While the mainstream news media keeps insisting that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is a fringe 2024 presidential candidate, most of the elements of his campaign platform appear to be anything but fringe. In fact, most of them appear to be lifted directly from the platforms of Obama in ’08 and Trump in ’16.
Consider Kennedy’s promise to end Washington corruption. Kennedy cites the following examples of the kinds of corruption he’ll address:
Kennedy says he’ll change “a system in which perfectly decent people become agents of corruption without even knowing it”, and that his ultimate goal is to “remake public institutions to serve the public”. He says this will require, in part, transparency, protecting whistleblowers, prosecuting officials who abuse their positions, and keeping lobbyists out of Washington.
Kennedy’s promise to end Washington corruption echoes the campaign promises made by former presidents Obama and Trump.
Barack Obama, during his 2008 campaign, ran on the exact same goal of ending Washington corruption. He vowed to take away from lobbyists the power to dictate Washington’s agenda, and to return that power to the voters. Like Kennedy, Obama also promised to keep lobbyists and Washington insiders out of his administration, to protect whistleblowers, and to maintain transparency.
Similarly, Trump promised during his 2016 campaign to “drain the swamp” — to end Washington corruption, to keep globalists out of his administration, and ensure that government remained focused on serving the people rather than corporations.
The fact that Kennedy is repeating the promises made by candidates who won office in ’08, ’12, and ’16, suggests that Kennedy’s a mainstream candidate with priorities that appeal to the public. So why is the mainstream media is trying to convince the public he’s a “fringe” candidate?