Election will test Kennedy clan’s influence

It’s a test of Camelot in a way, a question of whether the Kennedys -- who have held sway over Massachusetts politics and the national imagination since the rise of President Kennedy and his glamorous wife, Jackie -- still have coattails.

Led by Victoria Kennedy, the widow of Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the clan on Thursday gave its endorsement in the fight to replace the longtime lawmaker to state Atty. Gen. Martha Coakley, whose race against Republican state Sen. Scott Brown has narrowed in the last few days. As the Ticket has reported, Coakley’s single-digit lead in a heavily Democratic state is raising alarms in party circles.

So last week Coakley looked on as former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II and other Democrats embraced her candidacy to an audience of seniors who had been serenaded with a brass band’s rendition of “Hello Dolly.”

Citing her late husband’s lifelong fight for healthcare reform, Victoria Kennedy said, “We need Martha. We want Martha. . . . We can’t take this election for granted.”

The election in less than two weeks will test whether voters agree -- and whether the Kennedys can still move public opinion.

Ex-Rep. Ford eyes Senate run in N.Y.

Harold Ford Jr. came within a whisker of winning the Tennessee Senate race in 2006, foiled by a Republican Party ad in which a white actress said she had met the African American congressman at a Playboy party. “Harold, call me,” she cooed.

Three years ago Ford moved to New York, becoming vice chairman of Merrill Lynch. Now, according to the New York Times, a group of influential Democrats is urging the ex-congressman to consider challenging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a fellow Democrat. Appointed to fill the term of Hillary Rodham Clinton after she became secretary of State, Gillibrand lacks the star power that New Yorkers have come to expect in their senators.

The 39-year-old Ford said he planned to weigh the race over the next few months. He was coy during an appearance Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” saying only that he was consulting with backers.

Among the rooting section: financier Steven Rattner and his wife, Maureen White, prolific Democratic fundraisers. “Maureen and I worked hard for Harold in his last race because we think the world of him,” Rattner told the New York Times. “He has extraordinary drive and intelligence and will excel at anything that he chooses to do.”

Other key backers include New York State Board of Regents Chairman Merryl Tisch, whose husband, James, is chief executive of Loews Corp.; and HBO Co-President Richard Plepler. Even New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, an ex-Republican who has publicly tangled with Gillibrand, is said to be open to the idea.

Ford, who followed his father’s footsteps to the House, has a reputation as a formidable fundraiser, which could spell trouble for Gillibrand, who as of October had raised $5.5 million. As chairman of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, Ford could appeal to independents. As an African American, he could attract national donors. And as a telegenic member of the media’s chattering classes, he could get lots of attention.

As the Village Voice put it: Ford likes to come across as “the hottest cat to come out of Memphis since Elvis.”

Neuman writes for The Times.

Top of the Ticket, The Times’ blog on national politics ( www.latimes.com/ticket “> www.latimes.com/ticket ), is a blend of commentary, analysis and news. These are selections from the last week.