If you think Marianne Williamson or Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a chance of winning the US presidency, then I have some swampland in Florida that I would like to sell you.

🗽A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.

Jan 08, 2024

Before I get into why their candidacies are generating harm for our communities, let me first share that I hate the two-party system we have. If I could snap my fingers and snap up some changes for our wobbly democracy, I would immediately get rid of dark money donations to members of Congress and State Houses (and I would ban transfers!), claw back the Citizens United ruling, change the rules of the filibuster, and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Then, five years later, I would implement rank-choice voting.

That being said, we do currently have a two-party system, and because of this, candidates like Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pose a threat to the fate of our election.

Voters should elect leaders based on their abilities and potential to do the job.

While the Constitution only lists three qualifications to run as President, not everyone is fit for the job. Being President requires leadership qualities. The qualities of a great leader include optimism, integrity, accountability, empathy, transparency, vision, adaptability, courage, humility, confidence, a growth mindset, communication skills, an openness to collaboration, the ability to empower others, and many more.

Many of the folks running lack these qualities.

Recently, in both Florida and Massachusetts, candidate Marianne Williamson was denied a spot on the Democratic Party's primary ballot. Many progressives have taken to social media to decry the "undemocratic Democrats" for the striking of her name. Don’t get me wrong, as a progressive who spent over 30 years in Florida, I can attest to how lacking the state party is. However Williamson was only removed from the ballot because she failed to get nominated as a primary candidate on time in these states.1 (Marianne Williamson was responsible for reading the bylaws, asking questions, and knowing the rules to be nominated as a primary candidate. If she can't ask questions or read the bylaws, what hope do we have she can read and enact the laws Congress passes?).

Furthermore, Marianne Williamson was given a "second chance" to qualify for the primary ballot in Massachusetts: she could be added back to the ballot if she presented 2500 signed petitions to Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin.2 Williamson declined because she couldn't muster up 2500 supporters in a state of over 7 million people. If Marianne can't get grassroots support, she has no chance of winning the presidency and should leave the race and focus on supporting the final non-Republican nominee.

And Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign is equally harmful, and will be equally unsuccessful. He is no more than a wannabee leader, spreading division and dangerous rhetoric. "Known for spouting debunked misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccinations, RFK Jr. has in recent months made headlines for echoing antisemitic discourse that Jews engineered and spread the COVID-19 virus," says People Magazine.3 Even his own siblings have denounced him saying, "The decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country. Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. Today's announcement is deeply saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country."4 He continues to spread misinformation about vaccines, and uses his name for personal gain. In the words of Robert Reich, "If not for his name, RFK Jr. would be just another crackpot in the growing pool of bottom-feeding right-wing fringe politicians seeking office. But the Kennedy brand is political gold, and could pull away just enough unwitting Democratic voters to tip the race to Trump."5

Many candidates like Marianne Williamson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, and others like Dean Phillips, Cenk Uygur, and Cornel West are taking advantage of our historical moment for personal gain. They hope to use the buzz of the election to support their rise in the media. They know they haven't built the grassroots support to win the election (not on a large enough scale to take on the extreme right-wing candidates), they know they won't win, and yet they are staying in the race and fracturing voters for the sake of seeing their names in headlines.

Staying in the race in 2024 is dangerous, and here is why: Any candidate that splits the vote only increases the chances that someone like Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, or Nikki Haley wins the presidency in 2024. Every day candidates like Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stay in the race, more power is given to the most extreme right-wing candidates. By staying in this race, they are actively harming our communities.

I agree with Bernie Sanders when he said in this AP News piece “I think Joe Biden will be the Democratic nominee. And my job, and I think the progressive movement's job, is to make certain that he stands up and fights for the working class of this country and does not take anything for granted.”6

Read more with this add on piece: I trust Bernie.

Todays Calls-to-Actions

Time: 2 minutes + 5 minutes call

Call your member of Congress (202) 224-3121 and ask them fund WIC! The WIC program is designed to provide nourishing food options, educational resources on nutrition, assistance with breastfeeding, and connections to healthcare and other essential services for the most disadvantaged individuals in our community.
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https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/12/04/florida-democrat-party-primary-voters-biden-uygur-williamson-phillips/

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/20/williamson-ballot-access-massachusetts-00132727

https://people.com/rfk-jr-pushes-conspiracy-theory-covid-19-ethnic-targeting-7561940

author

Rory Kennedy on Instagram: “The decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country. Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. Today’s announcement is deeply saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country.”

January 8, 2024