It helps to have the Kennedy name, of course, and to be the patriarch of America's only almost-royal family. But what's good for friends of monarchy is bad for friends of democracy. Even in 1994, when scandal lured a challenger with deep pockets of his own, Kennedy won handily with 58 percent of the vote. Of course, Massachusetts is a Democratic stronghold. This year, Kennedy has no competition to speak of.
Credible challengers are scared off by the sheer weight of incumbency.
His three opponents haven't got half a million between them. The story is not unique. Too often, the major parties just don't bother to field a candidate when the incumbent decides to run again. And so the incumbents don't run, they walk, to unchallenged victory. It's time for term limits.