McClatchy report: Political dynasties, including Blunts and Carnahans, all oer the place

McClatchy Newspapers' report on political dynasties in the United States, written by Kansas City Star political reporter Steve Kraske, starts with a sobering note:

Get this: If Hillary Clinton wins the White House, is re-elected in 2012 and finishes her term, the country will have experienced 28 consecutive years of a Bush or Clinton as president.

Twenty-eight years. Nearly 12 percent of American history to that point. And that doesn’t even count George H.W. Bush’s eight years as Ronald Reagan’s vice president.

Kraske points out:

"Somebody like Robin Carnahan has an advantage because her father was well-known statewide," said Missouri State University political scientist George Connor. It didn’t hurt her brother, either. He's a congressman from St. Louis.

Gov. Matt Blunt’s fast rise, too, is pegged in part on the reputation of his father, U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt.

As Kraske points out, we have always had political dynasties in the U. S., dating back to the Adams, Tafts, Roosevelts, etc., but it has become an increasing problem in these days when the big money goes to the big names. As long as special interests' roles in elections are magnified by the need for money to finance successful campaigns (and there is no sign that problem is going to go away anytime soon), we will keep returning to those familiar names over and over.