I recently heard someone analogize Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) to Joe Biden and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his father, Bobby Kennedy.  The comparison criticized Biden’s handling of the Ukraine War, attempting to draw parallels to LBJ and Vietnam.  The Vietnam War became so unpopular that LBJ chose not to run for reelection in 1968, paving the way for Bobby Kennedy, who appeared to be the clear frontrunner for the Democratic Party before he was assassinated.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) is no Bobby Kennedy.  Not to mention the other glaring false equivalences from the broken analogy above.  The United States started the Vietnam War, whereas Russia has clearly been the aggressor in Ukraine (don’t give me the NATO excuse).  By most credible polling, the American public is in favor of how Biden has handled the Ukraine War.  Moreover, there has been nowhere near the criticism and protests about U.S. aid to Ukraine compared to what America witnessed in the 1960s against the Vietnam War.

Bobby Kennedy also wasn’t a serial conspiracy theorist like his son.  We’ll get to that below.  Before we do though, we should ask: is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for real?  Does he have a legitimate shot to win the Democratic nomination and maybe even the presidency?

When I first heard his announcement speech from the conservative mecca, Hillsdale College, I didn’t take it seriously.  Then I saw how he’s polling.  Yes, question the polls, especially after they largely led us astray in 2016 and again in 2020.  But still, RFK Jr. is polling anywhere from 14-19% by most estimates. 

Who is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.?

RFK Jr. made a name for himself as an environmental lawyer.  I have to admit – his environmental record is impressive.  He has sued numerous governments and private companies for environmental waste, hazards, and other infractions.  He held the role of Hudson Riverkeeper where he had a positive impact on New York City’s waterways.

This is a guy who has demonstrated a lifetime of service to minorities and communities detrimentally impacted by environmental problems.  He’s currently a partner at the personal injury law firm Morgan and Morgan (you might have heard their annoying ads that seem to be everywhere now).  Previously, RFK Jr. proved to be an adept trial attorney, defeating the agricultural giant, Monsanto, in a lawsuit where the jury awarded his client $289 million in damages. 

Unfortunately, there’s another side to RFK Jr.  For as impressive as his environmental work has been, his conspiracy theory peddling has been equally as disturbing.  He claims the government is lying to the American people about Ukraine yet offers no substantiation.  And that’s just the very tip of the iceberg. 

Robert F. Kennedy was anti-vaccines long before COVID-19

Since 2005, RFK Jr. has questioned vaccines and falsely linked them to a variety of conditions and diseases, including autism.  He’s the founder and chairman of an anti-vaccine group, Children’s Health Defense.  This was all before COVID-19 hit.

So what did RFK Jr. do when the pandemic struck?  The same thing he had been doing for fifteen-plus years: spreading misinformation, sowing doubt, and catering to fringe theories that all seem to be based on distrusting the government about everything.  COVID-19 was right up his alley and he hasn’t disappointed as one of the biggest sources of vaccine misinformation in America.

Many of the articles he’s published about vaccines have required retraction by media outlets like Salon.  RFK Jr.’s famous family wants nothing to do with his vaccine theories.  Three of his family members wrote this piece prior to the pandemic about how their brother and uncle is “tragically wrong about vaccines.”

If anything, the government’s shoddy handling of COVID-19 and vaccine information has emboldened RFK Jr. even more.  He has doubled down on the claims he’s made for over a decade.  He has tried to frame himself as an anti-vaccine prophet, basically saying, “I told you so.”

Comparing the government’s handling of COVID-19 to the Nazis and Holocaust is not even beyond his limits.  But what may be even more telling are the people who currently have encouraged and supported his 2024 presidential run.

I want nothing to do with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s supporters 

Let’s start with Steve Bannon.  Yes, one of the masterminds behind Donald Trump’s rise in 2016.  He has actively encouraged Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run as a Democrat.  It’s not hard to wonder why.  Bannon loves chaos agents.

RFK Jr. has also appeared at multiple far-right events.  He has posed for pictures (that were later deleted) with the likes of Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, and anti-vaccine profiteer Charlene Bollinger.

Aaron Rodgers, the NFL quarterback who was infamously “immunized” from COVID-19, also appears to support RFK Jr.’s candidacy. 

Would you like to be part of this motley crew of supporters and fans?  

There’s an old pearl of wisdom about not fully trusting what people say, and instead watching how they act.  Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may say he is a Democrat.  He may talk a good game about making government accountable, promoting freedom, and protecting the environment.  Much of what he says on those topics is often genuine and true.

But as my mother always said, you are who you’re friends with.  The fact Robert F. Kennedy Jr. felt it appropriate to even announce his Democratic candidacy at Hillsdale College of all places should tell you all you need to know.  This conservative mecca has been a breeding ground for the extreme ideology that has overtaken the Republican Party.  Ron DeSantis, the budding fascist himself, has even regaled them with praise, describing it as a model school for Florida to emulate.

RFK Jr. is not for real but needs to be taken seriously

There are enough disgruntled moderate Democrats who want anyone but Biden.  I can’t blame them.  I was done with Biden after his disastrous handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.  But overall, he’s done a pretty decent job handling the delicate situation of Ukraine and many of his domestic policies are encouraging (especially as they relate to infrastructure and the environment).  

If it’s a choice between Biden and the big orange man or Ron DeFascist, I pick Joe every time.  If RFK Jr. is in the mix, however, not everyone may think the same.  They may actually take his anti-government charade seriously.  They may look past his decades of vaccine misinformation and the harm it has done. 

They would be making a major mistake.  If we learned anything from the Trump years it should be that we need a President who is judicious in his or her decisionmaking.  Someone who will welcome countervailing viewpoints, but also demands substantiation, compelling evidence, and a reasonable basis for any fact.  American democracy cannot survive another conspiracy theorist in the White House.

So while I appreciate your environmental work, RFK Jr., I cannot get past your anti-vaccine and overall conspiracy theory-peddling record.  

Neither should you.