RABBI MICHAEL BARCLAY: The RFK Jr I know is a unifier, and just proved it
I was blessed to get to know Bobby Kennedy before he decided to run for President, when we were introduced by mutual friends, including Dr. Shannon Kroner, the founder of FORUS.org. He was a supporter of people having a choice on vaccination (he has never been “anti-vaccination,” only anti-MRNA, and is actually more vaccinated than most Americans). I was the one Rabbi in California whose synagogue was the only temple that never closed during the pandemic, and never required masks or proof of vaccination. The man I met shone with integrity, and his honesty was transparent and clear to me from that first interaction.
Simply put, it was immediately clear that he was a blessing: a man of principle committed to his values; a man who walked his talk; and a person infused in his personal faith and his faith in what this nation can be.
Time went by, and Kennedy announced his candidacy for President. It was frustrating to see how he was blocked out of the Democratic Party, which, in collusion with the mainstream media, was committed to reelecting a senile Joe Biden without any contest. It was clear that he had a great internal struggle about running as an independent, and that there was immense personal pain at the thought of leaving the party whose identity had been tied to his father and uncle.
But Kennedy is a dreamer and a man of faith, and so he chose to try to climb the “glass mountain” of running for President as an independent. And he was attacked in every way for doing so.
The media accused him of being an anti-Semite when he referred to Anne Frank in a speech, something I defended him about on PJ Media, even posting a video of him speaking about Israel at a private party I attended. He was accused of all sorts of ridiculous behavior, none of which was true. He was entirely shut out of all mainstream media outlets, and prevented from being on a debate stage, even though polls had him at over 25% of the vote. He was even denied Secret Service protection by Biden, who clearly would rather have seen him dead as opposed to having him compete with the frail President. It was the first time in modern history that a serious Presidential candidate was left without government protection.
But he persisted. Kennedy hired his own security team, which protected him on numerous occasions from dangers. He worked a grassroots campaign, utilizing social media and a ground crew of over 100,000 volunteers. He honestly expressed his beliefs, some of which were controversial, but always a reflection of the man. As a result, he had the most diverse group of supporters in modern political history. Leftists who were disenchanted with the corruption of the Democratic Party joined with former Republicans who were devoted to stopping the alliance between government and business. Wealthy celebrities rubbed elbows with poor laborers. Conservatives and liberals who couldn’t agree on anything, both supported Kennedy. The most accurate word to describe him was and is “unifier.”
But between the corruption of the Democratic Party and its unholy alliance with major media, it was a constant struggle not only for the campaign, but for the man and his family. And still he persisted… and succeeded. He raised the necessary signatures to be on the ballots; he persisted in media interviews; and he raised the money needed to finance a national campaign. And he watched as the DNC staged a palace coup with Biden; and listened to the policies and words of unification that Trump spoke.
We learned in RFK’s speech that within two hours of being shot, President Trump reached out to Kennedy. We heard of his journey with Trump: discovering that they had more in common than had been realized; that they shared advisors on certain important issues; that they both were committed to similar actions in many arenas. By reaching out to Bobby, Trump demonstrated that the former president really is committed to unifying this nation. And Kennedy started to see the potential of an alliance under a Trump presidency that would benefit the nation.
At the same time, the pathway to a victory for Kennedy diminished as the DNC filed court case after court case to keep him off the ballots. The media continued to ostracize him. It seemed that it would be an easier personal journey to drop out of the race and support Trump, but there were challenges with that idea as well. Would he have a place in Trump’s cabinet, with both men being clear that Bobby Kennedy would never compromise his beliefs to serve the President if that service contradicted Kennedy’s personal values? Would throwing his support behind Trump make life even more difficult for his family, remembering that his wife, Cheryl Hines is a successful actress and surrounded by the leftist elite of the entertainment industry? Would supporting Trump be a betrayal of himself, or a union that would benefit the nation that Kennedy so loves?
He had more conversations with President Trump to discern what would be the best path. He watched the DNC appoint a woman as the Democratic candidate with no policies, an unwillingness to debate ideas or even participate in unscripted interviews, and who had never received a single vote. Kennedy saw how the party that he had loved all his life had morphed into a dangerous organization that uses lawfare against opponents, makes secret deals that are destroying the America he loves, and is filled with a corruption that is antithetical to everything Kennedy had learned from his father and uncle. Although the sadness of that realization must have been monumental, Bobby Kennedy is a man who doesn’t sulk, he acts.
And so, Kennedy blessed the nation by endorsing President Trump. In a wise political move, he is keeping his name on some state ballots, but removing them from swing states in the hope that his supporters will follow his lead and vote for Trump. His speech implied that he will serve a position within Trump’s cabinet, not as a passive placeholder, but as a vital partner with the President: a partner that is respected for his opinion whether it echoes Trump’s or is in contradiction with it. In a relationship based on mutual respect, both men seem to have committed not only to internal personal discussion, but to this nation’s growth and success. Their alliance will strengthen Trump’s position in getting votes; and will add a powerful level of depth and wisdom into Trump’s future presidency.
Kennedy’s father once said, “The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better,” and Robert F Kennedy Jr. has again shown his commitment to his father’s words. Once again, Bobby Kennedy has acted with integrity and courage by suspending his campaign and throwing his support behind President Trump. He has demonstrated his commitment to his values, and to this country.
In his supporting President Trump, Kennedy has blessed not only the Republican Party and its candidate; but he has blessed the nation. May he and his family be blessed in return with all that is good in life.
This Story originally came from humanevents.com
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