Why I Support Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for President
Michael T. Griffith
May 2024
I am supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for President in 2024. I am a former Trump volunteer, donor, and voter, but I am enthusiastic about RFK Jr. and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan. I think Kennedy is the only candidate who can start to heal the bitter partisan strife that is threatening our country. He is the only candidate who does not engage in divisive partisan attacks and who does not demonize and belittle those who disagree with him.
Contrary to what some people believe, Bobby and Nicole hold a number of sensible conservative views, such as their support for securing our border to stop illegal immigration and drugs, their support for enforcing our laws against hiring illegal immigrants, their support for deporting most illegal immigrants, their opposition to allowing minors to get transgender surgery and puberty blockers, their opposition to allowing biological males to compete in women's sports, their opposition to gun confiscation, their support for religious freedom, their support for finally ending deficit spending and getting the federal budget under control, their support for voter ID laws, and several other positions that I find appealing as a center-right independent (see RFK Jr. and My Must-Haves for a Presidential Candidate).
No, I do not agree with RFK Jr. on some issues, but I agree with him on enough key issues that I can strongly support him.
He is the only candidate who recognizes that the COVID lockdowns were both unnecessary and destructive.
No, he is not an anti-vaxxer. I have carefully researched his position on vaccines. Most news outlets have severely distorted his views on the subject. His bottom line about vaccines is that he believes they should have to undergo randomized, placebo-controlled safety trials; that they should be subject to the same liability as that of prescription drugs, and that they should be voluntary.
Yes, I am aware that RFK Jr. says he believes the mother should get to make the final decision about abortion throughout most of the pregnancy (up to week 28), but many people do not know that he also pledges to make every effort to reduce the number of abortions, to make childbirth more appealing and affordable for mothers who are considering abortion, and to make adoption easier. Furthermore, he has made it clear that he has great respect for pro-lifers and for the pro-life position. He does not attack pro-lifers as "chauvinists" or as being "opposed to women's health." This is a far cry from the standard liberal position on abortion. Indeed, in many ways he is functionally pro-life. (Moreover, now that the Supreme Court has ruled that states can ban abortion after 15 weeks, the President's stand on abortion is not as important as it used to be.)
No, RFK Jr. is not an environmental extremist. He does not support the more radical elements of the green agenda. He does not support the extreme call for an immediate ban on fossil fuels. He has specified that he will not support banning fossil fuels until we have a viable alternative to them. He has even criticized some of the green energy measures in the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act. In several cases, he has worked with businesses and conservative groups to reach a reasonable compromise on environmental issues. He sided with the fishing industry in opposing the Cape Wind Project, which proposed building a massive wind farm near the coast at Nantucket Sound.
Check out these videos and articles:
What Conservatives and Liberals Would Each Get with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the White House
RFK Jr.: The Perfect Storm For An Independent Candidate | Kennedy24
RFK Jr.: My 3-Point Border Plan (youtube.com)
RFK Jr.: How I’ll Fix The Executive Branch (youtube.com)
RFK JR on God and being still (youtube.com)
“Midnight At The Border" | Running on Truth | Episode 2 (youtube.com)
Nicole Shanahan on the Sage Steele Show
More Choices, More Life (RFK Jr.'s position on abortion)