Robert Kennedy Jr., a Noted Vaccine Skeptic, Files to Run for President

[gldstwmn]

Last edited Fri Apr 7, 2023, 10:21 PM - Edit history (1)

While he has not yet announced his plans, he filed the federal paperwork for a campaign to run as a Democrat.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the political activist known most recently for his campaign to discredit coronavirus vaccines, filed paperwork on Wednesday to run for president as a Democrat, offering a potential long-shot challenge to President Biden.

Mr. Kennedy, the son and namesake of Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated while running for president in 1968, has not made a formal announcement. However, he teased a run at a political gathering in New Hampshire last month, telling a crowd: “I’ve passed the biggest hurdle, which is, my wife has greenlighted it.”

He has set up a website to solicit donations and volunteers for a potential run, and a tweet pinned to his Twitter account says he will run if “I can raise the money and mobilize enough people to win.”

Mr. Kennedy, 69, was once a top environmental lawyer, but his interests veered away from the Democratic mainstream into conspiracy theories, for which he has earned the public rebuke of some members of his prominent family. A longtime vaccine skeptic, he linked childhood vaccinations to autism, a claim thoroughly rebuked by medical experts.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/05/us/politics/robert-kennedy-jr-presidential-run-2024.html

[dchill]

1. "...a potential long-shot challenge to President Biden."

Well someone's an optimist!

[gldstwmn]

3. This is a problem. I cannot believe the family or the party has not tried to talk him out of this.

His name recognition alone will cause confusion and the uninformed will vote for him. Why the hell is he doing this?

[Maru Kitteh]

8. Why should we assume the family and the party has not done exactly that?

I'm betting both have.

[gldstwmn]

9. Maybe they should ask again.

Last edited Wed Apr 5, 2023, 10:14 PM - Edit history (1)

[JohnSJ]

2. I suggest he run as a republican.

[gldstwmn]

4. He is going to run as a Democrat. Worse, he can fundraise.

[JohnSJ]

6. I seriously don't think he will get much support in the primaries. He is a conspiracy vaccine

nutcase

[Cha]

31. Not if Dems want to Beat & Keep

Fascism out Our WH.

[JohnSJ]

35. Yes. It should be obvious, and this picture speaks a thousand words

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217799920

[Cha]

42. Wow.. not just with them.. smiling like

stupid jackoff.

TY for the link, John.

[JohnSJ]

46. Yup

[no_hypocrisy]

32. OTOH, he might get some republican votes with his anti-vax positions.

In states with open primaries, that is.

[brooklynite]

33. On what basis do you assume he can fundraise?

[JohnSJ]

36. Exactly. His own family won't support him

[gldstwmn]

41. His last name is the most famous name in American politics, he's part of a dynasty

and considered by some to be American royalty. He can raise money.

[brooklynite]

45. Tell that to George P Bush....

(and regardless of what YOU think of the Bush's, they're every bit as much a political dynasty)

A family name might get your phone calls returned, but you'll still need a personal record and a rational campaign and policy plank. RFK Jr. will be 70 on election day, and has never held elected office or a significant Government position. Add to that his fringe positions on vaccines and a lot of donors will pass.

And the people who consider the Kennedy's "American royalty" are rapidly aging out of the political equation.

[gldstwmn]

47. Trump never held political office before he was elected. And that aging group who consider

consider the Kennedys royalty? They're Boomers and Gen X and together they make up the largest voting bloc in our electorate.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. LOL he and Marianne Williamson can debate each other

This run is another joke

[gldstwmn]

22. I wish people on here would stop disparaging

Marianne Williamson. She basically wants the same things most of us do. It's not a good look to keep bashing her.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

29. This lady is a not a real democrat and is NOT a serious candidate

This lady was NOT taken seriously in 2020 and is NOT a serious candidate this cycle

[Cha]

30. Marianne Williamson on fox with a hot omic...

Link to tweet

Then there's
this in 2021

Link to tweet

[JanLip]

38. When people show you who they are believe them

Maya Angelou. One of my favorites

Jan

[Cha]

39. Yes, and I do.. TY for Maya, Jan. nt

[gldstwmn]

40. This would seem to prove my point.

[Cha]

44. Aww.. We Don't Like her. Too bad.

[gldstwmn]

49. This right here is the reason why some people who might be inclined to vote Democratic

can't be bothered to vote at all. You can't tell people who may not believe in x, y or z that they're not a real Democrat or a good Democrat or Democrat enough. How many seats did we lose the House by? What is our majority in the Senate? By all means, lets keep telling people who have more in common with us than not that we don't like them, or they don't think like we do so they shouldn't be in our party to take a hike. It's working wonderfully for us so far.

[Cha]

51. Oh PULEASE.. We can't say who we

don't like out of FEAR? GMAB.

MW called us "godless: on fox Sewer.. so that's quite alright? We have to suck up her insults?

Link to tweet

[gldstwmn]

52. I never said you can't say who you are. I encouraged you to let others do the same.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

56. I do not see Williamson mentioned in this polling

Link to tweet

[Freddie]

7. He's a nutcase

He has loads of siblings and cousins, all of whom would be a better president than him.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

10. He will be in a crowded lane with Marianne Williamson.

[gldstwmn]

11. He knows damn well not to primary an incumbent president, even if his uncle did do it

to President Carter in '80.
The coal and oil money will not want anything to do with him but there are plenty of others who will.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

12. ETA: My previous response no longer makes sense.

Last edited Wed Apr 5, 2023, 10:24 PM - Edit history (1)

[gldstwmn]

13. Actually, I had to edit my post because I agree with him on many things.

I admire his environmental work but I cannot get on board with the anti vax views or the conspiracy theories.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

14. I figured that you admired his environmental work.

Went w/o saying.

What happened???

[gldstwmn]

16. What happened? My initial reaction passed. I'm upset that he is doing this.

Last edited Thu Apr 6, 2023, 09:50 PM - Edit history (2)

My most recent memory is of the anti vax views and didn't he endorse ivermectin? But occasionally I did listen to Ring of Fire. And I cannot discount his legal career. Many people could only dream of a career like that. He sued Monsanto and won. He was going to run, he was considered to be the front runner for Attorney General of the State of New York. In light of recent events I wonder how that would have played out had he been there now? He supported Gore for president and called W out on environmental issues for the duration of that shitty presidency. I cannot say that he has been a "bad Democrat" because he really hasn't been. It's just that with his family's legacy I think he has very high standards to meet and he is most certainly aware of that. For the life of me I do not understand why he feels the need to do this now. He cannot deny there would be a certain amount of nostalgia to his candidacy. He looks like his father at a certain age. Why jeopardize Biden's candidacy when our democracy is hanging by a thread? It's disappointing.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

18. When I was 10 I volunteered for RFK during the CA primary.

I mostly stuffed envelopes, but that was okay by me.

I got to see him speak in Watts. I had his poster on my wall.

My mom waited until the next morning to tell me the news. She knew how badly I'd be gutted.

She passed in 2022, but before she died she told me that breaking the news of RFK's murder to me was the hardest thing she ever had to do in her life. I'm tearing up now, just thinking about it.

I'm sorry for his son. I hope he finds peace. He's done some wonderful things.

[gldstwmn]

19. That brings a tear to my Irish American eye

What a memory. I agree with you and understand what you're saying. I hope he finds peace too. Thank you for sharing that.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

24. ...

[H2O Man]

20. I still have

my 1964 tie clip that RFK handed out near here while running for Senate. And the magazine his campaign published for his presidential run, complete with an interview with Robert Jr.

I've been friends with Robert for about 35 years. He has assisted me on Native American burial protection cases, and on a Super Fund toxic industrial waste site case that went to federal court. He assisted my family in 1998, when a racist hate gang attacked my nephew, because they resented a high school scholar/athlete getting a lot of press attention.

Like with all my friends, there are things that I disagree with Robert on. This is one of them.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

23. It is good to remember the good things that people do.

None of us are perfect. The hurt that Robert has known must be considerable.

Thank you for the reminders.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

26. Also, my wife and I have Dylan's Rolling Thunder Review playing on the box

Last edited Thu Apr 6, 2023, 02:34 AM - Edit history (1)

and I thought of you.

Two people I’ve known played on “Hurricane.” Scarlett Rivera on violin and Ronee Blakley on vocals.

As a friend of Rubin’s I figured you’d appreciate that bit of trivia.

Cheers.

[H2O Man]

27. I do!

It's a great song. Lyrics by Jacques Levy, the poet at Colgate, music by Dylan. And Scarlett Rivera gave it such spirit.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

28. Scarlett lives close by to me. Haven't seen her since the pandemic, but in the before times we'd see

her play around town.

Her contributions to Desire were incredible. It has always been among my favorite albums.

[Johonny]

15. He's toxic trash. The Democratic party should refuse to put him on any debate stage

He's not worth it and does not deserve a voice after spreading lies a bad as any GOPer.

[gldstwmn]

25. You will never see him disparage anyone

the way the MAGA cult does with their fake boogeymen and racism.
I have to believe he has his own reasons for doing this if he proceeds.
He deserves to debate just as much as anyone else. In fact, he would do a far better job of it than many.

[Marius25]

17. According to reporters, Steve Bannon encouraged him to run to split the Dem vote

[gldstwmn]

21. I saw that report from Politico, I think?

I honestly don't believe he would run to split the vote. He's going to run to win. Does he for some reason think Joe isn't going to run again.

[Demsrule86]

53. There is no other reason that he would run against an incumbent president...won't help him

though when we post numerous photos of him with his best buds...Bannon ET AL.

[634-5789]

34. Good luck. My cat as a better chance than the non-vaccine candidate.

[BootinUp]

37. Calling him a vaccine skeptic is an insult to skeptics.

The technically accurate terminology that applies to Kennedy is anti-vax loon.

[gldstwmn]

43. I think you might find out that people outside of this website may not

frown upon his anti vax views as much as you think. It might be an issue for some but it's not going to be that high on the list for many.

[BootinUp]

48. Is that so? Maybe it depends

on the kind nuts we choose to associate with. I try my best to not put up with any anti-vaccine nutballs myself. As far as I know most adults in the US ended up getting vaccinated for Covid-19.

[ChazII]

54. k&R n/t

[LetMyPeopleVote]

55. RFK Jr. wrote a book in 2021 accusing Dr. Fauci of perpetrating "a historic coup d'etat

Link to tweet