New Voices: RFK Jr. and a vice presidential Hail Mary

Opinion editor’s note: This article, part of our New Voices collection, was written by a first-time contributor to Star Tribune Opinion. For more information about our efforts to continually expand the range of views we publish, see startribune.com/opinion/newvoices.

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A former professional wrestler and current NFL quarterback are not my first ideas for a vice presidential candidate. Apparently, Robert Kennedy Jr. disagrees.

With Kennedy set to announce his vice president pick March 26, he said that former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler Jesse “The Body” Ventura and starting quarterback for the New York Jets Aaron Rodgers were among his top picks, according to the New York Times.

Since that announcement, Mediaite reported that Nicole Shanahan, a California-based attorney and supporter of Kennedy’s campaign, is likely his pick for VP.

While this seems to put a cork in speculation of what a campaign sidekicked by Rodgers or Ventura would look like, it still speaks volumes about the nature of Kennedy’s campaign.

Considering their knack for conspiracy, something Kennedy has shown a liking for himself, the overlap in interests is readily apparent. Not to mention Ventura’s previous success on an independent ticket in his successful campaign for Minnesota governor in 1999.

Particularly with Shanahan taking the spotlight, it is unlikely either Rodgers or Ventura will be the final selection (though I stand ready for the cacophony of boos I’ll face if Kennedy proves me wrong). The placement of those two at the top of Kennedy’s list seems to be little more than some extra press to prop up his anti-establishment agenda.

Kennedy’s actual apparent choice of Shanahan proves this even further. Kennedy wants the support of paranoid podcast listeners without completely committing to them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for an anti-establishment independent candidate, and there are some things to like about Kennedy, particularly his willingness to call out BlackRock, State Street and Vanguard for their attempts at corporate oligarchy by buying up a majority of the S&P 500 and 60% of housing by 2030.

I could write ad nauseam about how the two-party system is failing the American people and how further allowance of the growing corporate oligarchy will only lead to further shrinking of the middle class and the disenfranchisement of an entire nation from the “Great American Experiment,” but in this case, Kennedy does us no favors.

If we want an independent candidate who will push against the status quo, drive change in the two major parties and offer a reasonable voting alternative, a running mate who downs ashwagandha, spouts conspiracy theories and plays for the Jets (of all teams) is not good enough.

At least Ventura has some experience as a governing official. Though he does fall into a similar category in terms of the sheer amount of conspiracy spouted over the years, I find his far more amusing than Rodgers doubling back on himself after making abhorrent claims about Sandy Hook. Not to mention, though I despise Jimmy Kimmel as much as the next guy, making false assertions about someone’s connections with Jeffrey Epstein may be a bridge too far.

For that matter, Kennedy’s claims about vaccines causing autism or chemicals in the water contributing to gender dysphoria — to name a few — raise questions about the validity of his campaign as a trustworthy independent worthy of your vote.

It is a truly disheartening thing to see from one of the most popular independent candidates in the upcoming election. Those at No Labels have repeatedly embarrassed themselves in their quest for a moderate, dual-party bill. Not to mention how expectedly disappointing a moderate third party will be at challenging the status quo.

Perhaps the spot left for independent presidential challengers in the current American political landscape is primed for conspiracy peddlers. But, with a name like Kennedy’s, I expect more.

Donald Trump’s fiery rise to political prominence gave way for many to try, and largely fail, to follow in his footsteps. Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy come to mind, though the former was more critical than the latter. Nevertheless, the antics of both never stood a chance against Trump, and their attempts to appeal to his base only led to the humiliation of both, in one way or another.

This is where Kennedy will soon find himself. Though he is not necessarily trying to steal Trump’s thunder like the others, he is profiting off the political waves left in Trump’s wake.

Kennedy seems to be drawing a relatively equal amount of votes from either party, and I’m not one to sit here and tell you that you must vote for a certain candidate with some holier-than-thou appeal to the lesser of two evils.

What I will say is this: If you are looking for an alternative to the options presented to you, to escape the status quo and tit-for-tat culture wars, is this the answer?

At best, this was a PR stunt to drum up some press and get some interest from the conspiracy-minded among us. At worst, Kennedy was actually considering a football quarterback with limited common sense and a mushroom habit to be the second-in-command of the “free world.” Is this really our savior?

Now, a far more fundamental appeal: Do you want to support a man who was contemplating a former Packer as his vice president? I didn’t think so.

Spencer White is the Opinions editor at the Minnesota Daily, the student-led newspaper serving the University of Minnesota campus and surrounding community.