Jack Schlossberg, former President John F. Kennedy’s grandson, speaks out against his cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign. CNN’s Abby Phillip explains.

  • Dankry@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The linked video does not include the full statement. Below is a transcript (via Salon) for those who’d like to read it:

    President John F. Kennedy is my grandfather, and his legacy is important. It’s about a lot more than Camelot and conspiracy theories. It’s about public service and courage. It’s about civil rights, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and landing a man on the moon. Joe Biden shares my father’s vision for America, that we do things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. And he is in the middle of becoming the greatest progressive president we’ve ever had.

    Under Biden, we’ve added 13 million jobs, unemployment is at its lowest in 60 years. Biden passed the largest investment in infrastructure since the New Deal and the largest investment in green energy ever. He’s appointed more federal judges than any president since my grandfather. He ended our longest war. He ended the COVID pandemic, and he ended [former President] Donald Trump. These are the issues that matter. And if my cousin, Bobby Kennedy Jr., cared about any of them, he would support Joe Biden too.

    Instead, he’s trading in on Camelot, celebrity conspiracy theories and conflict for personal gain and fame. I’ve listened to him. I know him. I have no idea why anyone thinks he should be president. What I do know is his candidacy is an embarrassment. Let’s not be distracted again by somebody’s vanity project. I’m excited to vote for Joe Biden in my state’s primary, and again in the general election. And I hope you will too.

    • Dark_Blade@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I’m no MAGAnut, but calling Joe the ‘greatest progressive president’ is a joke and a half.

      • ChrisLicht@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Joe Biden may have Article 2 power, but what can he do in the face of God’s Chosen: The Parliamentarian?

        FDR, as a child, had a fleeting thought about one day contravening The Parliamentarian, and god smote him with polio.

        JFK stepped off PT109, and was suddenly struck by a vision of the world of peace and prosperity he could deliver as a politician. His next thought was that he might have to override The Parliamentarian to get it all done, and he was suddenly struck again, this time with Addison’s Disease.

        Biden is truly our greatest progressive president. The Parliamentarian sleeps.

      • ElleChaise@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Watch out, Jack. You remind me of a guy I grew up with, his name was Patty O’Neal, he sure could move I tell ya. Patty would line up all the neighborhood alley cats and feed 'em leftovers from the school cafeteria… So don’t sell me a flapjack and call it a donut.

      • MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Yeah that’s definitely hyperbole, but he’s been significantly more progressive than I expected. I think he’s done a really good job so far, I just hope we can give democrats control of Congress in 2024 to get something done.

      • Darkhoof@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I would say that he is the most progressive president in the US since Jimmy Carter, at least. Since Roosevelt and maybe LBJ (who signed the Civil Rights Act) who else would you classify as more progressive in the XXth century?

      • Taako_Tuesday@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        He’s as much of a progressive president as a drop of water when someone is dying of thirst. Sure, he’s better than nothing, and he’s definitely better than the last guy (which i guess in this analogy would be a pure glass of ocean water). But what he’s done is not nearly progressive enough, and to suggest that he’s been satisfactory is a gross overstatement.

        • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          “greatest progressive president” would be more accurate if he said “in america”.

          And yeah, Joe’s America doesn’t score well against happier nations, sure. But he’s well ahead of the recent curve.

          Given JFK’s grandson was comparing Joe to past US presidents, I’m really sure the context can be inferred.

          In a country where for years the “world series” of baseball was just a bunch of American teams, we should be ready to overlook this new assumption.

  • Oofnik@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    I want the record to show that I was one of the people who downvoted this, and I wanted to explain why. I agree that RFK Jr.'s candidacy is a complete joke. I just don’t think someone who happens to be related to him saying it who has no more political expertise than any of us deserves to make news.

    • Grayski113@reddthat.com
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      1 year ago

      Except that one time that guy ran for Congress or senate, and like 5 of his 6 siblings made an ad that he was not a good guy for the job. I believed that.

      • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Gossar. Hes still in congress, even after going to the nazi sponsored (literally) “america first” confrence that runs alongaide CPAC.

    • ChrisLicht@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      That seems like a good reason.

      And, isn’t RFKJ’s candidacy itself a vanity campaign trading on the family name? He’s a politically incoherent, roided-out crank, with no qualifications, who would be shouting at clouds, but for the family name?

    • Zaktor@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I think this dumb dynasty stuff is acceptable only because the only reason we know RFK Jr.'s name (vs. the other randos who throw their hat in the ring and get ignored) is because of the dynasty. If the media just treated him as a nobody who has no business running for president and clearly isn’t making a real bid to win, then they also wouldn’t treat his nobody relatives as having any legitimacy in political commentary, but since they do the former, they’ll also do the latter.