If you haven’t followed the 2024 presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., it may seem reasonable–or even desirable–to have a Kennedy in the running. After all, he comes from one of the most celebrated, most highly recognized and prolific political dynasties in American history.
His father, Robert F. Kennedy Sr., followed up his run as U.S. attorney general and as a senator from New York, with a much-anticipated and electrifying 1968 presidential campaign that was tragically cut short by assassination. As for Kennedy Jr., he established an impressive reputation for himself as an environmental lawyer in the 1980s and 1990s, fighting for clean water and promoting international Indigenous rights.
Unfortunately, Kennedy Jr.’s admirable ideals took a sharp ugly turn in the early 2000s, leading him down a slippery slope of lies, conspiracy theories, anti-vaccine rhetoric and COVID skepticism.
Unfortunately, Kennedy Jr.’s admirable ideals took a sharp ugly turn in the early 2000s, leading him down a slippery slope of lies, conspiracy theories, anti-vaccine rhetoric and COVID skepticism. He’s now running a Nepo-baby presidential campaign (more on that later) as a third-party candidate in 2024, and his presence in the race is sure to eat away at the already-thin margins between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, putting us all at risk for a second (and undoubtedly catastrophic) Trump term.
But don’t just take our word for it. When Kennedy Jr. first announced his intention to run for the presidency as an independent candidate, his siblings Joseph P. Kennedy II, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Kerry Kennedy, and Rory Kennedy released the following statement:
The decision by our brother Bobby to run as a third-party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country. Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country.
This sharp indictment against Kennedy Jr. (from his own family, no less) highlights the divide between what RFK Sr. stood for and RFK Jr.’s quixotic and dangerous campaign.
When RFK Sr. began his pursuit of the presidency, he did so with an arsenal of serious experience behind him. His presidential campaign rested on a well-conceived platform focused on pressing issues like ending the Vietnam War and social mobility for the poor and the working class.
RFK’s impromptu address in Indianapolis in the hours directly following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. remains one of the most remarkable in American history. His unscripted earnestness and focus on unity and compassion in lieu of anger helped prevent Indianapolis from experiencing the riots and crowd violence that affected other American cities in the wake of King’s assassination.
One of the most acclaimed lines from the Indianapolis speech was a powerful statement of RFK’s hunger for justice and human decency.
“What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or they be black.”
RFK acted out of a deep sense of responsibility for the good of the United States, and his eloquent words in the wake of King’s assassination, together with his passionate advocacy for victims of foreign wars and those struggling with poverty here at home, made him a candidate whom many Americans in the late 1960s were excited and proud to have as their leader.
While many cynics will claim that all politicians act out of self-interest alone, and that genuine ideals and a true desire to do what’s right don’t factor into the choice to engage in public service, RFK flew into the face of those assumptions. He acted because he cared deeply, and his unusual gift for connecting with the public made him a once-in-a-generation talent.
From the strong convictions, impressive resume, and soaring orations of RFK Sr., we must now take a very hard pivot to RFK Jr.
From the strong convictions, impressive resume, and soaring orations of RFK Sr., we must now take a very hard pivot to RFK Jr. As mentioned previously, Kennedy Jr.did have a notable career as an environmental lawyer in previous decades. But starting in the early 2000s, he became a very vocal advocate of anti-vaccine positions, even promoting the disgraceful (and thoroughly debunked) theory that childhood vaccines are somehow connected to autism.
He founded the Children’s Health Defense, devoted to spreading anti-vax propaganda. He has compared COVID vaccine requirements to the policies of Nazi Germany and he has made nefarious and borderline-defamatory statements about former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director, Anthony Fauci. RFK Jr. peddles irresponsible conspiracy theories and leans on the legitimacy of his last name to get media attention for his baseless ideas and for his misguided candidacy.
RFK Jr. peddles irresponsible conspiracy theories...he has compared COVID vaccine requirements to the policies of Nazi Germany
In spite of the distinct differences between his father’s substantive platform and RFK Jr.’s conspiratorial belief system (which has essentially developed into his campaign platform), supporters of RFK Jr. continue to compare his campaign to that of his father. In particular, they dismiss concerns about RFK Jr., potentially pulling votes away from President Joe Biden by pointing out that RFK Sr. also launched his candidacy as a challenge to an incumbent president (Lyndon B. Johnson). But this false equivalency sidesteps the fact that RFK Sr.’s ideological differences with Johnson–most notably about Johnson’s handling of the Vietnam War, were backed by polling of Democratic voters, along with the fact that Johnson already faced a serious primary challenger in Minnesota senator Eugene McCarthy.
RFK Jr., on the other hand, is running as an Independent (after dropping his original plan to challenge Biden in the Democratic primary), hoping to siphon votes from Biden with a platform heavily informed by his personal opinions, and conspicuously devoid of any information about how he could realistically accomplish his stated goals.
His father’s decision to challenge Johnson came from a place of serious deliberation, a well-structured platform, and sizable support from prominent figures in government. Although RFK Jr. has amassed a notable donor base, his candidacy has yet to receive an endorsement from anyone in Washington.
RFK Jr. hopes to coast on his family’s impressive legacy and use it as a smokescreen to keep voters from looking too closely at his repellent views and grossly opportunistic attitude.
While his lack of integrity and “let’s just burn it all down” carelessness isn’t gaining traction among elected officials, because of his last name, he has received inordinate media coverage, far beyond that of most other third-party candidates in past cycles.
RFK Jr. hopes to coast on his family’s impressive legacy and use it as a smokescreen to keep voters from looking too closely at his repellent views and grossly opportunistic attitude. On Super Bowl Sunday, the main super PAC supporting his candidacy released an appalling and manipulative ad that included identical footage and music from JFK’s 1960 presidential campaign.
The spectacle of this ad was poorly received by viewers (who correctly saw it as a weak and embarrassing attempt to co-opt his uncle’s and father’s celebrated histories for his own personal gain), and was viewed similarly by Kennedy’s family, who pushed back vocally and angrily enough to elicit an apology from RFK Jr., as he tried to claim, unconvincingly, that the American Values super PAC created and aired the ad without his consent.
Lacking any clear policy proposals or substantive information about RFK Jr.’s positions, the ad simply reinforced the fact that he’s running an ego-driven and groundless campaign solely on the value of his name and his family’s legacy. Nevertheless, the ad remains visible as a pinned post on his Twitter/X profile. This tendency to talk out of both sides of his mouth is a clear example of RFK Jr.’s conspicuous lack of integrity and honesty. He cannot be trusted.
Considering the neck-and-neck polling and the razor-thin margins between Biden and Trump in 2024 battleground states, any third-party candidacy arguably could have a serious impact on the election results. RFK Jr. is a candidate with real money and a powerful family name behind him. Running as a “disruptor,” he adds to the threat of a second Trump term and to the potential collapse of the republic.
Running as a “disruptor,” he adds to the threat of a second Trump term and to the potential collapse of the republic.
Robert F. Kennedy Sr., a staunch believer in democracy, would be the first to condemn anyone placing the future of the American experiment in jeopardy. The manipulation of his legacy by his own son imposes a psychic revival of the deep sense of loss experienced by so many Americans in 1968. RFK Jr.’s campaign is nothing more than a wasteful, pathetically self-involved political gesture. He needs to face reality and to stand down.
If you haven’t followed the 2024 presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., it may seem reasonable–or even desirable–to have a Kennedy in the running. After all, he comes from one of the most celebrated, most highly recognized and prolific political dynasties in American history.
His father, Robert F. Kennedy Sr., followed up his run as U.S. attorney general and as a senator from New York, with a much-anticipated and electrifying 1968 presidential campaign that was tragically cut short by assassination. As for Kennedy Jr., he established an impressive reputation for himself as an environmental lawyer in the 1980s and 1990s, fighting for clean water and promoting international Indigenous rights.
Unfortunately, Kennedy Jr.’s admirable ideals took a sharp ugly turn in the early 2000s, leading him down a slippery slope of lies, conspiracy theories, anti-vaccine rhetoric and COVID skepticism.
Unfortunately, Kennedy Jr.’s admirable ideals took a sharp ugly turn in the early 2000s, leading him down a slippery slope of lies, conspiracy theories, anti-vaccine rhetoric and COVID skepticism. He’s now running a Nepo-baby presidential campaign (more on that later) as a third-party candidate in 2024, and his presence in the race is sure to eat away at the already-thin margins between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, putting us all at risk for a second (and undoubtedly catastrophic) Trump term.
But don’t just take our word for it. When Kennedy Jr. first announced his intention to run for the presidency as an independent candidate, his siblings Joseph P. Kennedy II, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Kerry Kennedy, and Rory Kennedy released the following statement:
The decision by our brother Bobby to run as a third-party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country. Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country.
This sharp indictment against Kennedy Jr. (from his own family, no less) highlights the divide between what RFK Sr. stood for and RFK Jr.’s quixotic and dangerous campaign.
When RFK Sr. began his pursuit of the presidency, he did so with an arsenal of serious experience behind him. His presidential campaign rested on a well-conceived platform focused on pressing issues like ending the Vietnam War and social mobility for the poor and the working class.
RFK’s impromptu address in Indianapolis in the hours directly following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. remains one of the most remarkable in American history. His unscripted earnestness and focus on unity and compassion in lieu of anger helped prevent Indianapolis from experiencing the riots and crowd violence that affected other American cities in the wake of King’s assassination.
One of the most acclaimed lines from the Indianapolis speech was a powerful statement of RFK’s hunger for justice and human decency.
“What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or they be black.”
RFK acted out of a deep sense of responsibility for the good of the United States, and his eloquent words in the wake of King’s assassination, together with his passionate advocacy for victims of foreign wars and those struggling with poverty here at home, made him a candidate whom many Americans in the late 1960s were excited and proud to have as their leader.
While many cynics will claim that all politicians act out of self-interest alone, and that genuine ideals and a true desire to do what’s right don’t factor into the choice to engage in public service, RFK flew into the face of those assumptions. He acted because he cared deeply, and his unusual gift for connecting with the public made him a once-in-a-generation talent.
From the strong convictions, impressive resume, and soaring orations of RFK Sr., we must now take a very hard pivot to RFK Jr.
From the strong convictions, impressive resume, and soaring orations of RFK Sr., we must now take a very hard pivot to RFK Jr. As mentioned previously, Kennedy Jr.did have a notable career as an environmental lawyer in previous decades. But starting in the early 2000s, he became a very vocal advocate of anti-vaccine positions, even promoting the disgraceful (and thoroughly debunked) theory that childhood vaccines are somehow connected to autism.
He founded the Children’s Health Defense, devoted to spreading anti-vax propaganda. He has compared COVID vaccine requirements to the policies of Nazi Germany and he has made nefarious and borderline-defamatory statements about former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director, Anthony Fauci. RFK Jr. peddles irresponsible conspiracy theories and leans on the legitimacy of his last name to get media attention for his baseless ideas and for his misguided candidacy.
RFK Jr. peddles irresponsible conspiracy theories...he has compared COVID vaccine requirements to the policies of Nazi Germany
In spite of the distinct differences between his father’s substantive platform and RFK Jr.’s conspiratorial belief system (which has essentially developed into his campaign platform), supporters of RFK Jr. continue to compare his campaign to that of his father. In particular, they dismiss concerns about RFK Jr., potentially pulling votes away from President Joe Biden by pointing out that RFK Sr. also launched his candidacy as a challenge to an incumbent president (Lyndon B. Johnson). But this false equivalency sidesteps the fact that RFK Sr.’s ideological differences with Johnson–most notably about Johnson’s handling of the Vietnam War, were backed by polling of Democratic voters, along with the fact that Johnson already faced a serious primary challenger in Minnesota senator Eugene McCarthy.
RFK Jr., on the other hand, is running as an Independent (after dropping his original plan to challenge Biden in the Democratic primary), hoping to siphon votes from Biden with a platform heavily informed by his personal opinions, and conspicuously devoid of any information about how he could realistically accomplish his stated goals.
His father’s decision to challenge Johnson came from a place of serious deliberation, a well-structured platform, and sizable support from prominent figures in government. Although RFK Jr. has amassed a notable donor base, his candidacy has yet to receive an endorsement from anyone in Washington.
RFK Jr. hopes to coast on his family’s impressive legacy and use it as a smokescreen to keep voters from looking too closely at his repellent views and grossly opportunistic attitude.
While his lack of integrity and “let’s just burn it all down” carelessness isn’t gaining traction among elected officials, because of his last name, he has received inordinate media coverage, far beyond that of most other third-party candidates in past cycles.
RFK Jr. hopes to coast on his family’s impressive legacy and use it as a smokescreen to keep voters from looking too closely at his repellent views and grossly opportunistic attitude. On Super Bowl Sunday, the main super PAC supporting his candidacy released an appalling and manipulative ad that included identical footage and music from JFK’s 1960 presidential campaign.
The spectacle of this ad was poorly received by viewers (who correctly saw it as a weak and embarrassing attempt to co-opt his uncle’s and father’s celebrated histories for his own personal gain), and was viewed similarly by Kennedy’s family, who pushed back vocally and angrily enough to elicit an apology from RFK Jr., as he tried to claim, unconvincingly, that the American Values super PAC created and aired the ad without his consent.
Lacking any clear policy proposals or substantive information about RFK Jr.’s positions, the ad simply reinforced the fact that he’s running an ego-driven and groundless campaign solely on the value of his name and his family’s legacy. Nevertheless, the ad remains visible as a pinned post on his Twitter/X profile. This tendency to talk out of both sides of his mouth is a clear example of RFK Jr.’s conspicuous lack of integrity and honesty. He cannot be trusted.
Considering the neck-and-neck polling and the razor-thin margins between Biden and Trump in 2024 battleground states, any third-party candidacy arguably could have a serious impact on the election results. RFK Jr. is a candidate with real money and a powerful family name behind him. Running as a “disruptor,” he adds to the threat of a second Trump term and to the potential collapse of the republic.
Running as a “disruptor,” he adds to the threat of a second Trump term and to the potential collapse of the republic.
Robert F. Kennedy Sr., a staunch believer in democracy, would be the first to condemn anyone placing the future of the American experiment in jeopardy. The manipulation of his legacy by his own son imposes a psychic revival of the deep sense of loss experienced by so many Americans in 1968. RFK Jr.’s campaign is nothing more than a wasteful, pathetically self-involved political gesture. He needs to face reality and to stand down.