X @AmValues2024
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 19:51
A 30-second promotional spot during the largest one-day sporting event in the world. If you want to reach many American living rooms at once for your candidacy for the presidency of America, then a Super Bowl spot is a very good idea.
But Robert F. Kennedy Jr., scion of the United States’ most famous political family, has come under a lot of criticism for it. The reason: the spot clearly refers to his murdered uncle, President John F. Kennedy. And that is simply not possible, according to his own family, among others.
The spot features a shortened version of a campaign song that the 35th president of America used in the 1960 presidential campaign. There are also effects and black-and-white photos of Robert Kennedy Jr., which evoke memories of the president who died on 22 was shot dead in November 1963.
After the commercial aired, Robert Kennedy Jr. responded to the criticism. He said his own campaign was not behind the spot, which reportedly cost about $7 million.
“I’m sorry if the Super Bowl ad hurt anyone in my family,” he wrote on X. “The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign. I love you everyone. God bless you.”
His cousin Bobby Shriver reacted with dismay to the spot. He said his mother Eunice Kennedy, a sister of John F. and Bobby Kennedy, whose likeness is also in the spot, would be shocked. Because Kennedy Jr.’s views on health care are diametrically opposed to those of Eunice. “Respect for science, vaccines and healthcare equity were in her DNA,” Shriver said.
Robert Kennedy Jr. responded on X separately to his cousin, reiterating that his campaign was not involved in the spot: “Bobby. I’m so sorry if that ad hurt you. I sincerely apologize to you and your family.”
Why is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. controversial?
Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. is a son of presidential candidate Robert ‘Bobby’ Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968. He is also a cousin of Senator Ted Kennedy, who died in 2009.
Kennedy Jr. was first known as a leading environmental activist. Due to his environmental efforts, he was named a ‘Hero for the Planet’ by Time Magazine in 1999. He later started spreading conspiracy theories and became a well-known face of the anti-vax movement.
For example, he compared the corona measures to the Holocaust. “At least back then you could still hide in an attic, like Anne Frank,” he said. Remarks for which he later apologized.
Like his illustrious relatives, RFK Jr. was a member of the Democratic Party. It was initially also the intention that he would compete against Joe Biden in the primaries. But he later decided to run as an independent candidate.
The likelihood that Kennedy Jr. can make a serious bid for the American presidency is nil. It is expected that he will be able to steal votes from both Democrats and Republicans. This is not only because of his famous family name, but also because he does not shy away from sharing controversial theories and is simultaneously committed to the environment.
Both camps are watching Kennedy Jr.’s campaign with suspicion, also because it is expected that Biden and Trump will not differ much from each other. Then every vote lost to a third candidate counts extra heavily.
American Values, the organization behind the offending spot, calls it an “unqualified success”. After the spot aired, there was a spike in online searches for Kennedy. A newsletter also mentions his campaign spokesperson, who says she is “pleasantly surprised and grateful” for the advertisement.
Although Kennedy Jr. himself is publicly embarrassed, his X account reveals that he is also not dissatisfied with the attention the spot generates. He pinned the video above his own timeline.
2024-02-12 18:51:52
#Kennedys #black #sheep #controversial #Super #Bowl #commercial
