“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I would be the best,” was the quote that Caroline Kennedy gave the New York Times in a sit-down discussion Saturday morning. Ms. Kennedy has been criticized for weeks for not opening up to the press but she now has a series of interviews under her belt in an attempt to let the public know that she is a serious candidate for the New York Senate seat.

Ms. Kennedy is in a somewhat delicate situation; she is not running for office, but instead is seeking an appointment to a vacancy provided by Hillary Clinton. There are other contenders for the Senate seat as well; however, Ms. Kennedy refused to comment on her competition for the prestigious appointment. Ms. Kennedy did, however, have praise for Mrs. Clinton and the job she had done as New York’s Junior Senator.

Caroline Kennedy is 51 years old; she has refused to share her opinions on many pressing issues, but she has made clear her stand on several key issues at hand, such as same sex marriage, which she supports, and school vouchers, which she opposes. Ms. Kennedy has also been very vocal about the federal legislation known as “No Child Left Behind.” Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts was the lead author of that legislation and is her uncle.

What has driven Ms. Kennedy to seek office is still a mystery to many New Yorkers, and with only several weeks to go before New York Governor David A. Patterson decides who will fill Mrs. Clintons seat, there are still a lot of unanswered questions about Ms. Kennedy and her positions on some of the most pressing issues that will face her if she is appointed to the Senate seat.

Although most New Yorkers appear to be fond of Ms. Kennedy, and have good memories of her family, they still know little about her positions and what it is that makes her feel she is the right person for the job of Senator. When asked when she decided to run for the appointment of Senator, Ms. Kennedy seemed to be irritated by the question and reportedly asked the journalist if they ever considered writing for a woman’s magazine.

Ms. Kennedy did say that she thought she was the right person for the job, and that the opportunity has presented itself right now. She stated that it would have been preferable to have sought the seat in an election, noting that then, she could have had a chance to explain her views better to the public, and to let voters get to know her better as a candidate.