The White House Beckons a Kennedy Again
‘Our Team Has Ignited a Movement’
Even a Kennedy from a long-term Democrat Dynasty has come to terms with the demise of the Democrat party. No Camelot, it’s a party unrecognizable from earlier times. Robert Kennedy Jr., who was running for the 2024 presidency as a Democrat, announced on Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day to a crowd in Philadelphia that he will continue his run, but as an independent. He intends to “wrest power from both parties and return power to the people” with a populist movement that cuts through left/right division.
This is a wise decision by Kennedy. But coming to terms with the moral collapse of the party that his family had been so connected to for 140 years surely requires processing. This may explain what some might see as an exit slow in coming. The Democrat party was, after all, the party of his father, who might have been the 37th president of the United States, had he not been assassinated, and the party of his uncles, President John F. Kennedy, also assassinated, and Sen. Ted Kennedy.
The assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and John F. Kennedy left a sense of unfulfilled promise. What RFK’s son most definitely has in his campaign is hope to bridge the tremendous chasm in America. Kennedy appears solidly grounded and centered, which may be the basis of his skill in addressing issues without attacking others. Kennedy’s calm, respectful and common sense speech is a welcome change from what we hear from so many politicians today, including the man in the White House now.
Too, there’s no disputing how smart Kennedy is; it’s evident when listening to him speak. Kennedy peppers his responses with historical detail that shows a deep knowledge base, and he has many relatable “lessons learned” as a scion. His road to the presidency has been paved with an active and long career as an environmental lawyer committed to the protection of waterways and the rights of indigenous people. As well, he has been a prolific writer and founded the Children’s Health Defense and the Waterkeeper Alliance.
To rational thinkers, Kennedy would seem the Democrats’ smartest choice for the White House, similar to 2020, when Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard ran for the Democrat nomination. Yet, two strong Democrat candidates for the presidency in two different elections have been sidelined and maligned by their own party, choosing instead the least competent. But not only did Kennedy’s party abandon him, family members have been hostile to his candidacy. On the morning her brother announced his independence from the Democrat party, sister Kerry Kennedy tweeted a statement cosigned by three siblings:
“The decision of 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.”
With a family like that …
Kennedy is not without past failings, as are we all. So, expect an increase in attacks on Kennedy’s personal failings from his earlier life as his popularity mounts. For those who commit to his candidacy, hopefully his demons are well at bay now at age 69, and he won’t disappoint followers.
Heading into the 2024 presidential election, voters concerned about the direction of our country should listen to any of Kennedy’s long-form interviews with Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, Elex Michaelson, Russell Brand or others, and top it off with the Philadelphia speech. In other words, go to the source versus listening to captured media which has downplayed the Kennedy momentum, discounted him and worked to portray him negatively. The enthusiasm for Kennedy is palpable in a populace beaten down by eight years of pronounced polarization in America. “The people are ready to take back power,” Kennedy says.
In one interview, Kennedy was asked what leadership lesson he’d learned from family. He responded that his dad wanted his children to understand that the path to happiness is through service to others.
From his uncle and former U.S. President JFK he learned: “The primary job of a president of the United States is to keep our country out of war.” Kennedy in his Philly announcement said, “Peace and diplomacy first.” This is essential for the 2024 election, as current U.S. leaders have thus far spent more than $124,000,000,000 of taxpayer money, mostly through debt, on the Ukraine war and will want more money to continue this proxy war. They’ll also be asking for more money for Israel above that country’s annual $3 billion they receive from the U.S. A Biden official said the U.S. can address the needs of the Ukraine, Israel and — should China make a move — Taiwan. Big talk for a country with $34 trillion in debt. A president who can rein in forever wars should be what Americans would demand.
America cannot tolerate four more years of the corrupted, broken iteration of the Democrat party — a party now completely disassociated from the “democrat” in its name — and headed by a mentally diminished puppet. The power in Robert Kennedy Jr.’s run for the U.S. presidency can be assessed in a number of ways. On a numbers level, 63 percent of Americans want a third party, the highest percentage in 20 years of Gallup asking that question, and Kennedy looks to be “The One” who can deliver. Most telling for me is the view from my partner, a man who always voted Republican. He told me he’d consider voting for Robert Kennedy Jr. Now that’s something!
Maria Fotopoulos writes about the connection between overpopulation and biodiversity loss, and from time to time other topics that confound her. On FB @BetheChangeforAnimals and givesendgo.com/calliescathouse.
