It’s true that history repeats itself. At least there’s some pretty loud repeating going on at the moment within the Democratic Party. The calendar reads the present day 2023. But as far as some liberals are concerned, it’s 1968 all over again.
In 1968, Americans had an unpopular president, so unpopular that Lyndon Johnson opted eight months before election day, not to run for reelection. When Johnson bowed out of the presidential race in March 1968, his disapproval rating was at a staggering 57%. In 2023, a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that President Joe Biden is in bad shape.
He has a disapproval rating of 56%. Biden’s approval rating is the lowest ever as President, 36%. That means at the moment, two out of every three Americans are eager to take applications from other candidates. Age is a big issue. 68% of Americans think that at 80, Biden’s too old for this job. But there are other issues too. Biden campaigned as a moderate, launched his presidency as a progressive, and spent two years meandering into a murky no man’s land where he all but takes requests from the audience as to what persona he’ll assume tomorrow. According to the poll, both former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would beat Biden in hypothetical matchups. And those Republicans might peel off support from the opposing camp too, given that 58% of Democrats don’t want Biden as the party’s nominee. In 1968, one of the Democratic alternatives who vied for the party’s nomination after Johnson retreated was named Robert Kennedy. In 2023, there’s a new disrupter on the scene who’s challenging Biden in the Democratic primary, and his name is, well, same-same.
Say hello to RFK 2.0 folks. Robert Kennedy Jr. says he’s in it to win it. The social activist recently declared his longshot candidacy for president in 2024. Once known as one of the nation’s top environmental lawyers, RFK Jr. has more recently been associated with the anti-vax movement and other causes that Biden’s protectors in the media and the liberal establishment will surely, in the coming months, label fringe or kooky. Like his father, the son doesn’t seem to trust authority, defer to the establishment or tow the party line. Also, like his father, he doesn’t appear to give a damn what others think of him, and he doesn’t mind walking alone if he has to. This time RFK Jr. has to walk alone. Some of his siblings and cousins actually work for the Biden administration, and they’re gonna stay loyal to their boss. Family be damned. The O.G. Robert Kennedy, the one that my Mexican-Catholic grandmother affectionately called “Bobby” was the real deal. The New York Senator and former U.S. Attorney General and the brother of President John F. Kennedy has, for the last 50 years, set the standard for Democrats. He was tough and compassionate, vulnerable and authentic, tireless and relentless in pursuit of social justice. One of the things that admirers of RFK talk about is that his appeal had no boundaries. When Bobby died on June 6th, 1968. After being shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, his casket was transported by train from New York to Washington, DC. People lined up for miles on both sides of the tracks to pay their respects – whites on one side, blacks on the other. Show me a politician today who could pull off that trick — certainly not the current occupant of the White House. The only way in which this president has managed to unite Americans is in opposition to him, his policies and his administration. So Democrats ought not turn their back on RFK Jr. or take him lightly. Sure, the renegade can’t win the nomination or the White House. But Kennedy could get in a few shots and soften up Biden, just enough so that the incumbent loses the general election.
Related
Ruben Navarrette
Columnist, host & author
View Video LibraryCommentary
Our commentary partners will help you reach your own conclusions on complex topics.
French troops moving into Ukraine could shake up Europe
Yesterday
Peter Zeihan
Drones are revolutionizing modern warfare
Tuesday
Peter Zeihan
Are Japan’s rising interest rates signaling a return to normal?
Monday
Peter Zeihan
Deflation, not inflation, is the real economic risk
Friday
Peter Zeihan
RFK Jr. could hurt Biden’s chances in 2024
May 23, 2023
By Straight Arrow News
A member of the Kennedy dynasty, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has entered the 2024 presidential race, promising to “heal the divide” in America. RFK Jr., an environmental lawyer known mostly for his crusade against vaccinations, isn’t someone to write off, according to Straight Arrow News contributor Ruben Navarrette.
He argues that RFK Jr. certainly has the ability to get in some shots against President Biden in 2024, possibly thwarting the 80-year-old’s chances in the general election.
Say hello to RFK 2.0 folks. Robert Kennedy Jr. says he’s in it to win it. The social activist recently declared his long shot candidacy for president in 2024.
Once known as one of the nation’s top environmental lawyers, RFK Jr. has more recently been associated with the anti-vax movement and other causes that Biden’s protectors in the media and the liberal establishment will surely, in the coming months, label “fringe” or “kooky.” Like his father, the son doesn’t seem to trust authority, defer to the establishment or toe the party line. Also, like his father, he doesn’t appear to give a damn what others think of him, and he doesn’t mind walking alone if he has to.
This time RFK Jr. has to walk alone. Some of his siblings and cousins actually work for the Biden administration, and they’re gonna stay loyal to their boss — family be damned.
The O.G. Robert Kennedy, the one that my Mexican-Catholic grandmother affectionately called “Bobby,” was the real deal. The New York senator and former U.S. attorney general — and the brother of President John F. Kennedy — has, for the last 50 years, set the standard for Democrats. He was tough and compassionate, vulnerable and authentic, tireless and relentless in pursuit of social justice. One of the things that admirers of RFK talk about is that his appeal had no boundaries.
It’s true that history repeats itself. At least there’s some pretty loud repeating going on at the moment within the Democratic Party. The calendar reads the present day 2023. But as far as some liberals are concerned, it’s 1968 all over again.
In 1968, Americans had an unpopular president, so unpopular that Lyndon Johnson opted eight months before election day, not to run for reelection. When Johnson bowed out of the presidential race in March 1968, his disapproval rating was at a staggering 57%. In 2023, a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that President Joe Biden is in bad shape.
He has a disapproval rating of 56%. Biden’s approval rating is the lowest ever as President, 36%. That means at the moment, two out of every three Americans are eager to take applications from other candidates. Age is a big issue. 68% of Americans think that at 80, Biden’s too old for this job. But there are other issues too. Biden campaigned as a moderate, launched his presidency as a progressive, and spent two years meandering into a murky no man’s land where he all but takes requests from the audience as to what persona he’ll assume tomorrow. According to the poll, both former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would beat Biden in hypothetical matchups. And those Republicans might peel off support from the opposing camp too, given that 58% of Democrats don’t want Biden as the party’s nominee. In 1968, one of the Democratic alternatives who vied for the party’s nomination after Johnson retreated was named Robert Kennedy. In 2023, there’s a new disrupter on the scene who’s challenging Biden in the Democratic primary, and his name is, well, same-same.
Say hello to RFK 2.0 folks. Robert Kennedy Jr. says he’s in it to win it. The social activist recently declared his longshot candidacy for president in 2024. Once known as one of the nation’s top environmental lawyers, RFK Jr. has more recently been associated with the anti-vax movement and other causes that Biden’s protectors in the media and the liberal establishment will surely, in the coming months, label fringe or kooky. Like his father, the son doesn’t seem to trust authority, defer to the establishment or tow the party line. Also, like his father, he doesn’t appear to give a damn what others think of him, and he doesn’t mind walking alone if he has to. This time RFK Jr. has to walk alone. Some of his siblings and cousins actually work for the Biden administration, and they’re gonna stay loyal to their boss. Family be damned. The O.G. Robert Kennedy, the one that my Mexican-Catholic grandmother affectionately called “Bobby” was the real deal. The New York Senator and former U.S. Attorney General and the brother of President John F. Kennedy has, for the last 50 years, set the standard for Democrats. He was tough and compassionate, vulnerable and authentic, tireless and relentless in pursuit of social justice. One of the things that admirers of RFK talk about is that his appeal had no boundaries. When Bobby died on June 6th, 1968. After being shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, his casket was transported by train from New York to Washington, DC. People lined up for miles on both sides of the tracks to pay their respects – whites on one side, blacks on the other. Show me a politician today who could pull off that trick — certainly not the current occupant of the White House. The only way in which this president has managed to unite Americans is in opposition to him, his policies and his administration. So Democrats ought not turn their back on RFK Jr. or take him lightly. Sure, the renegade can’t win the nomination or the White House. But Kennedy could get in a few shots and soften up Biden, just enough so that the incumbent loses the general election.
Related
Democrats too soft on Biden’s poor treatment of immigrants
Republicans have attacked U.S. southern border security from every angle. What’s sometimes missing from the public view of this conversation are the criticisms of Biden’s own fellow Democrats, many of whom argue that the president is being far too tough with immigrants who dream of living in the United States. Straight Arrow News contributor Ruben…
Tuesday
Why Trump is doing surprisingly well with Latinos
Despite Donald Trump’s use of anti-immigrant rhetoric, which could potentially turn off some Latino voters, the former president is seeing a rise in support within this demographic. According to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, Latino voters, now constituting nearly 15% of eligible voters, show President Biden with 40% support compared to Trump’s 46%.…
Mar 19
Trump’s xenophobia risks repeating past US mistakes
Former President Donald Trump has sworn that, if reelected, he will deport immigrants by the millions, telling his supporters that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” Critics have flagged that language as dangerous and labeled Trump a racist and a xenophobe, but many of his supporters see border security as the real threat.…
Mar 12
Democrats picked the wrong horse, might wind up with Trump
Recent polls indicate that Republican front-runner Donald Trump leads incumbent President Joe Biden eight months before the presidential election. And age is not the only factor on voters’ minds — Biden may now be losing the likability advantage he has held over Trump. Straight Arrow News contributor Ruben Navarrette contends that Democrats are solely responsible…
Mar 5
Presidents should have to pass psychological screening
Many Americans have scrutinized the psychological and emotional health of former President Donald Trump, yet the highest executive office in the nation still does not require any tests affirming psychological wellness. Employees at far lower levels of government are subjected to these evaluations and required to pass them before taking their oaths. And while right-leaning…
Feb 27
Underreported stories from each side
Mississippi hits BlackRock with cease and desist, threatens massive fine over ESG policies
11 sources | 9% from the left
Getty Images
Kari Lake seeks to forfeit her defense in defamation case
23 sources | 16% from the right
Reuters
Latest Stories
$15 traffic toll in Manhattan is approved, a first in US
Watch 0:55
4 hrs ago
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried to be sentenced
Watch 0:40
4 hrs ago
Two victims recovered after Baltimore bridge collapse
Watch 6:01
5 hrs ago
Walmart invests in solar, aims to power 2 million homes by 2035
Watch 1:21
19 hrs ago
Study: Most US service members lack enough sleep — it can be deadly
Watch 1:44
19 hrs ago
Popular Opinions
In addition to the facts, we believe it’s vital to hear perspectives from all sides of the political spectrum.
White rhino IVF pregnancy breakthrough could save species
Yesterday
Newt Gingrich
Users must have rights in Big Tech’s AI race
Yesterday
Adrienne Lawrence
Supreme Court threatens free speech rights in Murthy case
Tuesday
Ben Weingarten
Democrats too soft on Biden’s poor treatment of immigrants
Tuesday
Ruben Navarrette