[People in the News] ‘Third party candidate’ Kennedy Jr. makes both Biden and Trump nervous.

“I declare today (October 10th) that I will run as an independent candidate.”

As the U.S. presidential election, set for November 5th next year, approaches with less than a year to go, a figure has emerged that is causing both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to be on edge. This figure is none other than Robert Kennedy Jr., a member of the political dynasty, the Kennedys. The Democrat turned independent candidate has risen as a powerful rival threatening both former and current presidents, appearing in major polls just a month after his independent candidacy declaration.

According to the results of a poll conducted by major foreign media and polling agency Ipsos, released on the 15th, 20% of respondents chose attorney Robert Kennedy Jr. when asked who they would vote for in the presidential election if President Biden, former President Trump, and attorney Kennedy Jr. were candidates.

What is noteworthy here is the change in the approval ratings of the former and current presidents. In a two-way race, the two had approval ratings of 51% and 49%, respectively. However, when it came to a three-way race, their approval ratings dropped to 32% and 30%, respectively. Considering that the response rate for ‘will not vote’ was 8%, and ‘don’t know or refuse to answer’ was 10%, attorney Kennedy Jr. has threatened both President Biden and former President Trump by lowering their approval ratings.

In a situation where criticism is pouring out that it is boring for the obvious two candidates, President Biden and former President Trump, to have a ‘rematch’, attorney Kennedy Jr. has become the representative candidate of the ‘third zone’. He declared his independent candidacy, emphasizing, “The Democrats are afraid that I will ruin Biden’s election, and the Republicans are afraid that I will ruin Trump’s election. Yes, my intention is to ruin both of them.”

Did a Democrat win over Republican voters?

The reason attorney Kennedy Jr. can shake both major candidates is because he is a unique figure who, while being a Democrat, has also won the hearts of Republican voters.

As a lawyer and environmental activist, he has gained worldwide attention by causing a major controversy with his anti-vaccine movement. In 2005, he actively advocated the claim that there is a causal relationship between vaccines and autism, which became a problem. At the time, he even wrote articles for Rolling Stone, but his claim was scientifically incorrect, leading to the removal of his articles online.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he often shared inaccurate information related to vaccines, leading to the suspension of his social media (SNS) accounts. He acted as if he were a far-right politician. He even supported the conspiracy theory that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director Anthony Fauci were trying to make money using vaccines during the pandemic.

As a result of his actions, he lost the support of Democrats but gained favor with Republicans. In April, attorney Kennedy Jr. declared his candidacy as a Democrat, often criticizing President Biden and the current Democratic leadership. In response, former President Trump said as recently as September, “I like him a lot. I’ve known him for a long time.”

That’s not to say that the Republicans are unconditionally welcoming him. When he declared his independent candidacy, the Republican National Committee released a statement titled ’23 Reasons to Oppose Him’, pointing out his past actions, such as opposing fossil fuel extraction. While some Republicans may like his actions, his independent candidacy and becoming a rival can only be an uncomfortable factor for the Republicans.

The reason his brothers issued a critical statement immediately after his candidacy declaration is

Attorney Kennedy Jr. is a member of the famous Kennedy political dynasty in the United States. He is also the fourth person from the Kennedys to run for president. Including his uncle, Robert Sargent Shriver Jr., who was not nominated as a Democratic candidate in 1976, he is the fifth.

However, due to his unique history, members of the Kennedy family are distancing themselves from him. Born in 1954 and now 69 years old, Kennedy Jr. is the nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963, and the son of former Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was also killed by a gunshot in 1968. He is the third of eleven siblings.

Four of his siblings, Rory Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy II, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, tried to prevent his candidacy by issuing an official statement as soon as attorney Kennedy Jr. declared his independent candidacy on October 10th. They stated, “Bobby (Kennedy Jr.’s nickname) shares the same name as our father, but does not share the same values, vision, or judgment,” and “We strongly criticize his candidacy and think it would be very dangerous for our country.”

Also, Kennedy Jr.’s cousin, Caroline Kennedy, is currently the U.S. ambassador to Australia, his aunt-in-law, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, is the U.S. ambassador to Austria, and his nephew, Joe Kennedy, is serving as a special envoy to Northern Ireland. They are all working in the current government, which Kennedy Jr. has strongly criticized.

Attorney Kennedy Jr. was a troublemaker even in his youth. During his school days, he was reportedly expelled from a boarding school after being arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession. Despite this, he earned a bachelor’s degree in American history and literature from Harvard University in 1976, studied at the London School of Economics, and earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1982.

In 1982, he began working as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan and failed the bar exam the following year. He was later arrested for drug overdose and heroin possession, resulting in community service and two years of probation. After passing the New York State bar exam in 1985, he is said to have lived as a lawyer and environmental activist.

Attorney Kennedy Jr. has been married three times and has six children.

“Rematch is boring”… Third zone candidate surges

As attorney Kennedy Jr. begins to receive significant attention in polls, the world is focusing on how the U.S. presidential race will unfold. While the likelihood of him being elected as the next president immediately is not high, he is in a situation where he can steal the approval ratings of the major candidates, so both parties must pay close attention to his actions.

Some evaluate that he has the potential to become the independent candidate with the most support since businessman Ross Perot, who ran in the 1992 presidential election and recorded about 19% of the vote. At the same time, it is also pointed out that it is difficult to evaluate his potential as a presidential candidate at this point.

In addition to attorney Kennedy Jr., African-American social activist and progressive theologian Cornel West (70), who was mentioned as a Green Party candidate, Jill Stein (73), who ran twice as a Green Party candidate, and Senator Joe Manchin (76) from West Virginia, known as the ‘opposition within the ruling party’, are showing their presence as third-zone candidates, threatening the re-election paths of former and current presidents.

By Hyun-jin Jung, jhj48@asiae.co.kr
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