By CASEY HARPER | THE CENTER SQUARE
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Monday he would run for president in 2024 as an independent.
RFK Jr., who was previously running for the Democratic nomination before Monday’s announcement, has grown in popularity through his online presence attacking both typically Democratic and Republican positions in the U.S.
RFK took off in notoriety for his outspoken criticism of Covid-19 policies and the Covid vaccine.
“People stop me everywhere, at hotels, at the airport, on the street, and they remind me that this country is ready for a history-making change,” RFK Jr. said during his announcement speech at Independence Mall in Philadelphia. “They are ready to reclaim their freedom, their independence.”
RFK Jr. pointed to a litany of problems facing the U.S., including suicide, mental health issues, infrastructure problems, chronic disease, political corruption and wealth inequality. He argued that people are tired of the traditional system, which has not solved those problems, and are ready for a change.
“I’m here to join you for making a new declaration of independence for our entire nation,” RFK Jr. said. “We declare independence from the corporations that have hijacked our government, and we declare independence from Wall Street, from Big Tech, from Big Pharma, from Big Ag, from the military contractors, and their lobbyists.
“And we declare independence from the mercenary media that is here to fortify all of the corporate orthodoxies from their advertisers and to urge us to hate our neighbors and to fear our friends,” he added.
RFK Jr. went on to call out the “cynical elites” and the two-party political party system.
“And finally, we declare independence from the two political parties and the corrupt interests that dominate them and the entire rigged system, of anger, of rage, of corruption, of lies that has turned government officials into indentured servants for their corporate bosses,” RFK Jr. said.
President Joe Biden is leading the Democratic presidential primary race with no substantive opposition, and former President Donald Trump is far and away the frontrunner for the Republican nomination. How RFK Jr.’s announcement will impact their support remains unclear.
Immediately, RFK Jr. came under fire from Republican leadership.
“Make no mistake – a Democrat in Independent’s clothing is still a Democrat,” Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, said in a statement. “RFK Jr. cannot hide from his record of endorsing Hillary, supporting the Green New Deal, fighting against the Keystone Pipeline, and praising AOC’s tax hikes – he is your typical elitist liberal and voters won’t be fooled.”
As The Center Square previously reported, Gallup polling released earlier this month showed that 63% of surveyed Americans say both the Democratic and Republican parties do a “poor job” and that a third political party is needed.
Both Democrats and Republicans have increased their support for the idea of a third party.
“Most often, support for a third party among Democrats and Republicans is below the majority level,” Gallup said. “However, this year’s poll shows 58% of Republicans endorsing a third U.S. political party, up from 45% a year ago. The only other time more Republicans than now expressed support for a third party was in a late January/early February 2021 conducted after the Jan. 6 riots, the second impeachment of Donald Trump, and the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden.
“There has also been an uptick in support for a third party among Democrats this year, from 40% to 46%, though still less than a majority back the idea,” Gallup added.
“Make no mistake – a Democrat in Independent’s clothing is still a Democrat,” Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee,” …weird how every time I see her name I think: “Ronna McDonald” – anybody else? Ronna is the quintessential RINO installed as a result of her family connections. JFK Jr. might still be mostly liberal under his new Independent cloak but he’s probably better, overall, than these Uniparty RINOs who’ve been selling us out for decades. He doesn’t stand a chance but using his campaign to force feed truth to the masses is a good in and of itself.
Whatever people may say, he’s about 1,000,000 times better than Biden or Trump. Whatever. He’s got my vote for now.
Mailed in your ballot already, did ya?
Why in gawd’s name would you vote for ANY Dem over a Republican?
RFK JR. was just running as a DEMOCRAT until now!!!
This move would be momentous, if only RFK Jr. represented an actual third party.
But as much as I like, and respect, his positions on the Covidian authoritarian agenda and the pernicious influence and dominance of corporations, he is fundamentally just another woke, climate-tard Democrat. His never-swerving support for Beelzebub/Hillary says it all.
“An echo, not a voice.”
So you prefer corporate fascism, poverty, and endless war. Strange choice, but I respect others opinions.
False dichotomy much, Black Coffee?
“Alaska Grandma” has taken up a new identity and tact…ha ha
There were NO wars under Trump’s tenure.
You’re getting fooled by the shiny new object
To paraphrase Vladimir Putin, “Speak plainly, Mr. Jefferson”..
Yes, Ds always hold the line to maintain their block. RFK’s Independent run will surely harm the Rs. This could spell the end of our Republic.
Too many Rs and Is will not be able to pinch their nostrils hard enough to cast another vote for DJT; they will see RFK as an opportunity.
Just like Ralph Nader was…but nothing like Ross Perot.
What a wacko. He is like Trump – lies and seeks attention.
Just like the old Scarecrow of Alaska did. How’s that working out now? Assets seized yet? Lol.
This will drain some of the votes from Biden more than Trump. Anyone wanna bet the Demonrats pull him and play the race/woman card and put Michelle in.
Not betting because I agree with you!
Well, this is new….A presidential candidate who has it all:
1. Not a Megalomaniac
2. Has a heartbeat.
3. Can actually form a complete sentence and convey an intelligent thought using speech.
4. Not a Democrat (A very good thing)
5. Not a Republican (Also a very good thing)
6. Did i mention…He is not impossibly old and out of touch.
The problem with RFK is that he recognizes the corruption of government but mysteriously still thinks that government is the solution. I commend him for seeing the problems in our medical, financial, military, and border invasion but if you listen to his solutions, they all involve big government safety nets. At the least, he does seem to like our country which is head and shoulders above every other democratic candidate but his solutions are the reason the republic is being destroyed.
Great comment, Me!
I agree with you completely.
Ya got 1-3 correct but 4-5 are wrong. He’s just a Dem playing in costume for a different party. I think they call this “Trans” politics. He’s just a dude, playing a dude, playing another dude. (Reference Tropic Thunder)
Cripes, you voted for Obama didn’t you? Let me guess bob, you’re over 50, probably think bill Clinton did a good job? You either are or are very near retirement, and just want some “common sense and decency” back in the White House, right?
Two things….never go on a car ride with a Kennedy and never trust a democrat who says they are “independent” ….
And you can forget about decency coming back it doesn’t play into the radical lefts shrieks of the sky is falling, democracy is dying, the world is laughing at us, people of color are suffering, trans kids are in danger more than other kids, the us has to pay for everything..always, yadda yadda yadda
Floyd: I certainly did not vote for Obama, either time. Nor did I think Clinton did a good job, and no, I didn’t vote for him (or her) either. On the other hand, Republicans I can see eye to eye with have been scarce since Regan….I voted for Perot instead of that Republican idiot Dole and held my nose and voted for Trump twice. I might vote for him again except that I firmly believe that in the up coming election the winner will be the candidate who can attract middle ground voters and that will not be Trump….Trump is a very smart guy but he has shown that he is not capable of leading…If he were a good leader, he would be well ahead of the senile old fart who is in office right now.
“Make no mistake – a RINO in Republican’s clothing is still a RINO,” Ronna McDaniel, chair of the RINO National Committee, said in a statement. “
Touche!
Interesting choice.
This guy is a complete nut job. Whereas Trump spouts endless untruths but doesn’t really believe them, RFK actually believes those that he espouses.
Ah, more hysterical defense of the status-quo power structure from Whidbey the Cur!
It is as dependable as the sunrise.
To help translate for the uninitiated, “Untruths” (as well as “misinformation”), in Sheepish, equals anything that challenges the official narrative and lies of the sociopathic ruling class.
You need a new tactic. Attempting to discredit beliefs that differ from your own through name calling, insults and general belittlement is tiresome. Why not just stop all comments from the peanut gallery and post in a more relative way. That, or go on another vacay.
And you need a new venue for your trolling, Greg. Maybe one that is actually in the state in which you live, instead of an entire continent away.
Anyone not speaking plainly usually does so to avoid the truth or accountability. They speak obliquely, evasively, or disingenuously to avoid responsibility for their words. A perfect example is when people say something like “he spoke an untruth” when they actually should say “he lied.”
The real issue is simple. Kennedy might siphon off votes from a weakened Grandpa Bloodstains.
He is pretty savvy, but coming down hard on the side of those that want to eliminate nearly 2 million Palestinian open air prisoners with no means of escspe,, half of whom are children and have never known anything but oppression at the hands of those who seek to kill them, well that doesn’t speak well of his humanitarian nature or his character.
I guess dog just told us RFK is a bigger threat to Biden then Trump.
RFK Jr. is not just against Covid vaccines, he’s against *all* vaccines, including polio, smallpox, measels, mumps, rubella, and more.
His “medical freedom” policy is actually the opposite—he wants to ban people from choosing any of these vaccines.
And there is a small but growing movement in this country to start arresting vaccinated people. Can you imagine electing a such a person?
Perhaps in reaction to the movement that would promote arresting non-vaccinated souls. Why can’t we all just live and let live. Spare me the argument about ‘who started it’ in the Middle East. We all know that God will finish it.
That is patently untrue, Jimmy.
RFK Jr. does not condemn wholesale ALL vaccines, just the demonstrably unsafe and ineffective Covid ‘vaccines’ (sic).
RFK Jr. has a well documented history of dabbling with the “vaccines cause autism” crowd. In 2018 (pre-covid), his Children’s Health Defense group meddled in Samoa’s measles vaccines situation. He has a long history dating back to at least 2005 making uninformed statements. You are calling me a liar, but you are ignorant.
If You believe vaccines protect You and Your Family, then You have nothing to fear from the unvaccinated.
Stop trying to scare everyone with your lies.
He can call it a Tupperware party but He is STILL a Democrat that backed Hillary Clinton to the hilt.
He needs to saddle up with the Colonel Bernie Sanders. That would be a hit sideshow.
I might resume eating popcorn to watch that!
“Taxation and regulation: it’s finger-licking good!”
I’m voting for RFK2. I just fear his assassination, because Biden won’t allow Secret Service protection of him as a candidate.
Not worth the bullet.
Who said it would be by bullet? Unknowingly, he might get the jab.
I read his positions today (from an interview in Vermont) and I like his positions better then Trump or Biden (especially Biden)
2 time Trump voter, retired union guy, Reagan Democrat
MAGA loves him! Enough said.
I prefer “Make American Great Again” to your radical leftist “Make America A Sh**hole”.
We’re already great.
RFK Jr fought for the environment is whole life, he is an isolationist who would slowly pull us out of all these “endless wars” (as is Trump) and he knows our political class is “owned” by big biz, for profit health care & tech billionaires.
Why wouldn’t a liberal like this guy Whidbey? What are you scared of?
Joe Biden is a lifetime idiot ….. imo, and certainly part of the problem.
You want to talk about crazy? Well RFK’s your man…not Biden.
Uhhhhhhhh no hell no we don’t.
I say we put this guy in. there’s enough independent minded people in Alaska to give him our electoral vote, no problem. Join the fight for independence from corporate America, endless war, and this stupid culture war nonsense.
“TRUMP WINS ’24 ELECTION” has already been “pre-bunked” by the “Hookers and Blow” website as “Partially False”.
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