The Kennedy clan rallies in support of Biden in front of his relative, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Political ties prevail over blood ties. Most Kennedys consider that the person who represents the political legacy of their surname is not his relative, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but the current president, Joe Biden. An event at the White House on St. Patrick's Day, a month ago, already made clear the closeness between the Kennedy clan and Biden. This Thursday, fifteen family members have decided to take the step of publicly expressing their support for the president's re-election at a rally in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania).

Biden was introduced by Joe Kennedy III, a former member of Congress who is currently the president's special envoy to Northern Ireland, but the one who praised him in a vibrant speech was Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy. Her father, an attorney general, was assassinated in June 1968 in the middle of the Democratic Party presidential primary race. Kerry is the sister of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but without directly attacking her brother, she has made it clear that her candidate is Biden. “My hero,” is how he has referred to him, glossing his achievements.

“President Biden has been a defender of all the rights and freedoms that my father and uncles defended,” said Kerry Kennedy, who is the niece of John F. Kennedy, the president assassinated in 1963, who was a mythical figure for Democrats. and Ted Kennedy, senator from Massachusetts from 1962 until his death in 2009. “Dad stood for equal justice, human rights, and freedom from misery and fear. Just like President Biden does today,” she added.

“We want to make our feelings very clear that the best path for the United States is to re-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for four more years,” he proclaimed. The president has received the message as “an incredible honor,” as he has said.

That dynasty Kennedy supporting a Democratic candidate should not have anything peculiar if it were not for the fact that his relative Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running for president as an independent.

“We can say today, with no less urgency, that our rights and freedoms are once again in danger. That is why we all need to unite in a campaign that should unite not only Democrats, but all Americans, including Republicans, and independents, who believe in what Lincoln called the better angels of our nature,” he said.

Join EL PAÍS to follow all the news and read without limits.

Subscribe

He has not mentioned his brother, but in his speech he stressed that “there are only two candidates with any chance of winning the presidency” in the November 5 elections: Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Much of the speech by Kerry Kennedy, who was surrounded by other family members, has gone against the former president: “I can only imagine how Donald Trump's outrageous lies and behavior would have horrified my father, Robert F. Kennedy, who “He proudly served as Attorney General of the United States, keeping his promise to uphold the law and protect the country.”

“Donald Trump is running to take us backwards, attacking the most basic rights and freedoms that are at the core of who we are as Americans,” he warned. “He has said that he will be a dictator from day one, he has even said that he wants to try to suspend the Constitution,” he added. Biden himself has criticized his rival: “Donald Trump's vision is one of anger, hatred, revenge and retaliation. “I have a very different vision of the United States, of hope and optimism.”

Vote diversion

The problem for Biden is that many Democratic voters are not satisfied with the president's performance or consider him too old to repeat the position. They may be tempted to vote for a Kennedy like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. That could hand Donald Trump the presidency on a plate.

In the 2000 elections, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader won more than 97,000 votes in Florida. Al Gore lost the election against George W. Bush by only 500, so the distortion introduced by that candidate without a chance was decisive. Trump's 2016 margin of victory over Hillary Clinton in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin was less than the total number of votes obtained by the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein, in those States.

The case of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is peculiar. With his conspiracy theories, his somewhat libertarian ideology and his anti-vaccine messages, his thinking borders in some aspects on that of Trump himself, from whom he could also subtract votes. It is unclear what its impact will be, but both Trump and Biden fear it will undermine their support.

The presidency will probably be decided by a few tens of thousands of votes in half a dozen States and hence the importance of any distortion that may be introduced by candidates other than the majority. This Thursday's event took place in Pennsylvania, the most populated of the decisive states and, therefore, the one that provides the most electoral votes. He has been campaigning there for several days.

Given the choice between the seriousness and political commitment of President Biden and the conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine messages of their relative, the Kennedys have not hesitated. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken his family's preference for Biden with sportsmanship. “I'm glad they are politically active: it's a family tradition.” We are divided in our opinions, but united in our love for each other. I think this is also possible in the United States. Can we disagree without hating our opponents? Can we restore civility and respect in public discourse? “I think we can,” has tweeted.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. began by presenting himself as Biden's rival in the Democratic Party primaries, but seeing that he had no chance of defeating him, he withdrew to run as an independent. His relatives have made it very clear that they do not share his political positions, but they also call for voting to be useful against Trump.

After a political action committee supporting his campaign aired a television ad during the Super Bowl that relied heavily on footage from John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential run, Kennedy Jr. apologized to his relatives, saying he was sorry if the ad “caused anyone” in his family. He received criticism from many of them for trying to take over his uncle's legacy.

Last month, Biden hosted more than 30 members of Kennedy's extended family at the White House for St. Patrick's Day, where family members posed with the president in the Rose Garden and the Oval Office. Kerry Kennedy tweeted a group photo with the president.

Follow all the information about the elections in the United States on our weekly newsletter.

_