Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced his campaign for president as an Independent on Monday. Although Kennedy’s chances of winning the 2024 election appear to be slim to none, he could potentially impact an anticipated rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Advertised as a “major shift in American politics,” the “historic” announcement took place at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event, widely publicized by the Kennedy team on social media, was attended by some 2,000 people, according to The New American’s team on the ground.
The primary target of Kennedy’s one-hour speech was the Washington establishment — the “Uniparty” represented by both Democrats and Republicans. Kennedy called them “the smug, cynical elites” who serve their “corporate bosses” from Wall Street, Big Tech, Big Pharma, Big Ag, and the military-industrial complex and who became “incompatible with our unalienable rights.”
Commemorating Columbus Day, Kennedy opened his speech with a rather “woke” reference to Indians who were dispossessed by the European colonizers and argued that today, “the ranks of the dispossessed” expanded beyond “Indigenous Americans, black Americans, and Hispanic Americans,” to “tens of millions of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck,” as well as to the chronically ill, drug addicted, and depressed, because of “the corrupt power [that] has overtaken over our government.”
Kennedy pointed to growing discontent among the American people, noting that it presented both promise and danger.
The “danger” lies with the “demagogues [hijacking the discontent] towards fascism,” referring to endless foreign wars and domestic polarization, which “we see on a daily basis.” This tactic of “making us hate each other” is a part of the scheme to make people easier to govern and control by the corrupt elites, as noted by Kennedy.
The “promise” in the discontent is national reunion, said Kennedy, quoting his experience of interactions with everyday Americans during the extensive campaign trips over the past half a year. According to the candidate, there are “vast areas of agreement” between Americans, at least among those attending his rallies. Those include taking care of our veterans, seeking peace abroad instead of war, decent salaries for teachers, affordable housing, corporations paying their “fair share” in taxes, and a clean environment. He also said that Americans are tired of the culture war and divisive politics.
Painting a grim picture of economic desperation and hardships, chronic disease, addiction, decaying infrastructure, and polluted environment affecting everyday Americans, Kennedy said that the “good news” is that people are “finally fed up” with “being fooled” and “are ready to take back power.”
Saying that “people are ready to reclaim their freedom and independence,” he proclaimed, “And that’s why I am here today, to declare myself an independent candidate.”
Later in his speech, Kennedy, a member of one of America’s wealthiest and most powerful political clans, presented himself as an outsider and a leader of the people’s movement that “defies the left-right division.” That is the reason, he argued, elites of both parties and the establishment are “terrified” by his candidacy, as it poses an “authentic challenge” to their “tyranny of corruption.”
Kennedy drew distinctions between himself and his opponents. Donald Trump was entrenched in multiple legal troubles, including criminal charges against him. Besides, “unlike Trump,” who ascended in unmatched popularity thanks to his anti-establishment rhetoric, Kennedy said he had a 40-year record of suing government agencies and corporations. As for Joe Biden, three-fourths of Americans did not want him to seek reelection because of his old age. Previously, Kennedy, 69, posted clips of himself working out shirtless, doing a backflip off a cliff, and, yesterday, jogging up the steps of Independence Hall in Philadelphia without breaking a sweat.
Referring to a recent Gallup poll, Kennedy said that as many as 63 percent of Americans would “want an Independent to run for president,” and urged Americans to take action at the polls to fulfill their vision. “Democracy is an exercise of choice of the free, democratic people,” he said.
A major part of the speech was dedicated to the pressing need to establish open dialogue between the parties. While stating that the “system is hopelessly corrupt,” Kennedy nonetheless said that neither Democrats nor Republicans were his enemies. He expressed his belief that there are good, patriotic people “who want to serve the nation” in both parties, and, as president, he’d work with both sides.
The Kennedy Factor
In recent weeks, Kennedy has complained that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is “rigging” the primaries against him to benefit Biden.
Said Kennedy, in part: “It’s pretty clear that the DNC does not want a primary.… Essentially, they are fixing the process so that it makes it almost impossible to have democracy function. They’re effectively disenfranchising the Democratic voters from having any choice in who becomes president, the Democrat nominee.”
Since his entry into the fray in April, Kennedy has enjoyed favorable treatment from many Republicans and the alternative media. But that began to change following his hint in an October 7 video at running as an Independent or making a third-party bid. Also, the other week Kennedy expressed his belief that he would take more votes from Trump than Biden if added to a potential rematch. This claim is backed by the polling data, as well as favorable opinions from prominent Republican figures such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and presidential contender Vivek Ramaswami.
This weekend, the Republican National Committee (RNC) went on offensive.
In a most recent tweet about Kennedy, the committee listed a total of “23 reasons to oppose the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy.”
The list included his past support of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and “other Democratic candidates starting back in 1985” and his admiration of socialist Independent Senator Bernie Sanders. Other reasons included his calling the National Rifle Association (NRA) a “terrorist group,” his embrace of the “climate change” agenda, his extreme pro-abortion views, and his endorsement of tax hikes.
“Do not be fooled — the only way to reverse America’s decline at the hands of Biden is to elect a Republican as president next year,” concluded the group.
In another tweet, the RNC reminded Americans how Kennedy spoke favorably of the Green New Deal, a comprehensive plan to essentially destroy the fossil-fuel industry in favor of expensive and unreliable renewables, introducing devastating restrictions on traditional agriculture, and promoting “social justice.”
There is currently limited and conflicting polling data regarding the potential impact of Kennedy on the election. However, the surveys conducted thus far hint at a marginal increase in Trump’s support in the national popular vote. Previous polls have suggested that more Democrats than Republicans are open to the idea of backing a third-party candidate.
The Trump campaign might not be as confident. As reported by Semafor on Friday, citing sources within the Trump camp, they are reportedly gearing up to conduct opposition research targeting Kennedy’s “strongly liberal stances.” This move is based on internal polling data that suggests Kennedy could draw more votes away from Trump than from Biden.
However, the Trump campaign has also implied that Kennedy poses no danger. Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, responded to Semafor’s report by stating, “President Trump is leading by wide margins in every single poll — both nationally and statewide — in the primary and general elections.”
In an unexpected turn Friday, the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) announced it would feature Kennedy as a speaker in their upcoming Investors Forum later this month in Las Vegas. CPAC, as the premier forum for conservatives, has been vocally pro-Trump and his America First agenda, as has its chairman, Matt Schlapp. That is why Kennedy’s participation at a CPAC event will likely improve his standing among conservatives and hurt his appeal with liberals disappointed with Biden.
Trump currently holds a strong advantage over other Republican contenders in the race for the nomination. However, although he is ahead of Biden in certain national polls, election forecaster RacetotheWH predicted he would fall short in the Electoral College. It’s important to keep in mind that with the 2024 election more than a year away, a multitude of future variables, such as Biden’s health, Trump’s legal challenges, and unforeseen national and international crises could influence these outcomes in various ways.
