I long hoped that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would enter the 2024 presidential race for two main reasons: First, despite his having a lot of traditional liberal ideas with which I do not agree, he also has ideas that appeal to conservatives, and he comes across as more honest than the typical politician.
The second reason is that if he doesn’t win the Democratic nomination, he’d have no qualms about running as an independent or through a third party, which should by all accounts take away enough votes from Democrats to guarantee any Republican the win over any Democrat.
It seems the establishment media has caught on to that notion, and they’ve sunk to a new low — a tall order for them, considering how low they’d already sunk — by virtually ignoring him.
Never mind that Kennedy hails from the most famous family in American politics over the past century, and that he’s currently polling at 20 percent against a frontrunner (President Joe Biden) whom most of the country — including a majority of Democrats — doesn’t want to run again.
But most media outlets simply pretend that he doesn’t exist.
For the moment, this creates a backfiring effect if in fact Kennedy loses the Democratic nomination but stays in the race: Conservative outlets are falling all over themselves to have him on their shows.
And why wouldn’t they? He routinely criticizes Biden specifically and many Democratic policies generally, and though he’s certainly not a Republican, conservative talk show hosts spin the narrative so he focuses on the issues that most appeal to Republican voters.
It is therefore up to us, the voters who don’t want another Biden term, to spread the word. Not among ourselves, but to Democrats and independents who tend to vote Democrat.
I’ve heard many conservatives say in frustration, “You can’t talk to Democrats; they’re all crazy!” But we must. Giving them the silent treatment doesn’t do any good.
Is the legacy media scared of Kennedy?
Yes: 96% (25 Votes)
No: 4% (1 Votes)
The media has increasingly divided us, each of us receiving our information nourishment from our favorite comfort food feeding trough. At some point, we really need to make amends with our friends, neighbors and family members who have shunned us. Granted, many times it’s their fault, but that doesn’t mean we ought to give up trying.
In my 2021 book “How to Talk Politics without Arguing,” I provide tips on how to do just that.
The short version is this: Find something good to say about their candidate (for example, “I like that Biden kept Trump’s tariffs in place”) or something critical about your own (such as “I wish Trump wouldn’t do so much name-calling”).
Some will seethe in anger at the prospect of dialogue, but it is beneficial in general and particularly to make Democrats aware that there is another formidable option for them, and his name is Bobby Kennedy Jr.
It was inevitable that political comedian Bill Maher would give Kennedy ample air time.
Maher, the host of the hit HBO show “Real Time,” is no conservative and certainly no fan of Trump. But he has earned the praise of many conservatives over the past couple of years for his relentless attacks on the left over wokeness, fake news and censorship.
Maher’s lengthy podcast interview with Kennedy gave the candidate the opportunity to present his views to an audience that reaches beyond conservative media.
But it’s not enough. There are far too many Democratic voters — tens of millions of them — who don’t watch Fox News, Newsmax or OAN and don’t read The Western Journal and other right-leaning publications, but who also don’t watch Maher’s show.
If the legacy media won’t take its obligations and responsibilities seriously and inform them about Kennedy’s campaign, then it is up to us.
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