My first interest in politics related to the Kennedy family. In elementary school I drew a home-made sign supporting John Kennedy.
President Kennedy’s inaugural address often echo in my head: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Today it often seems that inspiration is a lost call to patriotism from days long gone.
In high school my dad took me to Genesee Street in Cheektowaga to watch Bobby Kennedy arrive in town for one of the first events in his campaign for senator. Thousands of people lined the street from the airport to downtown Buffalo to greet him.
As a college student I had the opportunity to observe Senator Kennedy on several occasions. He was a man of strong convictions who dedicated his short life to helping people who needed a lift up. He was not afraid to speak about the need for such action, regardless of the political consequences. His tragic death came as politics turned darker. Racist Alabama Governor George Wallace was in his prime. Richard Nixon’s political strategy turned highly negative.
Many years later I was Senator Ted Kennedy’s campaign coordinator in the State of Michigan in his 1980 race against President Jimmy Carter; we won the Michigan caucus. I spent a day traveling with Jean Kennedy Smith and met other family members when they came to campaign for Ted. The Kennedy legacy lived on for me.
Fast forward to 2024. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is running for president, just like his uncles and father had done. A PAC supporting his campaign absconded with John Kennedy’s famous campaign commercial – “Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy…” which they ran during the last Super Bowl. But Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. does not carry the traditions and legacy of the campaigns that John, Bobby, and Ted were all about. Kennedy Jr. is off on an ego trip, trying to parlay his public persona into something he is not – a person qualified to be president.
Junior’s resume includes his work as an environmental lawyer. He did some good with that but since then he has gone off the rails. He has led anti-vaccination efforts against all medicines that fight diseases such as COVID and measles. He falsely claimed that childhood vaccines cause autism. He falsely linked chemicals present in water sources to transgender identity. He has said that “there is no vaccine that is safe and effective.”
Kennedy Junior has trouble making up his mind about the issues of the day. Do a search for Kennedy’s position on important issues and you will often find the words “he walked back a previous position.”
Junior’s foreign policy positions are similar to Donald Trump. He opposes continued American assistance to Ukraine.
Junior’s efforts in 2024 mimic other fringe candidates such as Cornel West and Jill Stein. They talk about some issues, but what really drives them is ego.
Junior’s choice for vice president, Nicole Shanahan, is a very wealthy technocrat lawyer. She has no identifiable background in public policy or government experience but has been helping to bankroll Kennedy’s campaign. But then Aaron Rodgers’ VP credentials were on the light side too.
There is a MAGA connection for the Kennedy campaign that goes beyond stories suggesting that Donald Trump is considering Kennedy as a running mate. Politico reports that the coordinator of Kennedy’s efforts in New York State, Rita Palma, is a MAGA veteran. She has indicated that the goal of supporting Kennedy is to take votes away from President Joe Biden in sufficient quantities so that Biden could potentially lose New York. That would cost Biden 28 Electoral College votes and could potentially throw the election to the House of Representatives where Republicans might control enough state delegations to elect Trump. Palma is quoted as saying “if Republicans accepted the fact that New York, Maryland, Illinois, California, New Jersey, Connecticut, most of the Northeast is going to go blue, why wouldn’t we put our vote to Bobby and at least get rid of Biden and get those 28 votes in New York. Give those 28 electoral votes to Bobby rather than to Biden, thereby reducing Biden’s 270.”
Kennedy has a campaign stop scheduled in West Seneca on April 27th. A local promoter of the event is a Trump supporter whose Republican political credentials dates back to Jack Kemp and Ronald Reagan.
The Kennedy family legacy may draw some people. They should not, however, go to the fundraising event expecting the old Kennedy charm and commitment to policies that are intended to help people struggling to keep themselves and their families safe and healthy.
Make no mistake about Junior’s politics. He is a MAGA character dressed up to look like a Kennedy. Most other members of the Kennedy clan – his siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews, people who know him best – are warning the public about Junior.
Junior’s sister Kerry explains it all very well: “I can only imagine how Donald Trump’s outrageous lies and behavior would have horrified my father. [Our dad] stood for equal justice, human rights, and freedom from want and fear. Just as President Biden does today.”
Early voting
Early voting in the NY26 congressional special election continues through Sunday, April 28. You can find information about voting hours and locations here: Erie County (EARLYVOTING 2022 AUG.pub (erie.gov); Niagara County (early-voting-se24-schedule.pdf (niagara.ny.us).
Publisher’s note
The next blog post will be on Wednesday, May 1, following the special election on April 30.
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