March 16, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for president of the United States.
That was 56 years ago. This year, his son is running for President as well – perhaps the only pro-life, anti-vaccine Democrat to be found these days running for office, but he’s out there.
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\ch6degh`\f777\bcd7\a2eb\egc45`ae6_77Qm#646?E=J[ }6E7=:I C6\25565 2 5@4F>6?E2CJ D6C:6D 42==65 “q@33J z6??65J 7@C !C6D:56?E[” H9:49 H2D AC@5F465 2?5 2:C65 :? a_`g @? E96 d_E9 2??:G6CD2CJ @7 #uz’D 2DD2DD:?2E:@?] xE :D 2 362FE:7F= AC@8C2> :? 6G6CJ H2J] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\ch6degh`\f777\bcd7\a2eb\egc45`ae6_77Qm}@ >2EE6C H96C6 J@F DE2?5 A@=:E:42==J[ E96 z6??65J 72>:=J’D C@=6 :? p>6C:42? =:76 :D :>A@DD:3=6 E@ :8?@C6] p== E96D6 J62CD =2E6C[ E96 724E E92E H6 2C6 DE:== 72D4:?2E65 3J E96:C 3:@8C2A9:6D :D 2>2K:?8]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\ch6degh`\f777\bcd7\a2eb\egc45`ae6_77Qm%9:D 7@FC\A2CE 5@4F>6?E2CJ D6C:6D 7:CDE E2<6D FD :?D:56 E96 AC6D:56?E:2= 42>A2:8? @7 `he_[ :? H9:49 y@9? u] z6??65J :D CF??:?8 282:?DE #:492C5 |] }:I@?[ H9@ 925 ;FDE HC2AA65 FA 6:89E J62CD 2D ':46 !C6D:56?E] q@33J z6??65J E2<6D 2 =6256CD9:A C@=6 :? 9:D 3C@E96C’D 42>A2:8?[ E96? :D 2AA@:?E65 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= 7@C 9:D 3C@E96C’D 25>:?:DEC2E:@?] ':46 !C6D:56?E {J?5@? y@9?D@? 3C:DE=65 2E E96 z6??65J 5@>:?2?46 2?5 E96 7:CDE 6A:D@56 :==FDEC2E6D 2 =@E @7 E92E E6?D:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\ch6degh`\f777\bcd7\a2eb\egc45`ae6_77Qmq@33J z6??65J’D 7@FC J62CD 2D pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= H6C6 7:==65 H:E9 DECF88=6D 2E 9@>6 Wr:G:= #:89EDX 2?5 23C@25 W':6E?2>X] u@==@H:?8 9:D 3C@E96C’D 2DD2DD:?2E:@? 2?5 y@9?D@?’D 2D46?52?46 E@ E96 !C6D:56?4J[ #uz H2D C6A=2465 2?5 >@G65 @? E@ CF? 7@C &]$] $6?2E6] w6 H2D 6=64E65 2D E96 $6?2E@C 7C@> }6H *@C< :? `hec[ 2?5 E96 D64@?5 6A:D@56 D9@HD FD 9:D J62CD :? r@?8C6DD] %9:D H2D 2 C62==J :?E6C6DE:?8 6A:D@56 3642FD6 H6 5@ ?@E @7E6? 962C C6>:?:D46?46D @7 E9:D E:>6 :? #uz’D =:76] w6 H2D ?@E J6E 3F:=5:?8 2 AC6D:56?E:2= 42?5:524Jj C2E96C[ 96 H2D H@C<:?8 @? A@G6CEJ C6=:67[ ;@3 4C62E:@?[ 2?5 @E96C D@4:2= :DDF6D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\ch6degh`\f777\bcd7\a2eb\egc45`ae6_77Qm%96 E9:C5 6A:D@56 :D E96 `heg 42>A2:8? 7@C !C6D:56?E] w6C6 :D H96C6 H6 C62==J 86E E@ D66 E96 #uz E92E >:89E 92G6 366?] %96 >2? D66>65 E@ >2<6 2== E96 C:89E >@G6D 2?5 D2J 2== E96 C:89E E9:?8D] w6 D66>D :? >2?J H2JD E@ 36 2 D>2CE[ AC:?4:A=65 A@=:E:4:2? :? 2 H2J C2C6=J D66?] p 8C62E 6I2>A=6 :D E96 ?:89E @7 pAC:= c[ `heg[ H96? #uz :D 23=6 E@ 42=> 2? p7C:42?\p>6C:42? 4C@H5 7:==65 H:E9 2?86C 2?5 8C:67 2E E96 2DD2DD:?2E:@? @7 sC] |2CE:? {FE96C z:?8[ yC] %@ 962C 9:D :>AC@G:D65 DA6649 E@52J[ :E :D 92C5 E@ :>28:?6 2 HC:EE6? @?6 36:?8 >F49 36EE6Ci #uz H2D 6I24E=J H92E H2D ?66565 2E E96 E:>6] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\ch6degh`\f777\bcd7\a2eb\egc45`ae6_77Qmp?5 E96?[ E9C66 >@?E9D :?E@ E9:D 42>A2:8?[ #uz H:?D E96 AC:>2CJ :? r2=:7@C?:2] w6 7:?:D96D 2 G:4E@CJ DA6649[ D9@ED 2C6 7:C65[ 2?5 96’D 8@?6] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\ch6degh`\f777\bcd7\a2eb\egc45`ae6_77Qm%96 :?E6CG:6H H:E9 yF2? #@>6C@[ H9@ 96=5 q@33J z6??65J 27E6C 36:?8 D9@E 2E E96 p>32DD25@C w@E6=[ H2D 8C:AA:?8 E6=6G:D:@?] %9:D >2? H2D @?=J D6G6?E66? 2?5 2 3FD3@J 2E E96 9@E6= H96? 96 H2D E9CFDE :?E@ E96 AF3=:4 6J6 2D E96 >2? 9@=5:?8 2 5J:?8 #uz]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\ch6degh`\f777\bcd7\a2eb\egc45`ae6_77Qm#@>6C@ D2:5 E92E 96 82G6 z6??65J 2 C@D2CJ 2?5 3682? AC2J:?8] w6 D2:5 z6??65J 2D<65[ “:D 6G6CJ@?6 @<2Jn” pD A2C2>65:4D 42>6 E@ ECJ 2?5 EC62E 9:>[ #@>6C@ D2:5 96 962C5 z6??65J D2J[ “5@?’E A:4< >6 FA]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\ch6degh`\f777\bcd7\a2eb\egc45`ae6_77Qm%96 7@FCE9 2?5 7:?2= :?DE2==>6?E 4@G6CD E96 42AEFC6 2?5 EC:2= @7 $:C92? $:C92?[ H9@ 92D =@?8 366? G:6H65 2D E96 D9@@E6C] !2F= $49C256[ H9@ H2D 2? 25G:D6C E@ z6??65J @? =23@C 2772:CD 5FC:?8 E96 `heg 42>A2:8?[ :D 762EFC65 AC@>:?6?E=J :? E96 =2DE 6A:D@56 3642FD6 @7 9:D 564256D\=@?8 2EE6>AE E@ AC@G6 E92E 2 D64@?5 D9@@E6C <:==65 z6??65J] (6 2=D@ 86E E@ D66 E96 7F?6C2= EC2:? 7@@E286[ 2D #uz’D 3@5J EC2G6=65 3J C2:= E9C@F89 D>2== E@H?D E@ 9:D 7:?2= C6DE:?8 A=246] %96 7F?6C2= |2DD 762EFC65 “q2EE=6 wJ>? @7 E96 #6AF3=:4” A6C7@C>65 3J E6=6G:D:@? G2C:6EJ 9@DE p?5J (:==:2>D[ 2?5 2 6F=@8J 3J E96 =2DE DFCG:G:?8 3C@E96C[ $6?2E@C t5H2C5 “%65” z6??65J[ H9@ H2D 2 J62C 2H2J 7C@> 9:D @H? EC2865J] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\ch6degh`\f777\bcd7\a2eb\egc45`ae6_77Qm%9:D D6C:6D :D 9:89=J C64@>>6?565 7@C E9@D6 H9@ 36=:6G6 :? 9@A6[ 2?5 E92E A@=:E:4:2?D >:89E 24EF2==J :?7=F6?46 =:G6D A@D:E:G6=J] }@ >2EE6C H9:49 A@=:E:42= A2CEJ J@F 42== 9@>6[ “q@33J z6??65J 7@C !C6D:56?E” D9@F=5 36 >2?52E@CJ G:6H:?8]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\ch6degh`\f777\bcd7\a2eb\egc45`ae6_77QmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\ch6degh`\f777\bcd7\a2eb\egc45`ae6_77Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\ch6degh`\f777\bcd7\a2eb\egc45`ae6_77Qm|:4926= q:C5 :D 2 >FD:4 E62496C 7@C %2==2DD66 r:EJ $49@@=D]k^DA2?mk^Am