that many gravitated towards the South Shore because of geography.

"If you live in Dorchester or Hyde Park, you don’t think of moving to Swampscott,” he said.  “Where will I move if I can get ahead and move up the social ladder? Quincy, Weymouth, and down the South Shore.

“When you’re on the South Side (of the city) and looking to rent a beach house for a few weeks, you go to the South Shore.”

This same pattern continues today.

“Families move where their family and friends are,’’ said Finnegan.

He is right of course. The Irish are still a huge part of Boston and its surroundings, and long may it stay that way.