Who just spent $7 million on a total flop ad for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., known to some as the anti-Kennedy? Apparently, Trump mega donor Peter Mellon did. Why, is beyond me. But I am pretty certain that Mellon will regret setting fire to the money in not too long of a time. Reuters reports that Mellon, heir to the banking fortune, “gave $10 million to the pro-Kennedy American Values 2024 super PAC in the second half of 2023, disclosures to the Federal Election Commission showed on Wednesday. He had previously given the group $5 million in April 2023.” That is a lot of scratch. And it’s not being one to elect RFK, Jr., it’s being done to elect Donald Trump.
Democratic strategist Lis Smith on Wednesday suggested that Mellon bankrolling pro-Kennedy efforts was an effort to help Trump. “Numbers don’t lie- it’s clear Donald Trump and his biggest donors believe that RFK Jr. will help him in this election,” Smith said. “RFK Jr’s stalking horse candidacy should be very concerning to any American who wants to keep Trump out of the Oval Office.”
I’ll give you my theory on why this is going to flop. There is no target audience that this ad hits. If RFK, Jr. is looking to get the boomer votes, he’s completely sunk. Those of us who remember Jack and Bobby from our childhoods know that they are rolling in their graves right now, looking at this travesty of a person who bears their name and some physical resemblance.
On a deeper level, a spiritual level, one of decency, and as a potential politician, RFK can claim no kinship to his eponymously named forebear(s). Simply none. The Kennedy brothers, Junior’s father and uncle, represented the zeitgeist of the 60’s. They were vibrant, passionate social justice warriors. They dreamt of a better life and they were the soulmates of other men and women who dreamed of the same. RFK Jr. is a circus clown with the Kennedy name.
So he won’t get the boomers. That little bit of nostalgia you saw play for 30 seconds was for naught.
And what I especially thought was odd is that you see a glimpse of Jackie, the fashionista First Lady of that era. RFK Jr.’s own wife hung herself after she found his diary which depicted details of his affairs with 37 women. That fact is not going to resonate well with voters, particularly women.
Although I must say, if I had a husband who did that and I found that diary, suicide is the last thing I would contemplate. Homocide, quite possibly, but not suicide. The fact that she chose that path only depicts what a sick and toxic relationship the two of them had, a perfectly horrible marriage. Is anybody going to vote for that in a moral leader, which the president of the United States is supposed to be?
So count the boomers out. Count thinking people out. And young people won’t respond to that ancient ad. They’ll just find it tacky and weird. So forget about the Millenials. Gen X is shaking its head, too.
What about Republicans disenchanted with MAGA? The only salient question here is would RFK Jr. pull more votes from Trump than from Biden? Because theoretically he could pull votes from both and one or two percentage points could spell the fate of an election.
As stated, Jack and Bobby are rolling in their graves. This is a travesty. This is the most consequential election of our lives, the one that will determine whether America remains America or becomes an autocracy. And the fact that Bobby’s perverse son is enthralled in the service of the worst president this nation has ever had or ever will have (God willing) is nothing short of heartbreaking.
Trump loves to use the word RINO. RFK Jr. is a KINO and the first people to tell you that will be his siblings. They’re all voting for Joe. Junior may have the Kennedy name but he’s no more the political progeny of Bobby and Jack than Richard Nixon was. I’ll bet Nixon is rolling in his grave as well. Nixon hated Bobby. He said, “That goddamn Bobby. They treat him like a fucking rock star.” And indeed they did. Indeed that was the case. But even Nixon would find Junior a bridge too far, in my opinion.
This is totally Bizarro World. This is straight out of a comic book. A new low in American politics was hit today. And it is by no means the bottom. It’s only February and we have a ways to go to hit the bottom.
Damn. What a shame for his wife. His voice is so gravelly, I can’t imagine listening to him for more than ten seconds. Those of us who watched John and Bobby can’t imagine what caused him to embrace fascism.
By the way expect the Maga crowd to go nuts cuz Kansas city just won the superbowl in overtime! Obviously Taylor swift won it from the stands!
thanks for that tidbit, I always look at superb owls instead.
So, yah, at a point in the Super Bowl when my Chiefs (yah, mine, since I wa 8 in ’63 when Lamar Hunt brought them to my hometown and Dad bought some of the first season tickets) were giving me the usual worries, I saw that commercial and damned near choked on my popcorn. Screaming hard at the TV “you are not your father or your uncles…how dare you!!” until I lost my voice!! That commercial was nothing more than stolen valor!! 🤬🤬
My boomer wifes comment, was that a real add? or some sort of parody? she had to google it to find out.
Was watching the game with a friend last night and saw the ad. Friend asked me who in the f*ck is this? Is he running for some office? If that’s his campaign ad he’s f*cked.
I had to tell him the guy is f*cked…in the head.
How much for that p.o.s. ad? Would have gotten more voter interest if they actually HAD set the cash on fire.
Maybe Jr. follows in his grandfather’s footsteps.
Wasn’t Joe a lowlife bootlegger?
” RFK Jr.’s own wife hung herself after she found his diary which depicted details of his affairs with 37 women.
So, in some ways, he is like the Kennedy brothers. A horndog.
And a nazi supporter!
Rule #1 of having an affair is to be discreet and avoid leaving telltale evidence. Only a flaming narcissist would document details in a diary (or in a book, as Trump did).