On Tuesday, the race for the 2024 Presidential election passed through Lincoln, Nebraska.
Hundreds of Nebraska voters (and out of state supporters) teemed Northwest Lincoln’s Royal Grove to rally for Independent Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The Royal Grove’s neon sign, looking over the main stage. (Chase Porter, KLIN News)
Kennedy spoke for roughly 45 minutes, in the venue typically booked for live music. His stump speech consisted of his thoughts, and administrative hopes, on a variety of issues; ranging from corporate/government corruption, chronic diseases affecting children, to a refusal to engage in cultural-war discussions.
Kennedy began with touting numerous favorable polls, which indicate popularity with voters under 35-years-old, under 45-years-old, and independents.[1][2][3]
“Which puts me in a better position than any independent candidate in this century, since Teddy Roosevelt,” said Kennedy through applause, moving to highlight the main function of his cross country campaign tour, “Our big challenge now is to get on the ballot in all the states.”
Heir to the Kennedy-Family political dynasty, RFK Jr. finds himself occupying an underdog role in the 2024 presidential race. President Biden’s incumbent-status has nixed the possibility of a Democratic Party primary election, forcing Kennedy to turn his back on the “D” his family’s name has become synonymous with, and declare an independent bid for the executive branch seat. Now, as an Independent, the Kennedy campaign must undertake individual ballot initiatives to secure a slot on each states general election ballot.
“About an hour ago, we learned that we are now on the ballot in Utah,” Kennedy shared optimistically.
A diverse, attentive crowd awaiting RFK Jr.’s remarks. (Chase Porter, KLIN News)
Kennedy detailed numerous flashpoints of his legal career as an environmental lawyer and activist, primarily his legal firm’s successful suit against the Agrochemical company Monsanto, defending mainly home gardeners, who had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancerous condition, from exposure to the herbicide Roundup.
Shifting focus to a more hot button subject, Kennedy spoke on the phenomenon of homelessness, and blamed not drug-addiction, not mental illness, but the cost of housing… and pinned the root of soaring house prices on inflation. RFK Jr. posed his audience the question, “And why are we having inflation? Because we spend $8 trillion on wars since 2001 that we shouldn’t have, that we got nothing out of, that made us less safe at home, that made us less safe abroad, and destroyed our economy.”
At this point in his speech, a series of antagonists are invoked for contributing to these rising costs, according to Kennedy, “Three companies: BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard, now own 89% of the S&P 500.” Throughout his speech, investment management company BlackRock reappears as an adversary, often soliciting a call-and-response from the audience.
Kennedy cites this advocacy as one of the reasons for his positive reception from young voters, bringing up his own children in their 20-30’s, “None of them, and none of their friends, have any clue that they’ll ever get a house, or any hope for it,” said Kennedy, “The most important thing we can do, immediately, to start restoring the middle class in this country is to get this generation of young people into homes.”
Next to be caught in his cross hairs, Kennedy spoke to the exorbitant interest rates imposed by credit card companies, which according to personal finance website WalletHub, averages around 22.04%.
“If the mafia did that, it would be called loan shark again and they’d go to prison,” exclaimed Kennedy, “But if those companies do it, it’s just business as usual… and who do you think owns every one of those companies?” The crowd responded, “BlackRock.”
Another crowd pleaser from Kennedy: “I’m suing Amazon.”
He detailed how the e-commerce giant ultimately benefitted from the lockdowns subsequent the COVID-19 pandemic, and avoids tax responsibilities, “At least Amazon is paying taxes locally. No. But at least they pay federal taxes. No. Last year they paid zero… They are strip mining the wealth from the American middle class and transforming it, transferring it to billionaires.”
The Kennedy 2024 merchandise table, displaying hats, t-shirts, and hoodies for the 2024 hopeful’s campaign. (Chase Porter, KLIN News)
“By not aiming poison and vitriol at President Trump or President Biden, I try to find the issues that keep Americans together,” said Kennedy, “I’ve learned that landscape of issues, where we all agree with each other, is so much larger than the tiny, tiny little things that keep us apart.”
Kennedy returns, “Who do you think is the biggest owner of Amazon?” The crowd rejoiced, “BlackRock.”
A sidebar into the the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and U.S. military contractors ended on the same, harmonious note.
Honing in on the highly polarized political climate of the current day, Kennedy offered a unifying message to the Royal Grove crowd.
“What I promised to do when I launched this campaign is to dim that anger,” said Kennedy, “and find the values that we share in common, rather than focusing on these cultural issues that keep us all apart. To unify this country, and take back our country from the people who stole it.” — The crowd cheered.
RFK Jr. said he will need 8,000 signatures from registered in-state voters to qualify for the November 2024 Nebraska-ballot.
It is to be seen if RFK Jr.’s efforts to cement himself as a third option on the Nebraska ballot will be fruitful. Kennedy now takes these efforts back on the campaign trail, with a voter rally scheduled tonight in Kansas City, Missouri.
After the rally, Kennedy took time to take pictures with nearly every supporter who stayed.
True to form, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s final words to the Nebraska crowd: “I will get your country back to you. God bless you. God bless America.”
Kennedy, waving farewell to Nebraska supporters, as he concludes his speech. (Chase Porter, KLIN News)