Caroline Kennedy’s sudden withdrawal from consideration for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton might have reflected her realization that New York Gov. David Paterson was leaning in a different direction. Some news agencies had reported that the team responsible for vetting the candidates for Paterson had uncovered problems involving Kennedy’s taxes and a household employee. But Paterson made it clear on Thursday that “the decision to withdraw was entirely her own” and that it was not a reflection of any negative information he was aware of. Many of those close to the governor expressed surprise that Kennedy, the niece of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, had backed out of consideration, saying that she was a shoe-in for the job. Although she was unpopular among many New Yorkers, she enjoyed a large following among those who believed her family name provided all the clout needed to deliver the bacon for her constituents.

New York’s David Paterson, one of the nation’s two African-American governors, is nearing the time he will appoint someone to replace Hillary Clinton, who is leaving the U.S. Senate to serve as the next secretary of State. The governor has stated that he’s still poring over a copious list of qualified candidates, but many pundits say he has actually settled on Caroline Kennedy, the niece of longtime Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy. Caroline, critics say, does not possess the experience in politics to be an effective and efficient advocate for the citizens of New York. Recent polls also show that she is not a popular choice. Kennedy supporters, however, say that her last name alone carries all the clout necessary to bring home the bacon for her constituents. “I’m actually, I think, narrowing the field to about half of the people who are involved, and then I would hope, in the next few days, to get down to one,” Paterson told CNN’s John Roberts, attempting to debunk the notion that Kennedy is a shoe-in. But Fredric Dicker, a columnist at The New York Post’s capital bureau in Albany, writes that Paterson is “certain” to appoint Kennedy. He cites unnamed contenders for the position. There’s one thing for sure, both Dicker and Paterson can’t be telling the truth. “I can say definitively I do not know who the next senator from New York is right now,” Paterson said. “I would swear to it.”