Robert F. Kennedy Jr., scion of the most famous Democrat family in US history, son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, is now apparently a Republican.
He was a Democrat for most of his life, albeit a rather flaky unrepresentative one. He stood as a candidate for the Democratic presidential candidate last year, but dropped out when it became clear that he had no path to winning the nomination, and declared he would stand as an independent presidential candidate, calling the Democracts "the party of war, censorship, corruption, big pharma, big tech, big money".
He seemed to attract voters disaffected by both traditional main parties ("double-haters"), as well as mavericks who liked his espousal of anti-vaccine and other conspiracy theories. At one point, he was polling at 14-16%, enough to present a major disruption to the two main parties, although that gradually fell away to low single digits (as little as 2% according to some polls), especially after Kamala Harris' assumption of the Democratic candidacy.
Then, when he didn't see "a realistic path to victory" (that phrase again) that way either, he threw his weight behind Donald Trump, at a rally in Arizona, earning himself the undying contempt of the Democratic Party and his own ardently Democratic family. His own sister called it a "betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear". He says he will withdraw his name from 10 battleground states where his presence on the ballot might detract from Trump's (although it is already too late to withdraw from the crucial swing states of Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin).
Trump, who had once called RFK "more LIBERAL than anyone running as a Democrat", a "Democrat plant", and "totally Anti-Gun, an Extreme Environmentalist who makes the New Green Scammers look Conservative, a Big Time Taxer, and Open Border Advocate, and Anti-Military/Vet", now sees him as "phenomenal" and "brilliant".
RFK, for his part, says he has "the certainty that this is what I'm meant to do", and credits the main reasons for his extraordinary volte face as his belief in free speech, the war in Ukraine, and "the war on children". But just a few short months ago, he was slamming Trump for his record: "His lockdowns during Covid. His atrocious environmental record. His cozy relationship with corporate America ... support for the war machine ... service to the billionaire class".
He has called Trump "a terrible human being" and "probably a sociopath" and "unhinged" and "barely coherent". As recently as May 2024, RFK said that "under no circumstances" would he join Trump on a presidential ticket. But now, all of a sudden, he's the potential saviour of the United States? Hmm. What gives?
This has all the hallmarks of "the art of the deal". RFK is apparently interested in a position in Trump's cabinet, maybe as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, where he can bring his anti-vax crusade to bear. And that would be enough for him to sacrifice decades of his family's values (and at least some of his own)? I'm tempted to wonder whether any money or other financial favours changed hands - I wouldn't put it past either party - but there is no evidence of such that I have heard about.
It's hard to know what to make of RFK Jr., and the extent to which his flakiness is a result of the brain parasite he suffered from over a decade ago, which caused severe memory loss and brain fog. But he has certainly not done his political legacy any favours over the last year or so. Certainly, he adds a whole new level of "weird" to the Republican transition team.
As to whether his move will have any actual political repercussions in November's crucial presidential election, that remains to be seen. Some maintain that his defection will make little or no practical difference, although intuitively you would think that Trump would be the main beneficiary.
Right now, we're just waiting for the next tipping point in this highly eventful presidential campaign.
No comments:
Post a Comment