Robert F. Kennedy Jr., ditching his family's party, discusses his run for presidency, anger towards being kicked off Instagram, and the potential impact of his campaign. The chapter explores the history of third party candidacies and his controversial topics that may hurt Trump more than Biden.
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Quick takeaways
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. switched from Democrat to independent due to perceived censorship on social media during the COVID vaccine rollout, focusing his campaign on free speech and opposing lockdowns and censorship.
Kennedy's campaign kickoff speech lacked a clear direction and failed to provide a focused message, leaving observers puzzled about his candidacy's purpose.
Deep dives
RFK Jr. running as an independent
Robert Francis Kennedy Jr., son of Robert F. Kennedy, initially ran for president as a Democrat but has recently switched to running as an independent. His motivation for the switch seems rooted in his belief that he was unfairly censored on social media platforms during the COVID vaccine rollout. Kennedy's candidacy is centered around championing free speech and opposing lockdowns, censorship, and the merging of corporate and state power. Although he initially gained some popularity, his support has dwindled as he continues to speak and his campaign lacks a focused message.
RFK Jr.'s unconventional speech
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign kickoff speech was described as meandering and unfocused, covering a wide range of topics from American history and government corruption to public health and environmental issues. The lengthy and unconventional speech failed to provide a clear direction for his campaign, leaving some puzzled about his candidacy's purpose. Kennedy's political views align more with a pre-Bernie Sanders era of left-leaning Democrats, emphasizing local environmental concerns rather than climate change or other progressive priorities.
RFK Jr. and the challenge of third-party candidacy
Running as a third-party or independent candidate in the U.S. political system poses significant challenges due to the dominance of the two major parties. Historically, third-party candidates have often played a spoiler role, potentially siphoning votes away from one major party and affecting the outcome of an election. While RFK Jr.'s current independent status may impact the race, his campaign faces hurdles such as securing ballot access and gaining mainstream media attention. Overall, third-party candidates face an uphill battle within the American political landscape.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is ditching his family’s party. David Freedlander explains how the candidate might have just gone from being a problem for the current president to a problem for the former one.
This episode was produced by Jon Ehrens with help from Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by David Herman, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.