What's the Difference?

I'm not exactly sure what it means to be qualified for office. It seems this issue was raised during this presidential election in reference to Obama and Palin. Palin was dogged mercilessly about her lack of policy knowledge and of the world in general. She didn't grant interviews or engage in press conferences. When she did interviews, she came off as glib and uninformed.

Enter Caroline Kennedy, of all the Kennedys she has made it a lifetime habit of being a recluse and eschewing politics. Now she wants to be a New York senator. Who is she, what does she know? Do her name, fundraising acumen and Obama affiliation qualify her for this position?

I see no difference between Palin and Kennedy, in what is known of them in the public sphere. The difference I see is the leeway the press has given to Kennedy, who has made gaffes, and has extremely noticable verbal tics.

I do not know what to make of this egregious one-sidedness. Maybe it's a liberal/conservative thing or a Northeastern/Midwestern thing, it just seems odd that it's so apparent.