The Tragic Fall of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.-And What It Says About Our Politics
RFK Jr. may be a comedic punching bag these days, but his current campaign makes a mockery of his work...and could really jeopardize his own longstanding commitments for progress.
Good morning. Since this was finished early, I am releasing it at this point of the week as I work on my other piece for the upcoming weekend. Also feel free to check out the past Substack article, those on Medium, or my LinkedIn profile. Don’t be afraid to personally reach out if needed either.
To the mid-week topic at hand:
The Kennedy family name in American politics is one of electoral gold for generations these days. Descending primarily from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, various family members have left a the considerable mark on American politics, from JFK, RFK, and Ted Kennedy, to Joe Kennedy II, Patrick Kennedy, Edward Kennedy Jr., and Joe Kennedy III among several others. Even back to the New Deal before the New Frontier, Great Society, and the Civil Rights & Equal Rights movements of the 60s and 70s, the first Joe Kennedy was a major ally of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and would be the first chairman of the Securities & Exchange Commission in the early years of the Roosevelt presidency. And yes, among them, we can also add Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to that very long list.
While the family is of real privilege for most Americans and for most associations we have with the Dignity of Work or the American Dream, there was-and still is-much to celebrate concerning the Kennedy legacy. President John F. Kennedy was a real inspiration for change, youth, and new leadership in American politics to take on the biggest challenges in the form of the New Frontier, from the Space Race, to challenging the spread of Communism abroad, and from lifting middle class families up, to forwarding the cause of civil rights advocates like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez. Robert F. Kennedy took this mantle further after JFK’s tragic assassination as the US Attorney General, as a US Senator, and as a notable Democratic candidate for President in 1968 on the side of civil rights, ending poverty in America, lifting up workers and protecting consumers, and ending the war in Vietnam in a diplomatic way. He too was cut down short tragically when the country needed someone like him as a leader. Ted Kennedy became a Senate lion, championing landmark legislation in Congress from his unwavering push for universal healthcare and supporting public education, to laws on the books like the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, and several others that strengthened food security programs and expanded children’s health insurance.
And that’s not the end of it. Congressman Joe Kennedy II of Massachusetts served in the Congress for a decade plus leading the way on renewable energy and energy efficiency policies along with sustaining anti-poverty safety nets. Congressman Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island became a nationally well-recognized leader on mental health coverage and substance abuse treatment-in 2008 with a Minnesota Republican House colleague, he introduced in Congress for the first time the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. And he is still leading on these issues even out of Congress on the national-even global-level. Edward Kennedy Jr. of Connecticut didn’t make it to Congress, but he still made headways in state politics as a leader for disability rights and on other major state issues-he was also listed as a potential candidate for Governor in 2018 before dropping out. Another Kennedy was Maryland’s former Lt. Governor. Many Kennedys has served their country outside the public as well in their generous community philanthropy. I could mention some more names if I had the time.
And then there is RFK Jr., who after a remarkable career to be described very shortly, is now running for President on a fringe platform and message that speaks to America’s worst instincts. Notably, this message includes conspiratorial anti-vaccine rhetoric often way out of context, efforts to engage in fringe areas of the community and the Internet (such as Gab), pandering to controversial Republicans and right wing extremists (like Steve Bannon), and positions out of the mainstream around a multitude of issues from Ukraine, and the pandemic response, to CIA surveillance, guns, and abortion. Some people would think this was some type of joke candidacy ripe for mockery. But it is not in the big picture. Obviously, RFK Jr. believes in the things he has been saying and is saying. And it worries me on a personal side, and also on a political note with potentially long-lasting ramifications on our country’s own well being.
Analysts figure RFK Jr. is gaining momentum because he is garnering double digit support-though that can and likely will change over the months to come. But this 2024 candidacy whether he beats the odds or loses steam is a sad reminder of both what’s at stake politically as a society, and also how elected officials and public servants at large are also people. I am not a doctor, so I can not speak for RFK Jr.’s state of mind as I can for my own. Nonetheless, I think it is fair to say as an observant the trauma and the pain the Kennedy family as a whole has gone through over the years. It does not need to be discussed more than it already has. For RFK Jr. especially, it does have to weigh on him heavily. RFK Jr. has had his own personal issues that don’t need to be discussed either in more detail than it has. The effort of his work is immense on an issue that has made little progress in Washington DC for a long time-at least by the time of Trump’s presidency. And most of all, the coronavirus pandemic was an event with almost immeasurable implications today on educational attainment and learning, but also emotional and social well being. It is seen with children, and it can also be seen in adults-seniors and those with disabilities especially.
One could only imagine from this what RFK Jr.’s mind is like and how it functions. Especially regarding what kind of support systems he had in place if any over the past dozen or so years leading up to this point. Not to say I would ever support him for President or ditch the Biden-Harris ticket on my deep sympathy and sorrow for him. But it to say even though I would never support his 2024 candidacy, I obviously hope he is doing alright, and if he is not, is able to get the help he needs on any level. I can personally attest to times when I needed experts and friends and family to get me back on course. RFK Jr. and the entire Kennedy family should take note of this anecdote in their efforts; as well as the resources that are available to them, and the professional expertise of several others in the family on health issues-such as former RI Congressman Patrick Kennedy himself.
The personal note is easily the most meaningful one for me. As for the large scale implications, they are also great. First, it is clear President Biden can take nothing for granted in the discontent still present about the course of his agenda so far and the age/fitness concerns that are lingering and likely will for quite some time. It doesn’t change in a day or a month, but it has to be clear that President Biden and Vice President Harris have their work cut out for them in the next year and a half before November 2024 to improve their numbers. The party base feels not enough is being done and swing voters are worried Biden is not up for the job at this point, or not addressing the issues he promised to take on in 2020. It may not mean much in the end, but the President must realize that it will take more than incumbency as a formal title to get the presidential ticket renominated and reelected, along with a Democratic Congress, and down ballot coattails for governor’s mansions, other statewide offices, and the state legislatures also up for grabs.
The RFK Jr. campaign also showcases what is truly at stake in 2024. Whether it was Sanders-Warren in 2016 and 2020, Trump & DeSantis over the past 7 years, or RFK Jr. himself, they all were and are still speaking to severe discontent in the direction of this country. Even as a certain small group of people are doing well, the middle and working classes feel left behind and forgotten. They feel their best days are over, their chances of the American Dream have passed, and the country they know is falling behind in a way it can never come back from. In a good number of examples, these people have a right to be concerned and frightened about the system that has been set up for a long time which has propelled into a sense of despair, helplessness, and death. We can see the costs of this in the political polarization and division we have seen recently, and the strength of America economically, politically, socially, culturally, and otherwise called into question by the Trump presidency, January 6th, government dysfunction, political violence, and the rest. RFK Jr.’s campaign does pose a major test for the Biden-Harris ticket to understand the struggles of Americans all across this country who feel they have been taken for granted. In the American Heartland. In Flyover Country. In Rural America. In the Industrial Midwest and Northeast. In the South in Appalachia, the Black Belt, and the Rio Grande Valley. In the immigrant communities and ethnic neighborhoods, as well as Native American reservations, and with the Pacific Islanders. The Biden-Harris campaign has to understand the challenges and struggles that people are facing for the real progress that has been made in the Build Back Better Agenda, and really promote the Finish The Job message in store for 2024.
It also shows how the United States can fall back as much as it has moved forward on big issues. The Supreme Court has taught us that in the Roe v. Wade overturning, along with other cases on gun laws, environmental protections, workers’ rights, consumer protections, campaign finance reform, and others to come, hard-fought progress can be rolled back on a multitude of policy fronts and debates. We have seen climate denial, anti-vaxxer conspiracies, and election skepticism seep into our country and people on a massive scale. We have seen the transformation of the Republican Party over the years and decades into a party that is obstructionist, dysfunctional, chaotic, and grievance-based over a policy-oriented, compassionate, and practical party. We have seen the challenges that have lingered will not get better if the wrong people are in charge.
That is something that not only should matter to the voters and the volunteers, but to the big people as well. People such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. His candidacy could very well hurt Biden-especially if there is no reconciliation in store after the 2024 primaries. It could hurt the people he supports the most running for office in the Senate, the House, and all the way down the ballot. And it could harm RFK Jr’s past groundbreaking environmental work in an irreversible way.
Once upon a time, RFK Jr. was a leading environmentalist. It wasn’t all perfect, but his pronounced commitment to environmental stewardship and economic growth made him a devoted, vigilant, and relentless leader and champion to all the causes and initiatives he cares so much about. As an environmental lawyer and advocate, he led the charge over the years in taking on corporate polluters, supporting communities impacted by both climate change and environmental degradation, and building the case for a 100% clean, renewable energy economy. His organization Waterkeeper Alliance fought for the protection of various natural resources, public lands, and waterways, as well as providing assistance for communities impacted by the fossil fuel industry. It was not just his actions either. RFK Jr. had an eloquence for emphasizing environmental issues in citing the responsibility we all have as stewards of the Earth by reciting the sacred texts from all of the world’s major religions. He was outspoken on the inaction of the Congress and the greed of Corporate America and the special interests. Much of his environmental work is still widely acclaimed and universally recognized all over the country and world.
Because of all of this widely revered and critically acclaimed work, he was even considered a potential contender to be NY Attorney General, and US Senator from New York. His candidacy now, however, can undo the progress made by his environmental work, and cement his legacy as an unwitting conduit for the GOP to regain power and roll back the clock on Biden’s major Build Back Better accomplishments-including on the environmental front. Environmental policy impacts from 2024 couldn’t be any starker or greater between the parties and eventual nominees up and down the ballot. Especially with President Biden as a longtime climate leader and environmental champion on Capitol Hill. The anti-environmental, climate denying GOP will make RFK Jr’s work in the climate movement, and of all the major environmentalists, moot if they win. His 2024 campaign may very well hurt the very environmental causes he’s long been fighting for.
It will also undermine the causes of various Kennedy family members. Republicans for years and decades have stonewalled efforts for greater mental healthcare and substance abuse coverage, along with federal disability protections in law today (including Jesse Helms’s opposition to the 1990 AWDA and Mike Pence’s no vote to the 2008 mental parity legislation). The MAGA movement led by Donald Trump has continued a massive assault on civil rights, voting rights, equal protections, and democracy itself consistently, and especially since 2020. This undermines the campaigns against poverty promoted by JFK after visiting West Virginia in 1960, and RFK on his own campaign in 1968. They even undermine the foreign policy efforts the Kennedys have long promoted-including those of Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and former Congressman Joe Kennedy III-in the stunning endorsement of Putin apologist ideals.
Personally, I do find it unlikely if not impossible that RFK Jr. will be the Democratic nominee. But his campaign can become a major spoiler in favor of Trump or DeSantis should one of them become the GOP nominee. Perhaps the party will unite strongly by the Democratic National Convention in Chicago for our sake-something we all should be hoping for.
Regardless of how RFK Jr.’s campaign goes, I sincerely hope his career and legacy will be commemorated and celebrated on a much more upbeat note than the headlines of these recent years. There’s a lot about RFK Jr. that we can learn from in the work and challenges that lies ahead on various policy fronts today and tomorrow-including on the environmental front.
