Heroes emerge from chaos
There are some things that are almost cyclical in American politics. As sure as the seasons change, every decade or so, the mood of the electorate swings from liberal to conservative or vice versa, and from cautious and steady to active and engaged.
And there’s something cyclical about it: Every few years, a member of the Kennedy family appears on the national political stage. The first did so in 1884, just 35 years after the family arrived from Ireland. And the latest, Robert F Kennedy Jr., did so when he won the Democratic nomination for president in 2024, and then when he ran as an independent in October.
Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a descendant of the famous Kennedy family and is very attractive in American politics. Photo: Politico
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 69, is the son and namesake of the late “Attorney General” Robert F. Kennedy, who was shot dead while running for president in 1968, just five years after his brother, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated. Once America’s leading environmental lawyer, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has become better known in recent years for his anti-vaccination activism and penchant for conspiracy theories.
Despite some controversy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is still climbing the political ladder, after deciding to become an independent candidate in the presidential election. The 69-year-old lawyer also has a remarkable record on the environmental front, having won many lawsuits against leading US corporations for polluting or violating the rights of minority communities.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s political views also appeal to the middle class, as he advocates reducing the wealth gap between people and raising property taxes on millionaires and billionaires. More importantly, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears in a context where the two leading candidates, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, are both showing significant difficulties.
Recent polls show President Joe Biden’s approval ratings are slipping. But former President Trump also faces many challenges, chief among them the 91 criminal charges he faces in federal and state courts after his dramatic presidency.
The problems of Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump have made many American voters crave younger, less divisive options to send their votes to, in the hope of finding a “hero” who can revive America, and further lead this superpower to create a more peaceful and sustainable world.
Former President Donald Trump still faces a lot of legal trouble. Photo: CNN
Top candidates in the 2024 US presidential election REPUBLICAN PARTY + Donald Trump (77 years old): Mr. Trump has accepted his indictments in four separate criminal cases - unprecedented for a former US President - and used them to enhance his reputation among Republicans to raise funds, helping him become the Republican leader with 61% in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. DEMOCRATIC PARTY + Joe Biden (81 years old): The oldest US president ever will have to convince voters that he has the stamina to last another four years in power, amid concerns about his age and declining approval ratings. President Biden's allies say he believes he is the only Democratic candidate who can beat Mr. Trump. INDEPENDENT RUNNING + Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (69 years old): He is the son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 while running for US President, and the grandson of the late President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1983. Mr. Kennedy Jr. was banned from using Instagram for spreading misinformation about vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic but was later reinstated. |
Waiting for surprises in the new year
Modern US election history shows that if a person is not a Republican or a Democrat, the chances of becoming President are slim. But third-party candidates have overturned election results in the past, and that could happen again in 2024.
In 1992, billionaire businessman Ross Perot won 19% of the vote, arguably flipping the White House to Democrat Bill Clinton over Republican incumbent George H.W. Bush.
In 2000, Green Party activist Ralph Nader won 97,488 votes in Florida, taking enough votes from Democratic candidate Al Gore to give George W. Bush the state and, with it, the White House.
This election could see a similar surprise. According to a late-December Gallup poll, about 63% of U.S. adults agree that the Republican and Democratic parties “do such a poor job” of representing the American people that “a third major party is needed.” That’s up 7 percentage points from a year ago and the highest since Gallup first asked the question in 2003.
A recent Wall Street Journal poll also found that one-fifth of respondents said they would vote for a third-party candidate in 2024. Or another indicator that says the same thing: A Reuters/Ipsos poll in December showed that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could win 20% of the vote in a three-way contest with Biden and Trump.
Kennedy Jr. is currently backed by the SuperPAC “American Values 2024,” a super PAC that has been working to help him get on the presidential ballot in seven key battleground states: Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Texas.
Incumbent President Joe Biden is now 81 years old and is seeing his approval ratings decline. Photo: Gallup News
A statement outlining the next steps for “American Values 2024” also said it believed Kennedy Jr. could win if no presidential candidate received 270 electoral votes. In such a situation, the U.S. Constitution requires that delegations from each state in the House of Representatives vote to choose the next president in an election held in that legislative body.
As a descendant of one of the most famous families in American politics, Kennedy Jr. has the advantage of his prestigious surname, especially when Americans always consider his uncle - John F. Kennedy - one of the most impressive Presidents. Continuing the family tradition, or becoming a driving force in deciding the next owner of the White House, either way, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. can be named as a figure who will shape America in 2024.
Nguyen Khanh
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