In His Own Words: RFK Jr.

We know what the Democratic Party, President Biden, and former President Trump say about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. What does he say?

“Breaking free from the two-party system,” challenged Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a February 14, 2024, op-ed for the Baltimore Sun.

“The Founding Fathers warned us about political parties,” RFK Jr. began earnestly. “In George Washington’s farewell address, America’s first and only independent president cautioned that the rise of political parties would eventually ‘subvert the power of the people.’”

“And our second president, John Adams, said, ‘there is nothing which I dread so much as the division of the republic into two great parties,” Kennedy continued. “Despite the prescient warnings of the Founding Fathers, two major parties have come to completely dominate the American political system.”

“Under their sway, every issue becomes a partisan issue, and the acid of political division corrodes the fabric of our society,” Kennedy wrote. “Neither Democrats nor Republicans represent the democratic will of the people. Each in turn has overseen the erosion of the middle class, chaos at our borders, incessant wars, an explosion of chronic illness, decaying infrastructure, environmental pollution and the capture of government by Wall Street, Big Tech, Big Pharma, Big Ag, military contractors and other interest groups.”

“These interests control our government to such an extent that — no matter which party is in charge — many Americans now refer to the two parties as the ‘uniparty,’” Kennedy pointed out.

“Voters are so disgusted with the uniparty that nearly half now identify as independents, compared to roughly 25% as Democrats and 25% as Republicans,” RFK Jr. went on. “They are abandoning the parties in droves. A majority of voters want neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden to run in 2024.”

“Unable to present voters with inspiring candidates, the two parties rely instead on portraying their candidate as the lesser of two evils,” Kennedy complained. “Whipping up hate becomes an essential election tactic. They stoke fear and anger rather than present a positive vision for the future.”

“Even though a 2022 poll showed 70% of Americans believe Biden should not run for re-election, Democratic party operatives spread fear that my independent campaign for president and other third-party runs represent a threat to democracy,” Kennedy added. “We are not a threat to democracy. We are democracy.”

“Democracy — demos (people) and kratos (rule), from the ancient Greek — means ‘rule by the people,’ not ‘rule by the party,’” Kennedy wrote. “But the two parties have tightened their stranglehold on the electoral process to the point where a third-party or independent bid is nearly impossible.”

“For example, the Democratic party has rigged its primaries going back to the Bernie Sanders insurgency of 2016,” Kennedy groused. “The primary rules allow party insiders to stymie any candidacy they disapprove of. Now the “uniparty” system is trying to prevent me and other third-party candidates from getting on state ballots using arcane ballot-access rules set up to cement the two-party monopoly on power.”

“Democrats are also attempting to preempt voter choice by kicking Trump off state ballots using dubious legal theories, an effort I oppose,” he added. “Doubtless, they will also wage ‘lawfare’ to challenge the ballot petitions that my tireless staff and volunteers are collecting to get me on the ballot in all 50 states.”

“The sad fact is that neither major party defends democratic principles,” accused Kennedy. “Both parties have allowed big corporations and elite interests to hijack our government so that average citizens have little influence on policy. Lobbyists now outnumber members of Congress — the people’s representatives — 20 to 1.”

“The good news is that my poll numbers indicate a deep hunger among Americans for an outsider who will challenge the status quo,” he bragged. “I like to think that these numbers reflect my strength as a candidate, but they also reflect a broader trend: the public’s repudiation of the two-party system.”

“There is more at stake in this election than my candidacy,” concluded Kennedy. “This is about restoring democracy — real ‘rule by the people’ — by freeing it from the stranglehold of the dysfunctional two-party system. This November, Americans can fix this broken system by declaring their independence from it.”

Meanwhile, on the Republican side of the primary fence, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is having a devil of a time getting a foothold in the race.

“Haley Risks Humiliation at Home Despite a Flood of Spending,” warned Nancy Cook and Bill Allison for Bloomberg yesterday.

“Nikki Haley has spent far more money and time on the upcoming South Carolina Republican primary than her rival Donald Trump, yet still trails the former president by a wide margin there, despite it being her home state,” Cook and Allison wrote. “The Haley campaign and her two allied super political action committees have booked $8.4 million in advertising there since the New Hampshire primary, according to data from AdImpact. South Carolinians have seen their former governor traverse the state on a two-week bus tour. Pro-Haley signs dot front yards and residents are inundated by multiple ads for her campaign on TV.”

Yet, Haley appears to be doing no better compared to Trump.

And while Democrats won the special election in New York this week, trouble is still ahead.

“Democrats Have Themselves a victory in New York,” cautioned Alexander Sammon for Slate on February 14, 2024: “But they Also Have a Problem.”

“Waiting for the national party to airdrop a spending advantage of millions of dollars is not a sustainable way to win elections,” warned Sammon. “The difficulty of this win and the price tag show the cost of the New York State Democratic Party’s refusal to reconcile with the failures of the party apparatus after the 2022 midterms. This district will also have to go back to the polls for this same race in November. How many millions will that cost?”

Meanwhile, there may be trouble ahead for RFK’s campaign. However committed to its goals, the campaign isn’t as well-managed as some supporters would prefer.

“‘The Campaign Is a Mess’: RFK Jr. Hit With Staff Exodus Over ‘Lavish Spending’ and ‘Amateurish’ Leadership,” reported Diana Falzone for MEDIAite on February 13, 2024.

The independent presidential candidate’s “campaign is in disarray amid an exodus of campaign workers who say disorganization, lavish spending, amateurish leadership, and a severe disconnect between the campaign and the candidate’s values have led the long-shot bid for the presidency,” according to Falzone.

“Fourteen members of Kennedy24 have resigned since the start of the year, including 12 field staff and two main staff, according to multiple sources who spoke with Mediaite on the condition of anonymity,” Falzone continued.

“After deep reflection, I can no longer continue to serve alongside the leadership of your campaign,” despaired one departing staffer in a resignation letter. “While I remain wholly committed to the values and principles you espouse, the day to day management of the campaign has failed to live up to the values of this endeavor.”

“You’re the best candidate I’ve ever had the privilege of serving, and it pains me to inform you that your campaign operation is — by far — the worst I’ve ever been a part of,” the staffer said. “You deserve better. Your supporters deserve better.”

“Things have come to a head, and prayerfully following my heart, I can no longer continue to serve in an organization so rife with such moral and professional turpitude,” they continued. “It brings me no pleasure to share that your campaign leadership is severely mismanaging your bid for the White House. I cannot in good conscience lend my talent, time, and efforts to an organization that is so amateurish, cavalier, and out of touch with the American voter.”

What do these departures pressage for RFK Jr.’s campaign?

(contribtuting writer, Brooke Bell)