Below is my column in the New York Post on the withdrawal of Robert Kennedy, Jr. from the presidential race and his endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Kennedy’s speech resonated with many long-time Democrats who have found themselves estranged from the party. While Kennedy remains an independent, it is a cautionary tale that is being missed in the “joy” theme of the Democratic National Convention. The fact is that new Republicans are often not the product of ideology and association but anxiety and exclusion. Democrats make Republicans.
Here is the column:
The withdrawal of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the presidential race and his endorsement of former President Donald Trump was yet another extraordinary moment in an election that has been anything but predictable.
Only a year ago, it would have been unthinkable that a sitting president would be effectively forced off a ticket and replaced by a candidate who did not secure a single vote for president.
Now, the nephew of John F. Kennedy and son of the Robert F. Kennedy has not just withdrawn from the Democratic Party but endorsed the Republican nominee.
Amidst all of the claimed “joy” of the Democratic National Convention, there is a sobering reality that is being ignored by the ecstatic press and pundits: this is how Democrats make Republicans.
There is an old expression that “a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged.”
Irving Kristol explained the neoconservative movement was built by Democrats “mugged by reality.”
Kennedy has not become a Republican but rather joined the roughly half of Americans now identifying as independents. While this country is solidly under the hold of a duopoly of power in the two main parties, only 25% of the country identify as Democrats, and 25% as Republicans.
Kennedy’s departure from the Democrats has been mocked in the press. However, when he spoke on his withdrawal, many of us who have been lifetime members of the party identified with his remarks.
I come from a politically active liberal Democratic family in Chicago. I spent much of my life working for liberals since I first came to Washington as a Democratic House page in the 1970s. I did stints on the Hill or on campaigns with Democrats ranging from Rep. Sid Yates (Ill.) to Sen. William Proxmire (Wis.) to Mo Udall (Arz.). I even worked on the campaign and ran for delegate for RFK Jr.’s uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Then the party changed. Where once they defended free speech, Democrats have rallied behind censorship and blacklisting of those with opposing views. They have sought to block dozens of Republicans from ballots, including former President Trump. To make matters worse, they have done so in the supposed name of democracy.
Those actions were raised by Kennedy in his powerful and poignant withdrawal speech. He detailed how the Democratic party moved to stop him from running against President Biden in the primary, including efforts to block him from ballots. It was an ironic moment. After harassing candidates like RFK and Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, the Democratic leadership then simply installed their choice at the convention in an unprecedented bait-and-switch.
There could have been a substantive primary that exposed the diminished mental state of Biden and allowed for a democratic choice on the best nominee. Instead, the Democrats prevented such choices from being made and selected a leader with all of the transparency and deliberation of a party Congress in China.
Kennedy said that the Democratic Party has virtually shoved him and other voters into the arms of Donald Trump and the Republican Party.
Kennedy observed that “I began this journey as a Democrat, the party of my father, my uncle, the party which I pledged my own allegiance to long before I was old enough to vote.”
He said that his party was the one that championed free speech, government transparency, and opposed unjust wars. “True to its name, it was the party of democracy.”
He said that the party has turned its back on all of the values that once defined it. For former Democrats like Kennedy, running on “joy” is no substitute for these profound changes in the party.
Indeed, the DNC bordered on the creepy as speaker after speaker sold the idea that, if voters could just swallow the Harris candidacy, they would immediately experience joy like some political prozac commercial.
It is not clear whether the red pill/blue pill pitch will be enough, or whether Kennedy’s endorsement will turn the critical votes in swing states.
However, the DNC showed how Democrats make Republicans. The unrelenting identity politics and claims of defending democracy (while opposing democratic choice) only reaffirmed for many that there is no longer a big tent in the party of Roosevelt and Kennedy.
There is a serious question whether John F. Kennedy would recognize or support the current Democratic Party. It now rejects many of his core, mainstream values.
His nephew highlighted the irony of how the party not only worked to block the ability of opponents to challenge President Biden but worked to “conceal the cognitive decline of the sitting president.”
Even the Washington Post recently admitted that “the 81-year-old had shown signs of slipping for a long time, but his inner circle worked to conceal his decline.”
However, the Post failed to note that Vice President Kamala Harris was part of that inner circle. Indeed, she has been touting her close work with Biden in her campaign.
There is little recognition that, if true, it means that Harris, the White House, and leading Democrats lied to the public about Biden’s mental decline for their own political interests.
For Kennedy, it was all too much “and, most sadly … in the name of saving Democracy, the Democratic Party set itself to dismantling it, lacking confidence in its candidate, that its candidate could win in a fair election at the voting booth.”
There is little “joy” in that.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage” (Simon & Schuster).
Another country with “the politics of joy” is North Korea. Have you ever seen the videos of masses of young people singing and dancing and even crying with joy at the sight of their great (short) leader? The Chinese masses also loved Mao. In a free country, a politician can hope for respect at most.
I saw a predictor of Presidential elections on Ytube yesterday. He said that Kennedy’s speech was ineffective and rambling. He must have been considered the part where Kennedy emotionally showed his concern for the health of American children. It just goes to show that history has proven that once given power the heart of the socialist will turn to stone.
TiT,
RFKs speech sounded with a lot of people. With people like RFK, Tulsi Gabbard, Elon Musk saying it is okay to walk away from the insanity that has taken over Democrat party, many sane, normal Democrats are doing exactly that.
Good for them!
These days I see little joy in either political party. To most of them, it is a life and death struggle. For the left, the emotions are three, to be hate for all things not left, a dire outlook for the planet, and a total drive for power. They ask for neighbor to betray neighbor, sister to condemn brother, loyalty to party above God and country. They may call it joy, but the word wears very thin.
don’t forget the most important betrayal, mother betrays child.
Now we can have our country back go u s a
Power at any cost (getting it or maintaining it) drives knee jerk solutions without regard to long-term consequences. The Democrat candidate was fine with Party Honcho’s until the voter witnessed an unscripted disastrous display and power began to slip away. The saying about bankruptcy – it comes on slowly then accelerates to all at once – is clearly applicable to political power! Let’s see if deniable coupes become the standard.
Question:
Does anyone here actually believe the Powers That Be
let the People use elections to decide who our Leaders are?
RFK jr sold out. There’s a reason why he had some support. He was not Trump or Biden. It was the same reason Haley ran. When she lost out to Trump. Her supporters flocked to Harris. Trump has not been able to handle Harris or remain disciplined at all. He’s turned into an incoherent mess. RFK jr. may have endorsed Trump, but that doesn’t mean his supporters will automatically do the same. RFK jr. showed he could be bribed, bought, and sellout easily. It can also mean not all of his supporters will vote for Trump.
An endorsement doesn’t mean much, especially from a guy who just abandoned his supporters. Kind of like Ross Perot.
I disagree. If he had adopted the Republican platform, then yes, that would have been a sellout. But he made it perfectly clear he and Trump did NOT agree on everything, just the most consequential things for the nation at this time of history.
The 2016 election should have been a wake up call to all party apparatchiks, but too many misinterpreted his win or stubbornly refused to accept that Americans actually DO have the reigns.
The former are just living a delusion, but the latter are truly the ones we simply must defeat.
They don’t WANT ordinary Americans to dictate the terms for their leaders, they want us to shut up and color, pretending that everything is awesome.
RFK, Jr understands that, Trump understands that and both are sacrificing everything to fight for us.
May God bless and be with them!
Granny63,
Well said.
As RFK and the good professor points out, the Democrat party is the party of censorship, of big business, of forever wars, of the elites. And the Democrat party hates anyone who disagrees with them. We see it with their anti-democracy actions and words. They are the anti-America party.
Trump understands only one thing. Loyalty and adoration. RFK jr. Is only good for Trump until Nov 5th. Trump doesn’t give a fig about RFK jr. Trump thinks all of RFK’s supporters will automatically flock to him. He thinks that’s how it works. It doesn’t. Harris has momentum and a newfound energy that Trump can’t match. He’s still stuck in griping and whining. I give it a week or two and the RFK jr endorsement will fade like his attempted assassination.
LOL. The delusion is amazing. Please tell us of the basis for this harris momentum. What new ideas of hers that are sweeping the nation.
Pretty sure I didn’t flock to the D’s, nor did any of the Haley supporters that I know. They may not vote for Trump, but there’s no way that they are going to vote for Harris.
As for me, judicial appointments matter
Not voting for Trump means Trump’s advantage doesn’t get any better. He will still be stuck making incoherent rants and continue to be the old and cognitive challenged vs a younger and better understood candidate.
He will still be stuck making incoherent rants and continue to be the old and cognitive challenged vs a younger and better understood candidate.
If George’s lies about Trump and his lies to prop up whichever Soviet Democrat is running against Trump could be counted as votes, the number would be sufficient for George to claim that the election is now in the bag for Round Heels Harris.
This is why all of the relatives of George’s parents claim his mother and father never had any children.
George is a Cheap Fake American.
Hey George, when Haley dropped out Harris wasn’t even the candidate and yet you stated that her supporters flocked to her??? Lie much?
Hullbobby, read for comprehension. Geez, it must be contagious.
Haley’s supporters didn’t immediately go to Harris. Of course you knew that. When Harris became the nominee Haley’s supporters pledged support to Harris. She gave them a better option than not voting at all. RFK Jr’s supporters are mostly conspiracy theory fans and believers. That does not mean the majority will automatically flock to Trump. Many would probably not vote at all. Others could vote for Harris. Polls still show Harris leading Trump. I give it two weeks perhaps one and see where things stand. As I’ve said many times, things can change a lot given the time to Election Day. Trump thought he had it in the bag after his assassination attempt. That faded quickly after Trump failed to capitalize on it as he usually does. He can’t change fast enough or adjust to new or different circumstances. Instead of changing he whines and complains.
RFK jr sold out.
Others would say the Obama ordered Soviet Democrats to sell out Bribery Biden when he was of no further use to them. Bribery Biden, who they sold out normal Americans by assuring them he was a moderate rather than the police state fascist totalitarian Soviet Democrat that he showed himself to be in fact. When Obama saw Biden couldn’t win him Obama’s Fourth Term, he ordered Pelosi, Schumer et al to kick democracy to the curb in order to kick Biden to the curb.
To a Confederate rebel racist Democrat like George, RFK, Gabbard, etc… anybody who won’t vote for Obama’s Fourth Term to be served by Harris and Walz now that Obama has ordered Biden kicked to the curb, is automatically a sell out of their neo-communist cause.
Which is why George and his fellow racist identity politics Soviet Democrats are Cheap Fake Americans.
George and his fellow Soviet Democrat racists can’t be a sell out of America when they self-identify as either a Confederate racist and/or a communist… they never were normal Americans.
RKF Jr’s withdrawal speech will go down as one of the greatest speeches ever in the history of United State’s. I do not agree with many of Mr. Kennedy’s positions on issues, I do now fully understand that the DNC (Democratic National Communist) party is the Enemy of actual Democracy!!!!!!!
Professor, I think this is one of your best columns ever. The Democrat party has go so far hard left, they make sane, normal Democrats look just right of center. We need these Democrats, Independents and Republicans to vote the radical leftists Democrats out of office.
The house is on fire! Time to get out. Professor, you make excellent points. When will you officially separate yourself from the name? Not for what once was but for what it has now become?
Almost like he could be unburdened by what has been! 🙂
it is CLEAR…Democrats are WORSE than Nazis
At least Nazis Loved their country
Democrats LOVE MONEY…and Hate America….
Pro Drugs, illegals, richest, war, etc
They are CCP apparatchiks, most of them just haven’t realized it, yet.
But they’ll support anything ANYTHING for the right to murder their children, including murdering everyone else in their way.
1. Please tell it like it is : There is no Democrat Party, that ship sailed the day Obacala took office. “we are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America”, this article highlights the transformation so please pin the blame where it belongs? I think a correct term today for the lost democrat party is the Marxist party.
2. The “press” is not the Press if it were the truth would be told exposing the Marxist party not the “joy”. The media is now the propaganda arm of the Marxist party and they are waging the war against the Republic on their behalf.
3. Can someone please tell me who the hades is running the country?
Ms Ballhere, bureaucrats are running the country. Unelected bureaucrats with an interest in securing their jobs are in charge.
Apparently communists and socialists were part of the Democrat party. That’s all that’s left. The dregs…
They do deserve representation and the unethical lawlessness is unacceptable. It’s a horrible realization isn’t it to know they’ve waited to murder you.
We’re on an auto-pilot designed by Boeing!
Harris exploited elder abuse for her own power struggle.
RFK Jr’s speeches Friday were masterful. He articulated the reasons for his positions on free speech, lawfare, corporate capture and corruption, Ukraine and chronic childhood diseases eloquently and succinctly. He explained how the Democrats have betrayed their traditional core values. While I would not want him in a position of power to increase spending or promote climate catastrophism (though his position on this is now murky), he would be brilliant at redirecting NIH spending, dismantling the biosecurity deep state and declassifying government secrets.
The questions now are what role he will play in the Trump campaign and what position, if any, he would have in a Trump administration. His precision about the policies on which he agrees with Trump and his energy and effectiveness could be a boon to Trump’s campaign and administration.
I grew up a Democrat, from a Democrat family. I even worked in a few elections, supporting LBJ and other Democrats. In about 1980, I noticed that things were changing. Liberals who I talked to no longer supported freedom of speech. They got angry when I pointed out, the opposition had just as much right to say what they believed as the Democrats did. They wouldn’t hear of it. I had to leave that party because it changed and My core values didn’t change. It’s not that I embraced the Republican party, it’s that I left the Democratic party. If I saw what was going on, the Republicans in power definitely saw it, and did absolutely nothing to counter it.
The propaganda of the left has infested our culture and society and businesses so much now that it may not be possible to have a free country again. I hope I’m wrong, but events of the last 3 or 4 years have pretty much sealed the deal. Hardly anyone has the guts any more to challenge what they are being told to do by someone in power.
How did Harris end up on the Dem ticket without having won one state in the primaries? This all sounds like the most back room deal ever perpetrated on America. How do the average Democratic voters feel about this? The press is silent as usual. Done deal and done quickly. Pelosi is talented.
The politburo decreed that she would be the candidate when Comrade Biden was deemed unqualified. It was announced at last week’s party congress.
JFKjr was unceremoniously cut out of the party even when he was really the only viable candidate. But while he has endorsed T45 make no mistake: he hasn’t changed or become a Republican, he hasn’t changed his Democratic outlook, policies & beliefs……he just doesn’t have anywhere to offer them.
JFKjr is still a hardcore leftist. Just like Nikki Hailey & other disloyal turncoats, JFKjr should not be considered for any positions in T45’s winning government.
Haley is no leftist. I suppose you think that Reagan was as well.
Did you even read Turley’s article? Opinions like this are making Republicans independents
Last year I visited the JFK museum in Massachusetts and when listening to his speeches was surprised at the tone of those speeches. He sounded like he was a Republican. But in thinking about it and being old enough to remember JFK as president, I realized that he sounded like an American who loved his country. Those were the days when most citizens honored the flag and our constitution.
Yes, liberals back then were very conservative by our current standards. That’s how far the party has moved away from democracy. Listen to Barbara Jordan’s speeches, too. Very conservative, especially on illegal immigration.
I’ve said for quite a while that most Independents and all but the most rabid right-wingers are basically JFK-Democrats now. Certainly that’s where I am – but being up-front about my views now gets me considered a “right-wing loon” in current media parlance.
In my lifetime, I’ve voted many times for Democrats (before the party went insane in the early 2000s). Guaranteed, I’ve done this far more times than current Dems have ever voted Republican, and yet I’m the one who’s labeled a party-first guy.
Bravo. Perfectly said