(Aug. 26) -- If obituaries were written based on Google Trends results, Chappaquiddick would be in the first paragraph of Sen. Ted Kennedy's.
"Chappaquiddick" and other search terms related to the car accident on Martha's Vineyard that killed Mary Jo Kopechne account for four of the top 10 on the list as this is being written.
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AP
Sen. Ted Kennedy's car is pulled from the water at Chappaquiddick July 19, 1969. Mary Jo Kopechne's body was found in the back seat
Whenever AOL News runs any story about Kennedy, readers quickly fill the comments area with references to the scandal. Here's a sampling of the vitriol from our article on the senator's death.
Mary Jo - It's finally over
"Kennedy remembered as a great leader, a 'joyess light'..." But never as a great driver by Mary Jo's account.
I wonder if Mary Jo has had a word or two with him yet.
i hope mary jo is the gatekeeper this week
Clearly, some have never forgiven Kennedy. And so, as unpleasant as it may be, no review of Kennedy's life is complete without a mention of Chappaquiddick's part in his legacy.
Kennedy drove his Oldsmobile off a wooden bridge on Chappaquiddick island after a party on the night of July 18, 1969. He escaped the submerged car, but Kopechne, his passenger, drowned -- and the young senator didn't report the crash until the next morning. A week later, he pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and made this nationally televised speech to explain himself.
Damage-control efforts saved his Senate career, but the incident left an indelible mark on Kennedy's image. It fueled his reputation as a heavy drinker and womanizer. It's often cited as one of the main reasons Kennedy never became president.
"As long as I am in public life, the incident will be raised," Kennedy once acknowledged.
Chappaquiddick "may even have magnified Kennedy’s place in the history books," says Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jay Bookman. By putting the White House out of reach, the scandal "helped ensure that Kennedy’s life played out in the Senate instead" -- where, over nearly half a century, he became a legend.
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Remembering Ted Kennedy
Edward M. Kennedy, who served in the Senate for more than four decades, died at his Massachusetts home Tuesday. "We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever," his family said.
Susan Walsh, AP
Susan Walsh, AP
