Posted on 04/04/2018 5:37:35 AM PDT by Kaslin
On April 6, a bombshell will hit America's theaters.
That bombshell comes in the form of an understated, well-made, well-acted film called "Chappaquiddick." (Full disclosure: They advertise with my podcast.) The film tells the story of Ted Kennedy's 1969 killing of political aide Mary Jo Kopechne; the Massachusetts Democratic senator drove his car off a bridge and into the Poucha Pond, somehow escaped the overturned vehicle and left Kopechne to drown. She didn't drown, though. Instead, she reportedly suffocated while waiting for help inside an air bubble while Kennedy waited 10 hours to call for help. The Kennedy family and its associated political allies then worked to cover up the incident. In the end, Teddy was sentenced to a two-month suspended jail sentence for leaving the scene of an accident. The incident prevented Kennedy from running for president in 1972 and 1976, though he attempted a run in 1980 against then-President Jimmy Carter, failing.
So, why is the film important?
It's important because it doesn't traffic in rumors and innuendo -- there is no attempt to claim that Kopechne was having an affair with Kennedy, or that she was pregnant with his child. It's important because it doesn't paint Kennedy as a monster but as a deeply flawed and somewhat pathetic scion of a dark and manipulative family. But most of all, it's important for two reasons: It's the first movie to actually tackle a serious Democratic scandal in the history of modern film, and it reminds us that Americans have long been willing to overlook scandal for the sake of political convenience.
First, there's the historic nature of the film. Here is an incomplete list of the films made about George W. Bush's administration since his election in 2000, nearly all of them accusatory in tone: "W," "Fahrenheit 9/11," "Recount," "Fair Game" and "Truth." There has still not been a movie made about former President Bill Clinton's impeachment (though one is apparently in the works). There's been no movie about former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's internment of the Japanese, former President Lyndon Johnson's dramatic mishandling of the Vietnam War (though we have had two hagiographies of LBJ, one directed by Rob Reiner, the other starring Bryan Cranston) or former President Woodrow Wilson's racism and near fascism.
And it only took nearly 50 years to make a film about a Democratic icon leaving a woman to die in a river. It's amazing it was made in the first place.
Most importantly, though, "Chappaquiddick" reminds us that confirmation bias and wishful thinking aren't unique to one side of the aisle. In the era of President Trump, media members have had fun telling Republicans that they have abandoned all of their moral principles in order to back a man whose agenda they support. But Democrats beat Republicans there by decades: They not only overlooked a man who likely committed manslaughter but also made him into a hero, the "Lion of the Senate." We can't understand how morals and politics have been split in two without reckoning with this history.
"Chappaquiddick" is a must-see. It's just a shame it took half a century for it to see the light.
I’m at work responding on a cell phone, so can’t give a detailed response. Will try to do so when I get home. But I am indeed informed about Chappaquiddick. A long time ago, sometime in the early 1970’s a book was published that had superb, fresh info (close in time to the crash). It told the unvarnished story. I bought it at the time. The book has disappeared and I no longer remember the title. The later book by Damore (sp) might have used the earlier one as source material. Anyway, no one knows if Mary Jo had injuries because there was no autopsy. As you said, the passenger side took the worst of the damage. Will try to post more later.
I had read somewhere that Kennedy had attended a yacht race earlier in the day and was throwing back a few even then.
Anyhow, my favorite Kennedy ramble...
“Alright. How do you say it?”
— How do I say what?
.
"I finally reach over and give her moist lingering sexy kiss. She kisses me back."
________________
Just curious. How were her legs? I do love good legs.
___________
I heard years ago that Ted was covering up for a son of Bobby Kennedy. A local cabbie told my brother-in-law who lives up there (and good friends with the local police) that RFK's son was trying to get lucky with the slightly older woman.
Who knows. Ted was dry when folks saw him at the Shiretown Inn in Edgartown after the "incident".
The Kennedy’s are like the Clintons... they both are murderers! The Clintons just do it better...
There were six documented married men at the barbeque. Don’t think the Kennedy boy was one.
I’m sure the boiler girls, in their twenties were mutually interested in Bobby’s son.
Well first off, let me tell you how thankful and excited to have the opportunity to talk with another human being on this. It feels like I’ve been in a vacuum. The people I work with were all born after 1969.
The Damore book is great. Going thru it how. Also the youtube docs out there by Mayor Sam Yorty, Howie CArr both interviewing the diver.
Then theres a rateher detailed doc that covers it all.
Funny how NOVA never did one on Kennedy.
Mary Jo had no injuries according to the embalmer who was adamant. He said he was surprised that there was no autopsy. He said there was no way she died from drowning.
The guy is tall, confident, defiant and adamant about it.
“I heard years ago that Ted was covering up for a son of Bobby Kennedy. A local cabbie told my brother-in-law who lives up there (and good friends with the local police) that RFK’s son was trying to get lucky with the slightly older woman.”
I never heard that one-——and I have many relatives on The Vineyard.
.
NOt quite as good as those, as I would have over looked her liberal viewpoint a bit longer, but my gal’s were not bad.
Still, when someone tells you “Nixon is a crook,” I should have just shut by big mouth. I didn’t.
That’s a great question, asked many times.
Personally, I would have told the truth even if it meant that he was drinking too much, left her in the car to meet him at the ferry, and she turned down the wrong way... etc etc.
The way he tells this not only is a lie, but he goes on to say that he and two other guys dove down to get her... Okay fine... lets’s say you did, THEN WAY DID NOT ONE OF YOU REPORT THIS TO THE COPS...and if she’s still alive, I’m sure she was down there screaming.
Then this crap about swimming across the river.
Fact is, he woke up the next day around 8am and casually talked with everyone, oblivious to the night before. COME ON, MAN!!!!!!!!
Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. I’ve been dying to talk with someone about this whole thing. Got tickets for the movie. Seems like it’s playing here tomorrow night, in Newnan, GA.
LOL............... I like your style!
"Teddy Bare" told the unvarnished story of Chappaquiddick. In their review at the time, no less than Esquire Magazine said the book proved Kennedy was guilty of manslaughter. I bought and read the book when it first came out and have never forgotten it. He was indeed guilty of manslaughter at minimum. He might very well have been guilty of outright murdering Mary Jo. There were rumors she was pregnant and her extremely fast burial lends some credence to that possibility.
Believe what you will, Nikos, but according to Kennedy's own testimony, he drove the car off the bridge. He pleaded guilty to leaving the scene. You can say it was to make him out to be some kind of hero, but if so, that plan backfired spectacularly. It cost him a shot at the presidency and he never was able to fully live it down even though he stayed in the senate until his death.
As for injuries to Mary Jo, she was hastily buried the day after the accident. But the DA attempted to have the body exhumed:
Later, on September 18, District Attorney Edmund Dinis attempted to secure an exhumation of Kopechne's body to perform a belated autopsy citing blood found on Kopechne's long-sleeved blouse and in her mouth and nose, "which may or may not be consistent with death by drowning." The reported discovery of the blood was made when her clothes were given to authorities by the funeral director.
We will never know the truth, of course, but the blood in her mouth and nose suggests a head injury, possibly a fractured skull -- or something more sinister, such as Kennedy beating her then rolling the car off the bridge. A possible head injury is consistent with her being in the passenger seat and being thrown against the passenger door or other passenger-side part of the car.
So I hope no one ever excuses this POS for what he did.
“He said he was surprised that there was no autopsy”
Didn’t the Kennedy family send a high ranking priest to visit the very devout Catholic Kopechne family the day after the “accident”? At that time money changed hands and Kopechnes declined / forbade an autopsy on their daughter.
I believe it was on the Reelz mini-series, “The Kennedys”, which was decidedly not favorable to the family. Supposedly, it was written using friends’ and family members’ accounts, and official documents.
“”For one thing, I don’t think Kennedy was in the car at all. He got out, and left Mary Jo to drive (perhaps to the beach?) because he didn’t want to get stopped by Officer Look who spotted their car.””
That’s a possibility. I’ve always thought that they were both in the back seat of the car ~~~~~doing what I can’t imagine~~~~ and the parking brake wasn’t set and the car rolled off the bridge into the water. The only explanation for her to have been in the back seat.
His cousin was Joe Gargan and supposedly Kennedy SWAM back to Edgartown and tho’ I’ve read everything on this subject over the years, I don’t recall how the others made it back but they definitely WERE back in Edgartown at the hotel later. I don’t know if it’s ever been covered. They could have gotten back from the island when the ferry started running again in the morning.
It was always said that Kennedy had driven that road several times that day so was unlikely to have missed the turn to the bridge....
There’s a theory out there that there were actually 3 people in Kennedy’s car.
(please see: http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/03/donald-nelson-pitches-new-theory-chappaquiddick-tragedy/ )
This book names Rosemary “Cricket” Keough as the front-seat passenger and Mary Jo is asleep in the back seat.
Officer Look, claims that he saw two possibly three people in the car or the third being a coat. The theory contends that Mary Jo left the party and crawled into Kennedy’s car back seat to sleep. She had a 0.09% alcohol in her body.
As for the parking brake not being set, the skid marks and placement of the car, showed that the car was probably traveling at 35 to 38 maybe as much as 40 mph.
Your other questions are relevant. Gargan and Markham I assume took one of the dingy’s back that night or in the AM. I haven’t seen one question regarding this.
Kennedy’s first statement says he swam back to the hotel after trying to rescue Mary Jo.
His second statement to the public days later, says that he returned to the party, and then with Gargan and Markham returned to the car and the three of them dove several times unsuccessfully. Kennedy, distraught, and exhausted swam the 500 ft back to the hotel, leaving the two on Chappaquiddick.
Kennedy claims he changed clothes, then went outside and spoke to the hotel manager at 2:30 am. He made a point of asking for the time. He was in dry clothes.
Next morning, Kennedy is up talking to two other guests. He’s dressed for a day of sailing. He’s carefree and smiling.
Then Gargan and Markham appear. They go into Kennedy’s room for 3 minutes. When they emerge, Kennedy is distraught and upset and visibly not the same. He says nothing to the couple he was just talking too, and the three take off to the ferry.
They take the ferry over to Chappaquiddick. I’m not sure when, but they embark from the ferry with plans to go to the submerged car, but at some point the young guy operating the ferry asks if they heard about the car in the river. They say yes. Apparently it’s decided NOT to go to Dyke bridge, and here’s where it gets strange. Kennedy calls his attorney and one other guy, the latter is ten minutes away by plane. He charters a plane and flies over the submerged car.
Then, and only then... at around 10am they go back across the river to Edgartown and they report the accident.
It’ over 10 hours after the accident.
Yes, I’ve heard of this book.
In the documentary I saw and also the two interviews with the diver who retrieved the body, the blood was minimal, but it apparently pooled around her shoulders and “stained” the dress. There was not copious amounts of blood everywhere.
Also, the embalmer said emphatically that there were no broken bones, no scratches, no chipped teeth, no bruises on her body. There was less than a cup of water in her lungs and stomach.
Regarding her being pregnant, there was something I read where she was engaged or soon to be engaged or had a steadt bf. But yes, they buried here very quickly. She was off the island in one day.
“”Kennedy claims he changed clothes, then went outside and spoke to the hotel manager at 2:30 am””
All interesting. If I remember right, he complained about a noisy party...
It’s vaguely familiar that Mary Jo did leave the party house to go out and sleep in the car...Don’t think I’ve read about Keough being in the car but it’s been a long time. The only book I’ve kept is “Death at Chappaquiddick”.
Look at Amazon’s reviews of the book - the one from November 2004 is priceless.....could have been written by a FReeper. I would send the link but it has my name on it and I don’t feel like spreading that around...
The neighbor next to the barbeque complained about a noisy party, and was about to call the police, then it ended. Don’t recall anything about Kennedy awakened.
Sounds again suspicious. Kennedy comes out, dry clothing and asks the manager what time is it?
When you look back it seems he did everything he could to avoid telling the truth, when if he had told the truth, maybe things would have turned out better for everyone, including Mary Jo, if he had gone for help right away.
IOWs, if had indeed swam home that night, wouldn’t you want someone to have seen you in wet clothes?
Also, were Gargan (?) and Markham ever asked if Kennedy was in wet clothes when he came back to the party from trying to rescue Mary Jo? Mind you, this would have been at least a one mile walk? He passes homes with lights on and a firestation.
Also, I read somewhere that Kennedy had driven over the bridge earlier that day or the day before? Plus, I’m sure he was well aware of that bridge and the angle going into it and the need to slow down and drive over it slowly. The car was going over 35 mph which leads me again to believe that Mary Jo was driving.
I will check out your links. Thank you!!! :-)
BTW, I’m going to the movie tonight!!!!!
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