A Familiar Name
There are now two declared candidates for the Democrat nomination for president in 2024…and neither is Joe Biden.
The first was former candidate and author Marianne Williamson. The latest, with a declaration earlier this week, is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. His father, then a New York Senator, threw his hat in the ring 55 years ago.
As opposed to past runs for elective office made by members of the famous political family, this Kennedy does not have the support of his extended family. Two…his cousin Caroline and the widow of his uncle Ted…are ambassadors appointed by the current president. Others have kept their distance publicly ever since Kennedy, Jr., called out Dr. Anthony Fauci and the COVID-19 vaccine in a series of books and movies.
This is coming down to a “we love our brother/cousin/uncle, but we’re supporting the current president” sort of thing. And should Kennedy, Jr., gain traction, you can expect a photo op with Biden and the supportive Kennedys sooner than later.
Realistically, those under the age of 40 only know the Kennedy family from history…not from anything accomplished by the current generation. Ted Kennedy has been gone for nearly 14 years already…and it’s been 43 years since he ran for president against incumbent Jimmy Carter.
That in part is why many of the current generation are not pleased with this campaign…because they fear that too many will only know the Kennedy name as associated with opposing vaccines as opposed to being a dominant political force in the last half of the last century.
So the name is not the guarantee it once was…but interesting to note that Kennedy, Jr., is already polling at 14 percent against Biden…ahead of the other names bandied about. And it shows how many Democrats are looking for someone—anyone—who can mount a viable primary campaign against Biden.
We’ve invited the new candidate to join us on KXEL, and we’re working with his team to make that happen sooner than later. One thing is certain in these uncertain times…dismissing this candidacy could be quite short-sighted.
