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NY Times Op-Ed: Chappaquiddick Film Is ‘Character Assassination’ of Ted Kennedy
freebeacon ^ | April 6, 2018 | Alex Griswold

Posted on 04/07/2018 7:15:58 AM PDT by MarvinStinson

In a New York Times op-ed published Friday, a liberal journalist and film critic complained the new film Chappaquiddick was a "character assassination" of its central character, Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy.

"How ‘Chappaquiddick’ Distorts a Tragedy" wrote Neal Gabler, who is working on a biography of Kennedy.

Gabler complained the film, released in theaters Friday, has been "heavily promoted by conservative media outlets, and reviewers across the political spectrum have praised what they deem its damning but factual approach. Damning it is; factual it is not."

There actually was no "cover-up" of Kennedy's car accident that led to the death of an aide, he claims, adding that "no one but the most lunatic conspiracy theorists see this as anything but a tragic accident in which nothing much was covered up."

Chappaquiddick tells the story of a car accident that occurred on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts in 1969. The accident was caused by Kennedy's negligence and resulted in the death of his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, who was trapped inside the vehicle. The screenwriters have said their efforts in making the film aren’t partisan and they aimed to tell the facts of the story.

Gabler doesn't actually point to any factual errors in the film (save for the fact that Joe Kennedy, confined to a wheelchair by a stroke, likely wouldn't be able to grunt one-word dialogue like he does in the film). Instead, his criticism is limited more to the depiction of Kennedy as a character.

"In this version, the Kennedy character leaves Kopechne to die as she gasps for air, and then, with the aid of his brothers’ old advisers, cooks up a scheme to salvage his presidential ambitions. A more callow, cunning, cowardly and self-interested yet moronic figure you couldn’t find," he wrote.

Gabler claimed Kennedy actually felt "deep remorse and responsibility," and eventually grew to be "an indispensable legislator whose achievements included the 18-year-old vote, the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Children’s Health Insurance Program."

"It is very possible that over time, through the osmosis of social media, the despicable Kennedy of this movie will eradicate the honorable if flawed real one," Gabler wrote.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: chappaquiddick; kennedyfamily; maryjokopechne; massachusetts; moviereview; nytimes; tedkennedy
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To: MarvinStinson

It is not character assassination if the person is not a person of character.


121 posted on 04/07/2018 10:08:39 AM PDT by Irish Queen (Not all cults are religious)
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To: null and void

She was cremated, unheard of for a good Catholic in that time.


Why did her parents have her cremated? Were they bad Catholics?


122 posted on 04/07/2018 10:12:34 AM PDT by Czech_Occidentalist
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To: MarvinStinson
What a laugh! When the left made BS movies about Nixon, Reagan and Bush where was the indignation from liberal rags and journolistas? But create a factual documentary that explodes the myth and lies about a member of the liberals monarchy and its character assassination?

This is awesome for a change it's the liberal's

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Image and video hosting by TinyPic Image and video hosting by TinyPic Image and video hosting by TinyPic

And it's over the TRUTH!!! Image and video hosting by TinyPic

123 posted on 04/07/2018 10:18:19 AM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: catnipman

““Kennedy actually felt “deep remorse and responsibility,” and eventually grew to be “an indispensable legislator whose achievements included the 18-year-old vote, the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.”
uh, yeah, that makes deliberately sacrificing the life of a young woman all better ..”

I find it very ironic that this movie only came out AFTER Mary Jo’s parents died.


124 posted on 04/07/2018 10:20:30 AM PDT by kagnew (WWW)
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To: Czech_Occidentalist

The details are a little hazy.

My guess is they let the family know that there would always be questions and an endless series of exhumations and autopsies to resolve those questions, and that poor dear Mary Jo would never rest in peace, unless she was cremated.

Or perhaps there were subtle or not so subtle threats, or perhaps there were other inducements?

Mere mortals like you or I will never know.


125 posted on 04/07/2018 10:30:13 AM PDT by null and void ("We don't let them have ideas. Why would we let them have guns?" ~ Joseph Stalin)
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To: MarvinStinson
"In this version, the Kennedy character leaves Kopechne to die as she gasps for air, and then, with the aid of his brothers’ old advisers, cooks up a scheme to salvage his presidential ambitions. A more callow, cunning, cowardly and self-interested yet moronic figure you couldn’t find," he wrote.

That's exactly what he did!

Gabler claimed Kennedy actually felt "deep remorse and responsibility," and eventually grew to be "an indispensable legislator whose achievements included the 18-year-old vote, the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Children’s Health Insurance Program."

Indispensable legislator? There is no such thing! And these legislative achievements are dubious at best.

126 posted on 04/07/2018 10:35:36 AM PDT by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: Mears

Yeah, so they called him “the fat little brother,” and proceeded to vote for him time after time after time. Right?


127 posted on 04/07/2018 10:39:51 AM PDT by EDINVA
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To: MarvinStinson

Just more whining.

No disputing the facts.


128 posted on 04/07/2018 10:41:03 AM PDT by Iron Munro (If Illegals voted Republican 66 Million Democrats Would Be Screaming "Build The Wall!")
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To: MarvinStinson

“Chappaquiddick Film Is ‘Character Assassination’ of Ted Kennedy”

“Kennedy” and “assassination” in the title, WOW! This guy must be a urinalist.

New book discovered. Soon to be released...

“The Character Assassination of Ted Kennedy By Ted Kennedy” written by Ted Kennedy.


129 posted on 04/07/2018 10:50:33 AM PDT by faucetman (Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts)
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To: MarvinStinson

“”How ‘Chappaquiddick’ Distorts a Tragedy””

More like... “How ‘Chappaquiddick’ Destroys a fantasy”.


130 posted on 04/07/2018 11:03:26 AM PDT by aquila48
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To: MarvinStinson

There has been a lot of character assassination of Hitler in the past.


131 posted on 04/07/2018 11:06:22 AM PDT by Mark (Celebrities... is there anything they do not know? -Homer Simpson)
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To: Eddie01

That was a great movie and Alice Krige is so ethereal and lovely


132 posted on 04/07/2018 11:13:35 AM PDT by wardaddy (As a southerner I've never trusted the Grand Old Party.....any questions?)
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To: MarvinStinson

Awww poor widdle Teddy. Can’t catch a break for murdering a girl and ruining his chances for the White House. I just know he wanted to come clean and hurry emergency workers to her rescue but that conk on the head and his neck injury forbade him......sarc. But he managed along with a lot of STUPID voters and corruption in MESS-achusetts to remain a Senator for the rest of his sorry-azzed life.


133 posted on 04/07/2018 11:27:31 AM PDT by Dawgreg
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To: Eddie01

OMG, what a weird movie........I loved it though......;)


134 posted on 04/07/2018 11:30:01 AM PDT by Dawgreg
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To: MarvinStinson
NY Times Op-Ed: Chappaquiddick Film Is ‘Character Assassination’ of Ted Kennedy

More like character suicide...
But who cares?

He's dead.
Shoulda happened July 19, 1969

135 posted on 04/07/2018 11:45:26 AM PDT by publius911 (Declaration: MSM, I am so over watching or listening to bald perverts, thugs and sluts)
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To: MarvinStinson
There actually was no "cover-up" of Kennedy's car accident that led to the death of an aide, he claims, adding that "no one but the most lunatic conspiracy theorists see this as anything but a tragic accident in which nothing much was covered up."

all leftards are clueless and can't handle the truth

136 posted on 04/07/2018 12:41:17 PM PDT by mjp ((pro-{God, reality, reason, egoism, individualism, natural rights, limited government, capitalism}))
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To: MarvinStinson

How can it be character assassination when Teddy was having an affair with Kopeckney and according to the coroner’s report she was pregnant. We know that Teddy was following in the footsteps of his older brothers as adulterers.


137 posted on 04/07/2018 1:18:31 PM PDT by Doc91678 (Doc91678)
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To: EDINVA

Yep,his name was Kennedy-—that’s Massachusetts for you.

.


138 posted on 04/07/2018 1:33:23 PM PDT by Mears
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To: null and void

I agree, It all doesn’t make sense. Mary Jo had blood on the front and back of her shirt why? I don’t believe Ted ever went in the water with the car I think he beat her after finding out she was pregnant and forced the car into the water and dove out at last minute before it went over the edge.

Both passenger windows were down as well as the driver window- so how did Mary Jo who was in the front seat not be able to get out? I think she was probably dead when she went in the water.


139 posted on 04/07/2018 2:06:00 PM PDT by Engedi
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To: MarvinStinson

Character assassination of Ted Kennedy, a man who waited 10 hours after an accident in which a woman died to even report it, a man who insisted they get her body off the island to avoid an autopsy, a man who lawyered up while a girl was gasping her last breath in his car under water. What character does a man like him have?


140 posted on 04/07/2018 5:06:51 PM PDT by maxwellsmart_agent (.)
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