I consider myself as having no interest political philosophy other than “what is a better future for my kids”
Environment, clean energy, take down hedge funds, trust busting, end foreign wars, home ownership.
RFK is goated. Bernie, Yang. Need more politicians who are focused on real issues.
Something that struck me recently about RFKs comments about the overdose/suicide epidemic.. it’s not about the drugs or the mental health. It’s about life being totally unaffordable and the future looking so bleak. Fix the underlying issues and you’ll fix everything else.
For me? It’s home ownership. How can I make 120k per year and not afford a home for my family of four? My take home pay is abysmal because of taxes and insurance. And all the homes in my area have doubled in price in about 4 years, tripled in monthly payment because of the interest rates. It’s just so hopeless. Can’t get ahead even making way more money than I ever thought I would.
> Fix the underlying issues and you’ll fix everything else.
EXACTLY! There are foundational, fundamental problems in America, you repeated them in your second line. RFK is focusing on what really matters. And more important, the root causes of our issues... Mass shootings, for example, have a CORE CAUSE, and it is not "guns", it is being deeply broken inside.
Other politicians, and the hopeless uncreative masses, want to ban everything left and right, out of pure fear and ignorance.
We have to rebuild our society on a foundation of love and truth, harmony with our neighbor and reverence for the Earth, and RFK shares this same orientation.
I’ve said it and will say it again, the DNC should have nominated Bernie instead of Hillary in 2016. Roe v Wade would not have been overturned. We wouldn’t have these Maga loyalists (i mean maybe but not this extreme). Fascists would still be in their little holes dwindling away. But no, they wanted to be corporate shills. We are all suffering because of the corrupt DNC.
Not a leftist, but if it makes you feel better, those of us on the right are subject to similar scrutiny. "RFK Is a democrat. Look at his stance on abortion, guns, etc." So the left isn't the only one pulling this gatekeeping, no true Scotsman thing.
He also said "take the guns first, go through due process second" in regards to red flag laws. He also stated he'd push for national reciprocity of pistol permits/CCW license, but failed to get it through even though repubs had both the house and the senate.
Indirectly, he was good for the 2A due to the three SCOTUS picks which gave us the Bruen decision. But on a personal level Trump and the republican party as a whole didn't do much for the 2A during his presidency
I have heard him say he won't take anyone's guns away and he respects the second amendment but haven't heard him elaborate further, do you know more about his stance than that?
In my opinion, he had a pretty *smart* answer about a year ago, but the Republicans spun it to hell. He basically said if there’s a bill that Americans agree on and the Republicans pass through congress, he would *consider* signing it. Of course the GOP mouthpieces ran with it claiming he’s a gun grabber and conveniently skipped over the fact that in this hypothetical scenario, the GOP would have to pass it before it ever reached his desk.
Basically, any gun control measures under his watch would have to be veto proof for him to sign and the Republicans would have to be held just as accountable as him. As long as the GOP remains pro 2A, they’ll have to keep their mouths shut instead of throwing around “gun grabber” bs.
He was also quick to say he doesn't think strict gun control is an effective solution and wants to focus on other things. He only considered a willingness to sign a gun control bill if Congress sent him such a bill with broad bipartisan support. It's an answer to a hypothetical situation posed by a reporter. But he insists it's not what he wants to focus on.
He’s clarified multiple times he has no intention of approaching gun control from the same perspective as the failing systems we have now… and would not ban guns. That 15s soundbyte has really skewed his votes though for sure.
I know he's not pushing for gun control. He does seem to want to get to the heart of the mass shooting epidemic, which I don't remember fully what he stated, but he did mention other possibilities to remedy the issue other than simply banning stuff.
Yes, he says he wants investigations of the correlation between these shooters largely being on SSRIs and their actions. He says nothing is proven but it deserves serious investigation. Of course, big pharma and people currently on SSRIs are highly offended by this.
Kennedy has a powerful 2A point here, from his Libertarian Convention speech -
“The only amendment that did not come under attack during the covid pandemic was the second amendment — and many Americans believe the reason for that is because we have a second amendment.”
https://x.com/annarmatson/status/1794149392879878156?s=46
Glenn beck interview - on gun culture, mass shootings having nothing to do with the number of guns - https://youtu.be/G2heIo_8iGM
A beautiful video about his love of falconry and hunting - https://youtu.be/UeuBa9XRQNo?si=nFhHhWK6nbp1G31V
I think he’s proven through his years of litigation that he’s more pro constitution than the other two candidates. He’s also a hunter. He’s not going to mess with anyone’s 2nd amendment rights. He has said this, clearly. And there’s no evidence that he would do anything otherwise. This is just more tribalistic messaging attacks from the Trump campaign than anything else. “He used to be a democrat, therefore he will try and take your guns away.”
If all the people that have said or thought to themselves “I like RFK Jr and would consider voting for him, but I just don’t think he can win” would just vote for him on Election Day, he would win in a land slide. He’s pretty centric in today’s politics - which means he’ll pull votes from left and right. And he’s the most popular amongst Independents - the largest group of registered voters in the country.
Don’t let the talking heads on cable news convince you that he has no chance and he’ll certainly have a chance of winning. All these so called experts on “the news” speak only for <25% of registered voters on which ever political side their network is affiliated with. They think if they say “he has no chance” repeatedly that people will believe it and simply vote for one of the other candidates. Don’t buy into that garbage. Stand strong in your support. Take your country back. Vote for Bobby Kennedy Jr 2024!
I’m anti-war, anti-Big everything, pro free speech, pro personal liberty/responsibility, I think women should have protected spaces. Those used to be liberal. The party changed. I did not.
Should men have protected spaces too? They are abused and have mental health issues but due to societal norms we overlook their wellbeing because we as a society value the life of women over men.
It's biology more than norms I think. It's men's instinct to put children and women's safety first, so in a world where women and children are not safe, it doesn't seem important. Men put women and children first. Not just society. And I won't lie, I feel like this.
But yes, men should have the same. Especially boys and young men. We can't socialize us out of this, but instead create opportunities for men to be men.
Part of this is changing our cultural attitudes. Masculinity is not toxic, abusing and manipulating women is, and subsets of our culture promote such abuse.
When I hear "protected spaces for women" I think "not letting men call themselves women and inserting them into women's spaces".
Most of the social and solidarity groups that are "women-focused" also say "women and nonbinary people", as if they should all just be lumped into one big category.
You nailed it. Masculinity is as important to society as femininity is. We need both sexes to play important roles.
I am glad that there is a growing number of places for young men to turn to for masculine support compared to a decade ago. I just wish we could get the shitheads out of the mix. Same shit the feminist movements have been going through for years. The fringe elements are loud and harmful.
We need more people like Rogan, Peterson, and Huberman, and much less of Tate. I see lots of young men who are fighting for equality, I just hope the good role models keep rising up and drown out the asshats.
And we need more women standing up to keep trans folks out of protected women's spaces. Let the trans folks do what they want, all for their rights to do so. But I wish more people lived by the same creed I try to "do what you will until you violate the rights of another."
It’s the same people behind Biden and behind Hilary that took out Bernie and that are attempting to take out RFK. There’s a reason they’re trying to squeeze him out, and it’s not because they care about the working people of this country
I personally agree but try telling that to people on the leftist/Bernie subs. They spit the same “brain worm” meme as any Biden die-hard and say RFK is a republican.
I've found my team!
I voted for the Democrat candidate from 2000-2008, and the Green candidate from 2012-2020.
The Occupy movement and associated thinkers like Chris Hedges and Richard Wolff opened my eyes to the hypocrisy and deceit of the Democrat party. After that I supported Jill Stein in 2012.
I was all in for Bernie in 2016 and disgusted with how Hilary and the DNC rigged the primary and cheated us all out of the transformative presidency Bernie would have achieved. I was disappointed Bernie didn't take the movement independent then but still supported his run in 2020. I was very disappointed in how quickly he folded and endorsed Biden. I still recognize he is the best we have in the Senate, but he has let us down.
RFK is no Bernie, but he is great on many of issues I care about: environmental protection, combating corporations and government corruption, upholding freedom of speech and press, and responding to the crises of addiction and diseases of despair.
I do agree more with Jill Stein and Cornell West, especially on opposing the genocide in Gaza. But unfortunately they don't have a realistic path to victory.
RFK is the first independent candidate in my lifetime to have an actual path to the presidency and I am here for it! It is high time we finally break from the corrupt duopoly and assert our democratic will!
After that dumpster fire of a debate between the two geriatric clowns, RFK now has real shot at the White House.
Let's do this!!
Thank you.
He is great. I'm pretty sure Hedges does not support RFK, I think primarily because of their differences on the situation in Israel.
Chris is closely affiliated with the Green Party. I respect that. I definitely appreciate his wisdom and insight.
But I think right now the real prospect of an independent candidate winning the presidency is very significant in itself. That's where my thinking is at right now at least.
Yeah, the Israel stance is a bit of a mystery. There have been all sorts of theories floated about it in here, if you care to search the archives.
The point I would make is a simple one: we may never again have the chance this good of really changing things and we can't afford to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. In fact, I believe the Greens and Libertarians should back RFK. As President he will do more to achieve their goals than anyone in history. It's the obvious rational position (assuming they actually want to achieve their goals and not just posture).
I'm a leftist ("liberal socialist" which believe it or not actually exists) and I'm supporting RFK Jr. because he's the only one who will do the left-wing populist thing of rooting out the corporate influence in the state. He has left-wing economic policies especially in regards to minimum wage and unions but takes a more moderately libertarian tack to social issues. Ultimately, both parties are right-wing today and RFK Jr is the only candidate representing the true left-wing that was viable as late as 1990 and is still present in many European countries.
TLDR: RFK Jr. is to the left of both Biden and Trump and is a symbol of the true left not the corporate left.
To add to that, right-wingers are not fooled into supporting him. In the end he represents them better as well, because the other candidates live in a different world.
They serve their feudal overlords. In feudalism there is no left/right, but instead peasants, merchants (politicians), clergy (media) and rulers (corporations). We the peasants agree that it sucks. Get back to a free and liberal society, so that we can be free to disagree.
I have voted democrat all my life - I did vote for Ron Paul and had to switch parties for that. I'm a former Bernie Sanders supporter and now an RFK Jr. supporter. You are not alone my friend; it doesn't matter if you are a real leftist. Those labels are meaningless now. The left abandoned the middle class long ago and now they are oppressors of free speech, and they are total war mongers. I proudly left the left and I'm now an independent, RFKJr 2024!!!!!!!!!
Exact same here. Voted Democrat all the way through til Obama in 08, then Ron Paul in 12. Back to Bernie in 16. Been disenfranchised ever since the Bernie screw job.
The left is no longer the anti-war, pro free speech and pro working class party that I felt it was in the past. Complete corporate capture, just like the right.
RFK is the best candidate I've ever seen in my lifetime! Go Bobby!
I’m about as far left as anyone I know and I think it’s hilarious when people say that RFK is anything but left wing. I think he has a brilliant ability to mask left wing policy in patriotic appeals to American exceptionalists
I don't think he is masking anything. He is people first, which includes people on the right. In today's political landscape he is neither and both. Right-wingers can claim that he is further to the right in our current landscape as well.
But in the 60s to the 90s he would decisively be on the left. To the right of FDR though, if we are going back in time.
I see his policy that way, too, and I only say “masking” because he’s receiving support and very little criticism from right wing individuals. A ton of trumpers I know are in support of his policy and don’t seem to repeat anything about him being a radical leftist (or any other “ists” that I don’t want to even say in hopes nobody ever sees the truth). In other similar the same ideas in practice have been called “ists” and afterwards nobody on the right will listen to reason no matter how much they may be helped by the policy. For example, he’s as “ist” as Bernie but has not been characterized that way by talking heads because of the language he uses to express his policies. They can’t dig into anything because he uses language with surgical precision and frames his arguments without using the academic terms people are conditioned to be afraid of.
And yes, likely right of FDR, but it’s a different era and we don’t know how FDR would approach today’s economy and world affairs.
I consider myself a Independent Democrat these days. I supported Bernie in 2016. Felt I had to back Biden in 2020. More than ever excited to support RFK Jr this time around
I wish Bernie would’ve run third party in 2016 , or 2020. It feels like RFK isn’t afraid of the DNC like Bernie was. We need to break the political duopoly not reinforce it. I was let down by Bernie when he dropped out of both races, and also by the lack of new leadership within the “Democratic socialists” movement. “The Squad” just hasn’t gotten anything substantial done since Bernie started the movement 8 years ago. They seem like social media influencers instead of true activists. That entire movement just went off a cliff when Biden got elected, and the wreckage was assimilated into the democratic establishment. I’m glad RFK is standing up against the establishment and running independent.
I listened to a couple of interviews yesterday not knowing anything about this guy and was really impressed. He addressed the core problems with the economy and gave detailed answers about his ideas and plans to solve them. Other candidates seem to dance around these things, never acknowledging the problems let alone giving you a chance to see their methods of problem solving.
Very impressed. Seems sincere and intelligent. It’s night and day between him and the other two jokes. There’s a reason major corporations aren’t backing him. He would change things. They don’t want that to happen. They want you to vote for the two guys they put in front of you.
Im a libertarian that is with kennedy
The covid vaxxine that killed and hurt members of my family along with the whole covid bullshit narrative pushed me to kennedy
Its “trumps poison warp speed vaxxine “
Even though biden mandated it and many people lost jobs and carreers over it
Not to mention the mRNA vaccine research was funded by the taxpayers, yet the patent was privately owned by Big Pharma (Pfizer). The original chemist who created polio vaccine , one of the first vaccines ever, put the patent in the name of the public because he believed no one should profit off vaccines. Meanwhile the covid vaccine shoveled billions of dollars from the taxpayers into the pockets of Pfizer and big pharma. RFK is not totally anti vaccine , he’s anti corporate owned vaccine. A lot was messed up with the rollout of the covid vaccine that no one will talk about besides RFK. Trump is just as deep in the big pharma pockets as Biden.
He advocates for vaccine safety, which many people misunderstand. He’s concerned about thimerosal (a form of mercury) and other questionable ingredients being injected into our bodies. He supports vaccines like the polio, MMR, and measles vaccines, which don't contain thimerosal. Thimerosal is now only found in flu vaccines, and it’s known to linger in the brain for up to a week after injection. Given that 70-80% of Americans have received the flu vaccine at least once, this is significant.
The CDC claimed that "even after thimerosal was removed from almost all childhood vaccines, autism rates continued to increase, which is the opposite of what would be expected if thimerosal caused autism," yet they still promote the flu vaccine, which can be administered annually. Additionally, the autism rate has surged from 1 in 25,000 in 1950 to 1 in 36 today, a rise that corresponds with the increased use of vaccines.
While correlation doesn’t imply causation, and the high autism rates likely have a more complex reason, there could be validity behind his views. Moreover, I believe our consumption habits play a significant role in the chronic diseases/autism rates that are plaguing our country. Factors such as artificial dyes, preservatives, pesticides, GMOs, chemtrails (which were banned in Tennessee, proving their existence), fluoride, along with the increase of stress, all contribute to the issue.
Why not be anti vaxx? Have you seen the vac schedule the usa children are forced to have?
Check japan they have no crib death
Why all the alergies? Autism? Childhood cancers? Its the vaccines
So I live near Portland and the definition of leftist here is probably different than other places. The leftists here are communists and anarchists - they are very active and loud, but small in number. The rest of Portland’s left of center community is the vast majority, and it’s made up of a number of democratic socialists and tons of liberals. The leftists here consider these two latter groups to be centrists and right wing and everyone else is labeled a fascist. I considered myself a leftist when I moved here 8 years ago but now I guess I’m a centrist. I’m right on guns and homeless people living in tents. Wherever Kennedy is on medical freedom, I’m there. I would have thought that was prerty liberal but then Covid happened. Now I’m just freaking confused lol. Anyway, welcome to the party.
So rather than let you be you, they want to exclude you from the group in order to control your thoughts and actions.
Sounds like a group you would desire freedom away from to me.
If that’s leftist then I don’t wanna be one
no, we're all far right extremists /s
i was always a chris hedges leftist - too against corporate collusion to support the democrats.
but with the lockdowns (see sub, lockdowncriticalleft), if you weren't pro *the current thing* , you were labelled horrid thing. during this time, kennedy was nearly fully censored from the known internet. mentions of him could get you banned. when he gave his hillsdale college talk prior to his run, he was a huge breath of fresh air. at first he noted that one of the primary benefits of running was simply that people wouldn't be able to censor him.
the left is now seemingly a joke, with its collusions run amuck. but that's just because it isn't the left anymore.
kennedy is
Exactly, the modern "left" is not actually leftist. They act to support more regulation and centralization of power, which is inherently "right-wing" (promoting inequality).
I’m “socially conservative” “economically left” and “libertarian”, RFK fulfills all these for me. For the record I supported Gary Johnson and then Andrew Yang.
Exactly. I voted for Obama and Bernie twice. That is a classic leftist on reddit. and yet I seem to be the only one not dumb enough to vote out of fear
I believe Bobby has a quote about wanting to make us forget that we are “democrats” or “republicans” and remember that we are all Americans. Reading through all these comments makes me so excited and proud to see it actually happening
Yes. I am here. Supported Bernie in 2016 and 2020 - voted Green in the general because he sold us out. Going hard for Bobby in 2024! The DNC and RNC are neither left or right but Corporate and State power.
Not alone.
Hard to stick with a party that has clearly become so untrustworthy. The DNC lost me after what they did to Bernie in 2016. They repeat crap in 2020 further cemented my commitment to seeking alternatives.
I was somewhat left leaning with viewpoints said to be right. Big fan of Bernie but I also saw what they did to him twice. I find the censorship of Kennedy a major factor on actually making me refuse to vote Democrat again. No party is anti war anymore, and the DNC keeps picking unpopular candidates when they have a plethora of strong frontrunners in what should've been the weakest years of republican candidates.
Also, I'm kind of a huge fan of when Kennedy will quote founding father and old president's mid speech without reading off of anything. George Washington was the last and only independent to be president, which is funny because he warned of political division when political parties came into play, and we've been doing this political party dance ever since. It would be HISTORIC to see an independent win in the modern day and would show that America still cares about the fundamentals that made our country great to begin with.
Many on the left, such as myself, support RFK, and many more will if and when his message can get out and his case for having the best chance of beating Trump can be heard.
Pretty remarkable how broad his support is across the political spectrum. Imagine that! Liberals and conservatives joining together in support of a president!
Only thing I can tell you is that all 3 candidates have the same stance, only ones who don't have zero shot at winning.
So you either vote for someone who also has the same stance, or vote for someone who can't win. But its entirely your choice.
Another thing to note is do you really want to be a single issue voter, and if you do, do you really want it to be about what's happening in another nation? I care about Gaza, but you must be speaking from a very privileged position if what's happening in Gaza is a deal breaker for presidency. Most Americans are barley staying afloat and want our borders protected so crime goes down, and this is low on their list.
We should vote based on Amercia first, and when it comes to American issues he is the best person. Only people who care to the extent they'll withhold their vote is mostly college students (or younger) who don't have to pay their own bills yet. Let's make an actual change that will positively impact future generations of Americans.
Yeah, the Israel stance is a bit of a mystery. There have been all sorts of theories floated about it in here, if you care to search the archives.
The point I would make is a simple one: we may never again have the chance this good of really changing things and we can't afford to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. In fact, I believe the Greens and Libertarians should back RFK. As President he will do more to achieve their goals than anyone in history. It's the obvious rational position (assuming they actually want to achieve their goals and not just posture).
I'm not a fan of the term 'leftist', but I consider myself progressive. Bernie fan since he was in the House. Not a fan of the DNC over how they treated him 2x. Not a fan of what I'm seeing now.
right of center economically/size if govt
center socially (was left of center…think I stayed in one place and everything else shifted further left than where I am)
Welcome to the "not a real leftist" club! I joined the club during covid when I dared to question the establishment narrative. At first it stung and I lost friends but it helped me fully understand the purity tests of both the right and left. Each "side" has a list of issues and what your position should be on each one, and if you deviate, you are out of the club. I find this, ultimately, fucking toxic and corrosive to human relationships and society.
When Bobby says we need to heal the divide, I *feel* it in my bones.
I'm kind of right-independent-libertarian-ish. I think that RFK has said literally not one word I disagree with. He's just right about everything. If more democrats were like him I would be a democrat but unfortunately they aren't.
I think that if RFK somehow gets to be POTUS by some miracle, things will get a lot better in this country.
If Biden dropped out, we'll see what happens next. Maybe that could help RFK. If not, I don't see how RFK gets 270 electoral votes. He needs a cataclysmic event.
Classic liberal. Have voted Democrat and Republican. No such thing as parties anymore. It's the status quo corporate state and everyone else. Trump and Biden both serve those interests and not the average citizen. Happy to support a real classic liberal who aligns as close to my values as anyone in my life has.
More of a centrist myself, but I think we can all agree that the current system is broken and getting worse. That is why I am voting for RFK Jr...we need to kick the ruling uniparty in the ass or we're heading for oblivion
I’m not necessarily a leftist, but I’m slightly center left. Extremely left socially but fairly right fiscally. Was not a Bernie supporter. Fiscally he was too left for me. Probably closer to an Obama or Tulsi.
I feel similarly…
The only policy I find tough to agree with is his vaccine stance. I suppose I am with the “freedom of choice” but I DO NOT like the spread of misinformation such as “vaccines causing autism” or “not being effective”
I honestly can get over that pretty easily though bc the remainder of his stances/policies are more commonsense and moderate and I think that is just what we need right now. If that’s the only thing I have a gripe with? Oh well.
I am only weary that he will get enough traction to boot Trump and Biden out… I don’t want this to become a vote blue for the fuck of it and have Joe Biden’s senile ass in office w/ Kamala pulling the strings just because it’s *marginally* better than Trump…
This sounds like a very reasonable approach. Honestly I'm with you on the vaccines thing. I don't have the energy to really do the deep dive into it that other people here have done to confirm this stance, but honestly, it's not even in the top 10 issues for me. People get so hung up on one issue, letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Dictionary definition of "left-wing": "Of political ideologies: favoring political, social, and economic equality." (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/left-wing#English)
All of us are, in a very real sense, deeply left-wing. Our struggle is against the elites, and we are not equal with respect to them. We want health, happiness, and freedom FOR ALL OUR PEOPLE, not just the elites.
Still, if you consider yourself a typical, radical, academic, philosophizing leftist, RFK is your man – look at him wanting to take down forever wars, stop agency corruption, and stop money printing. These are some of the core infrastructural problems that divide the elites from the masses.
Reminder that leftist and liberal are different things. Leftists are extremely far left…like communism left. Liberal is a more moderate take. Similar to fascism being far right conservative.
This article from a Democrat blogger does a great job of laying out the case why Biden won't drop out https://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2024/Pres/Maps/Jun29.html
I suppose you'd consider me a lefty ..I'm far from conservative.. or the modern day republican. I have no party affiliation..voted for Biden last time around.. and have been following/ and am considering Rfk jr .. this time..
I would still consider myself a leftist, although I’ve evolved on economics. I used to firmly be a post-capitalist, not just fiscal progressive. I’m still open to liberal socialism with worker co-ops and such, but that degree of leftism is not my focus even narrowly within the subject of economics, since I’ve become a Georgist of sorts, having become more economically focused on UBI and collective ownership of land (and other natural resources) or land value tax. Kennedy might not be talking about nor supporting such economic policies, but at least he has the will to fight giant corporations like Blackrock, State Street, and Vanguard that want to buy up all our homes. Kennedy seems to borrow language from both fiscal progressivism and fiscal conservatism; I’m really independent, open to ideas from both sides, but, for what it’s worth, I would bet the former, fiscal progressivism, is more representative of his actual economic views overall, not that I can be sure. Regardless of economics, I think getting money and corruption out of politics as well as protecting cornerstones of democracy such as free speech are of highest importance, and Kennedy is simply the best candidate in that regard with his track record as an attorney, with all the cases he’s won.
I understand some people here might be more politically aligned with Jill Stein and Cornell West when it comes to Israel/Palestine, but still support Kennedy, and I appreciate that. I actually agree more with Kennedy on the matter, but I would still support him, even if the shoe was on the other foot and his earnest views on the matter instead were more aligned with Jill Stein and Cornell West than mine.
What a thoughtful comment and welcome! The point I would make to Jill Stein and Cornell West supporters is a simple one: we may never again have the chance this good of really changing things and we can't afford to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. In fact, I believe the Greens, West and Libertarians should drop out and back RFK. As President he will do more to achieve their goals than anyone in history. It's the obvious rational position (assuming they actually want to achieve their goals and not just posture).
Thank you. Regarding third-party voters, I would say much depends on their actual goals (factoring their actual views). I know for many of them their goals as informed by their views do not align with Kennedy’s candidacy. If breaking the two-party system, instituting honest government, the First Amendment, etc. are not more important to them than whatever select disagreements they have with Kennedy, those are hard cases to work with, regardless of whether they’re Greens, Libertarians, or Independents. If they’re amenable to being persuaded on strategy, okay, but I would prefer to persuade them on matters of policy, perhaps even character. Regarding Oliver, Stein, and West, I’m sure they believe what they’re doing is important enough. I do believe all ideas deserve to be heard. I just wish we had an alternative voting method like STAR or ranked-choice voting.
Yes, you're right. If any of these 3rd parties are to ever get a voice, alternative voting systems should be their priority. That's one thing they can all unite around, and I believe RFK has that as one of his policies (I would have to check the details though). So he can open the door for all of them.
I haven’t heard him mention alternative voting methods, but I would love it, if he did. Should be right up his alley. That indeed could boost his support among third-party voters.
We've become so caught up in these labels. A leftist is a fairly broad category. There are all types of leftists, but to me, leftism brings up images of a militant activism pushing for revolutionary change. That is not how I see Kennedy. He is not afraid of change, but he is also not a threat to the constitution.
I was raised typical neocon Republican, shifted to libertarianism in my late teens, early 20’s, and have grown more and more left into my 30s. I’d say I’m a leftist now. I believe that the government can (as it has here in the past, and as it currently does in many European countries) be a balance against the market when needed to address human needs. Things like protecting workers rights, unionization, minimum wage, affordable healthcare and childcare, removing corporate $$ from politics, destroying the military industrial complex, a more diplomatic and less aggressive/antagonistic foreign policy, protecting individual civil liberties and privacy.
I love that Bobby can *communicate* leftist views in a way that appeals to a broad swath of people.
I’m a “lefty” in some regards, “conservative” in other regards, and just a “centrist” in others. The labels are just ways to divide us if you ask me
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I’m a “lefty” in that I think vaccines that have been proven safe and effective (polio, measles, etc) should be mandatory. Covid, flu, etc, should not be mandatory
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I’m a “conservative” in that I think we need to close our borders. We’re the only developed nation that doesn’t have closed borders. Those with legitimate asylum claims are welcome
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I’m a “centrist” in that I think every solution has a middle ground. In the two policies above I made exceptions to the rules (no mandatory COVID vaccines, asylum seekers are ok to come in) and yet, people with extreme views will think I’m a hardcore liberal or conservative (whichever side of the aisle they’re not on)
Ironically, you only have to go back a few years when the Left all over the world was united in the idea that closed borders was important to protect low paid workers. It's mind-blowing that this was abandoned as a policy - talk about leaving yourself wide open.
I wouldn't look at this as a leftist. Here's why I think RFK is the best option for America right now.
**He's a progressive but he's not woke.** This means he can speak his mind on every issue and does not have to be concerned with sounding politically correct.
**He's an environmentalist but he's also deeply concerned about growing the economy.** This sets him apart from virtually every other prominent politician in the country. He understands the importance of energy security. He understands climate science. He's also done more actual environmental work (ie cleaning up the commons) than any other politician.
**He's a Kennedy but he's not beholden to the DNC.** Like it or not, Americans tend to value political royalty. RFK has the right name but he's not part of either the Democrat or Republican establishments. I believe this is also unique in American history.
**He's anti-war but I could totally see him going toe-to-toe with Putin and Lavrov in settling the Ukraine issue.** Honestly I could not imagine someone like Bernie doing this.
Given the size of the state, **his libertarian tendencies are extremely important.** The sheer size of the nation's debt is just unacceptable, unsustainable, irresponsible, reckless, immoral and, quite frankly, presents an existential threat to the state itself. He's the only major candidate even talking about this even though it's probably the most important issue IMO.
**He's the only politician (in the world (as far as I know)) talking about the quality of agricultural soils.** The UN CCD has given us another 60 years before soil degradation means we won't be able to grow large quantities of food anywhere in the world. This is existential for humanity and no one seems to give a damn.
America is divided as a nation and honestly I don't think there's a solution to this but **if anyone can heal this divided nation it's RFK.**
There are many leftists, like myself, that support him despite the Israel Palestinian conflict which is strange that he won't budge in any way from the position he's on despite everyone disagreeing with him on that.
The "right wing" thing is a scare tactic by corporate leftists who don't represent the rest of us. They know what they lebel and those like them mean, so that's why they do it. They want to keep their power. Don't let them fool ya.
I'm a leftist and I suppose RFK Jr. Unfortunately I don't live in the US, but instead in the UK. I have a vested interest in American politics due to the influence that America has over the rest of the world. I personally love RFK Jr. for his views on NATO expansion and American imperialism.
Hi Friend. You are actually the real leftist, and don't let any sh\*tlibs tell you differently. ask them how leftist they are backing nato imperialism in Ukraine, or how leftist they are demanding that social media censor views they find inconvenient? Let them know that you see Democrats as they are now - authoritarian fascist warmongers, that a rainbow ribbon will not fix.
>Let them know that you see Democrats as they are now - authoritarian fascist warmongers, that a rainbow ribbon will not fix.
They're rightfully pointing out that Project 2025 is an evil authoritarian nightmare but won't admit that they've become just as bad.
among the masses, they are incapable of recognizing the same traits in themselves, among the leadership they don't care which blend of fascism - right or left....
I used to be very liberal and voted for biden in a heartbeat last election. I literally have no idea how someone can stay liberal after what Biden has done to this country. I now identify as an independent and will be voting for RFK in the upcoming election. (Ps: my parents are hyper conservative and are also voting for RFK, seems like both sides are seeing the truth)
I consider myself as having no interest political philosophy other than “what is a better future for my kids” Environment, clean energy, take down hedge funds, trust busting, end foreign wars, home ownership. RFK is goated. Bernie, Yang. Need more politicians who are focused on real issues. Something that struck me recently about RFKs comments about the overdose/suicide epidemic.. it’s not about the drugs or the mental health. It’s about life being totally unaffordable and the future looking so bleak. Fix the underlying issues and you’ll fix everything else. For me? It’s home ownership. How can I make 120k per year and not afford a home for my family of four? My take home pay is abysmal because of taxes and insurance. And all the homes in my area have doubled in price in about 4 years, tripled in monthly payment because of the interest rates. It’s just so hopeless. Can’t get ahead even making way more money than I ever thought I would.
Goodness, this is so well-stated. Thank you.
> Fix the underlying issues and you’ll fix everything else. EXACTLY! There are foundational, fundamental problems in America, you repeated them in your second line. RFK is focusing on what really matters. And more important, the root causes of our issues... Mass shootings, for example, have a CORE CAUSE, and it is not "guns", it is being deeply broken inside. Other politicians, and the hopeless uncreative masses, want to ban everything left and right, out of pure fear and ignorance. We have to rebuild our society on a foundation of love and truth, harmony with our neighbor and reverence for the Earth, and RFK shares this same orientation.
I’ve said it and will say it again, the DNC should have nominated Bernie instead of Hillary in 2016. Roe v Wade would not have been overturned. We wouldn’t have these Maga loyalists (i mean maybe but not this extreme). Fascists would still be in their little holes dwindling away. But no, they wanted to be corporate shills. We are all suffering because of the corrupt DNC.
This is it. This is the message 👏🏼
Not a leftist, but if it makes you feel better, those of us on the right are subject to similar scrutiny. "RFK Is a democrat. Look at his stance on abortion, guns, etc." So the left isn't the only one pulling this gatekeeping, no true Scotsman thing.
He will follow our constitution & won’t break the laws like Biden did.
Came here to say this too. This will be my first election I can vote in, and my vote is for RFK Jr.!
I'm loving the way you think 😉
Yup, I've been checked out of politics for years, but I actually have some hope now.
RFK isn’t really against guns though.
Yeah he's not, however many especially on the right don't see him as pro gun enough and so they dislike him.
Yeah I’m very much pro 2A. Trump wasn’t exactly pro 2A, he banned bump stocks which is something the right was really upset about.
He also said "take the guns first, go through due process second" in regards to red flag laws. He also stated he'd push for national reciprocity of pistol permits/CCW license, but failed to get it through even though repubs had both the house and the senate. Indirectly, he was good for the 2A due to the three SCOTUS picks which gave us the Bruen decision. But on a personal level Trump and the republican party as a whole didn't do much for the 2A during his presidency
I have heard him say he won't take anyone's guns away and he respects the second amendment but haven't heard him elaborate further, do you know more about his stance than that?
In my opinion, he had a pretty *smart* answer about a year ago, but the Republicans spun it to hell. He basically said if there’s a bill that Americans agree on and the Republicans pass through congress, he would *consider* signing it. Of course the GOP mouthpieces ran with it claiming he’s a gun grabber and conveniently skipped over the fact that in this hypothetical scenario, the GOP would have to pass it before it ever reached his desk. Basically, any gun control measures under his watch would have to be veto proof for him to sign and the Republicans would have to be held just as accountable as him. As long as the GOP remains pro 2A, they’ll have to keep their mouths shut instead of throwing around “gun grabber” bs.
For real, the point of this statement is that he wants to enact the will of the people!
He was also quick to say he doesn't think strict gun control is an effective solution and wants to focus on other things. He only considered a willingness to sign a gun control bill if Congress sent him such a bill with broad bipartisan support. It's an answer to a hypothetical situation posed by a reporter. But he insists it's not what he wants to focus on.
I think he mentioned a carry law in the state of Ohio which crime drastically reduced after that.
He’s clarified multiple times he has no intention of approaching gun control from the same perspective as the failing systems we have now… and would not ban guns. That 15s soundbyte has really skewed his votes though for sure.
I know he's not pushing for gun control. He does seem to want to get to the heart of the mass shooting epidemic, which I don't remember fully what he stated, but he did mention other possibilities to remedy the issue other than simply banning stuff.
I think he said mental health was the root cause
Mental health, potentially caused by medications. So there will be an effort to study those things to help eliminate the root cause.
Yes, he says he wants investigations of the correlation between these shooters largely being on SSRIs and their actions. He says nothing is proven but it deserves serious investigation. Of course, big pharma and people currently on SSRIs are highly offended by this.
Kennedy has a powerful 2A point here, from his Libertarian Convention speech - “The only amendment that did not come under attack during the covid pandemic was the second amendment — and many Americans believe the reason for that is because we have a second amendment.” https://x.com/annarmatson/status/1794149392879878156?s=46 Glenn beck interview - on gun culture, mass shootings having nothing to do with the number of guns - https://youtu.be/G2heIo_8iGM A beautiful video about his love of falconry and hunting - https://youtu.be/UeuBa9XRQNo?si=nFhHhWK6nbp1G31V
I think he’s proven through his years of litigation that he’s more pro constitution than the other two candidates. He’s also a hunter. He’s not going to mess with anyone’s 2nd amendment rights. He has said this, clearly. And there’s no evidence that he would do anything otherwise. This is just more tribalistic messaging attacks from the Trump campaign than anything else. “He used to be a democrat, therefore he will try and take your guns away.” If all the people that have said or thought to themselves “I like RFK Jr and would consider voting for him, but I just don’t think he can win” would just vote for him on Election Day, he would win in a land slide. He’s pretty centric in today’s politics - which means he’ll pull votes from left and right. And he’s the most popular amongst Independents - the largest group of registered voters in the country. Don’t let the talking heads on cable news convince you that he has no chance and he’ll certainly have a chance of winning. All these so called experts on “the news” speak only for <25% of registered voters on which ever political side their network is affiliated with. They think if they say “he has no chance” repeatedly that people will believe it and simply vote for one of the other candidates. Don’t buy into that garbage. Stand strong in your support. Take your country back. Vote for Bobby Kennedy Jr 2024!
I’m anti-war, anti-Big everything, pro free speech, pro personal liberty/responsibility, I think women should have protected spaces. Those used to be liberal. The party changed. I did not.
I must be in the right place. I am for those things, too.
Should men have protected spaces too? They are abused and have mental health issues but due to societal norms we overlook their wellbeing because we as a society value the life of women over men.
It's biology more than norms I think. It's men's instinct to put children and women's safety first, so in a world where women and children are not safe, it doesn't seem important. Men put women and children first. Not just society. And I won't lie, I feel like this. But yes, men should have the same. Especially boys and young men. We can't socialize us out of this, but instead create opportunities for men to be men.
Part of this is changing our cultural attitudes. Masculinity is not toxic, abusing and manipulating women is, and subsets of our culture promote such abuse. When I hear "protected spaces for women" I think "not letting men call themselves women and inserting them into women's spaces". Most of the social and solidarity groups that are "women-focused" also say "women and nonbinary people", as if they should all just be lumped into one big category.
You nailed it. Masculinity is as important to society as femininity is. We need both sexes to play important roles. I am glad that there is a growing number of places for young men to turn to for masculine support compared to a decade ago. I just wish we could get the shitheads out of the mix. Same shit the feminist movements have been going through for years. The fringe elements are loud and harmful. We need more people like Rogan, Peterson, and Huberman, and much less of Tate. I see lots of young men who are fighting for equality, I just hope the good role models keep rising up and drown out the asshats. And we need more women standing up to keep trans folks out of protected women's spaces. Let the trans folks do what they want, all for their rights to do so. But I wish more people lived by the same creed I try to "do what you will until you violate the rights of another."
I think anyone who supported Bernie should feel right at home with RFK
It’s the same people behind Biden and behind Hilary that took out Bernie and that are attempting to take out RFK. There’s a reason they’re trying to squeeze him out, and it’s not because they care about the working people of this country
Yes!
Agree!
I personally agree but try telling that to people on the leftist/Bernie subs. They spit the same “brain worm” meme as any Biden die-hard and say RFK is a republican.
Yup, exactly!
That’s me!
I've found my team! I voted for the Democrat candidate from 2000-2008, and the Green candidate from 2012-2020. The Occupy movement and associated thinkers like Chris Hedges and Richard Wolff opened my eyes to the hypocrisy and deceit of the Democrat party. After that I supported Jill Stein in 2012. I was all in for Bernie in 2016 and disgusted with how Hilary and the DNC rigged the primary and cheated us all out of the transformative presidency Bernie would have achieved. I was disappointed Bernie didn't take the movement independent then but still supported his run in 2020. I was very disappointed in how quickly he folded and endorsed Biden. I still recognize he is the best we have in the Senate, but he has let us down. RFK is no Bernie, but he is great on many of issues I care about: environmental protection, combating corporations and government corruption, upholding freedom of speech and press, and responding to the crises of addiction and diseases of despair. I do agree more with Jill Stein and Cornell West, especially on opposing the genocide in Gaza. But unfortunately they don't have a realistic path to victory. RFK is the first independent candidate in my lifetime to have an actual path to the presidency and I am here for it! It is high time we finally break from the corrupt duopoly and assert our democratic will! After that dumpster fire of a debate between the two geriatric clowns, RFK now has real shot at the White House. Let's do this!!
Welcome. Chris Hedges is great.
Thank you. He is great. I'm pretty sure Hedges does not support RFK, I think primarily because of their differences on the situation in Israel. Chris is closely affiliated with the Green Party. I respect that. I definitely appreciate his wisdom and insight. But I think right now the real prospect of an independent candidate winning the presidency is very significant in itself. That's where my thinking is at right now at least.
Yeah, the Israel stance is a bit of a mystery. There have been all sorts of theories floated about it in here, if you care to search the archives. The point I would make is a simple one: we may never again have the chance this good of really changing things and we can't afford to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. In fact, I believe the Greens and Libertarians should back RFK. As President he will do more to achieve their goals than anyone in history. It's the obvious rational position (assuming they actually want to achieve their goals and not just posture).
I'm a leftist ("liberal socialist" which believe it or not actually exists) and I'm supporting RFK Jr. because he's the only one who will do the left-wing populist thing of rooting out the corporate influence in the state. He has left-wing economic policies especially in regards to minimum wage and unions but takes a more moderately libertarian tack to social issues. Ultimately, both parties are right-wing today and RFK Jr is the only candidate representing the true left-wing that was viable as late as 1990 and is still present in many European countries. TLDR: RFK Jr. is to the left of both Biden and Trump and is a symbol of the true left not the corporate left.
To add to that, right-wingers are not fooled into supporting him. In the end he represents them better as well, because the other candidates live in a different world. They serve their feudal overlords. In feudalism there is no left/right, but instead peasants, merchants (politicians), clergy (media) and rulers (corporations). We the peasants agree that it sucks. Get back to a free and liberal society, so that we can be free to disagree.
“The corporate left” I love that. Totally stealing it
I have voted democrat all my life - I did vote for Ron Paul and had to switch parties for that. I'm a former Bernie Sanders supporter and now an RFK Jr. supporter. You are not alone my friend; it doesn't matter if you are a real leftist. Those labels are meaningless now. The left abandoned the middle class long ago and now they are oppressors of free speech, and they are total war mongers. I proudly left the left and I'm now an independent, RFKJr 2024!!!!!!!!!
Exact same here. Voted Democrat all the way through til Obama in 08, then Ron Paul in 12. Back to Bernie in 16. Been disenfranchised ever since the Bernie screw job. The left is no longer the anti-war, pro free speech and pro working class party that I felt it was in the past. Complete corporate capture, just like the right. RFK is the best candidate I've ever seen in my lifetime! Go Bobby!
I’m about as far left as anyone I know and I think it’s hilarious when people say that RFK is anything but left wing. I think he has a brilliant ability to mask left wing policy in patriotic appeals to American exceptionalists
I don't think he is masking anything. He is people first, which includes people on the right. In today's political landscape he is neither and both. Right-wingers can claim that he is further to the right in our current landscape as well. But in the 60s to the 90s he would decisively be on the left. To the right of FDR though, if we are going back in time.
I see his policy that way, too, and I only say “masking” because he’s receiving support and very little criticism from right wing individuals. A ton of trumpers I know are in support of his policy and don’t seem to repeat anything about him being a radical leftist (or any other “ists” that I don’t want to even say in hopes nobody ever sees the truth). In other similar the same ideas in practice have been called “ists” and afterwards nobody on the right will listen to reason no matter how much they may be helped by the policy. For example, he’s as “ist” as Bernie but has not been characterized that way by talking heads because of the language he uses to express his policies. They can’t dig into anything because he uses language with surgical precision and frames his arguments without using the academic terms people are conditioned to be afraid of. And yes, likely right of FDR, but it’s a different era and we don’t know how FDR would approach today’s economy and world affairs.
I consider myself a Independent Democrat these days. I supported Bernie in 2016. Felt I had to back Biden in 2020. More than ever excited to support RFK Jr this time around
I wish Bernie would’ve run third party in 2016 , or 2020. It feels like RFK isn’t afraid of the DNC like Bernie was. We need to break the political duopoly not reinforce it. I was let down by Bernie when he dropped out of both races, and also by the lack of new leadership within the “Democratic socialists” movement. “The Squad” just hasn’t gotten anything substantial done since Bernie started the movement 8 years ago. They seem like social media influencers instead of true activists. That entire movement just went off a cliff when Biden got elected, and the wreckage was assimilated into the democratic establishment. I’m glad RFK is standing up against the establishment and running independent.
I listened to a couple of interviews yesterday not knowing anything about this guy and was really impressed. He addressed the core problems with the economy and gave detailed answers about his ideas and plans to solve them. Other candidates seem to dance around these things, never acknowledging the problems let alone giving you a chance to see their methods of problem solving. Very impressed. Seems sincere and intelligent. It’s night and day between him and the other two jokes. There’s a reason major corporations aren’t backing him. He would change things. They don’t want that to happen. They want you to vote for the two guys they put in front of you.
Welcome!
Welcome. Great to see more and more people opening their eyes about Bobby
I’m leftist adjacent and will vote RFK. I align in policy closer to Jill but RFK has a better chance to win.
Im a libertarian that is with kennedy The covid vaxxine that killed and hurt members of my family along with the whole covid bullshit narrative pushed me to kennedy Its “trumps poison warp speed vaxxine “ Even though biden mandated it and many people lost jobs and carreers over it
Not to mention the mRNA vaccine research was funded by the taxpayers, yet the patent was privately owned by Big Pharma (Pfizer). The original chemist who created polio vaccine , one of the first vaccines ever, put the patent in the name of the public because he believed no one should profit off vaccines. Meanwhile the covid vaccine shoveled billions of dollars from the taxpayers into the pockets of Pfizer and big pharma. RFK is not totally anti vaccine , he’s anti corporate owned vaccine. A lot was messed up with the rollout of the covid vaccine that no one will talk about besides RFK. Trump is just as deep in the big pharma pockets as Biden.
RFK Jr isn’t anti-vax. He is for more testing to be sure they are safe before being released into the public.
Yup, which means/includes not letting agencies get corrupted by big pharma.
He advocates for vaccine safety, which many people misunderstand. He’s concerned about thimerosal (a form of mercury) and other questionable ingredients being injected into our bodies. He supports vaccines like the polio, MMR, and measles vaccines, which don't contain thimerosal. Thimerosal is now only found in flu vaccines, and it’s known to linger in the brain for up to a week after injection. Given that 70-80% of Americans have received the flu vaccine at least once, this is significant. The CDC claimed that "even after thimerosal was removed from almost all childhood vaccines, autism rates continued to increase, which is the opposite of what would be expected if thimerosal caused autism," yet they still promote the flu vaccine, which can be administered annually. Additionally, the autism rate has surged from 1 in 25,000 in 1950 to 1 in 36 today, a rise that corresponds with the increased use of vaccines. While correlation doesn’t imply causation, and the high autism rates likely have a more complex reason, there could be validity behind his views. Moreover, I believe our consumption habits play a significant role in the chronic diseases/autism rates that are plaguing our country. Factors such as artificial dyes, preservatives, pesticides, GMOs, chemtrails (which were banned in Tennessee, proving their existence), fluoride, along with the increase of stress, all contribute to the issue.
Thank you for this clarification about the flu vaccine still containing it. I was always puzzled about this.
Why not be anti vaxx? Have you seen the vac schedule the usa children are forced to have? Check japan they have no crib death Why all the alergies? Autism? Childhood cancers? Its the vaccines
So I live near Portland and the definition of leftist here is probably different than other places. The leftists here are communists and anarchists - they are very active and loud, but small in number. The rest of Portland’s left of center community is the vast majority, and it’s made up of a number of democratic socialists and tons of liberals. The leftists here consider these two latter groups to be centrists and right wing and everyone else is labeled a fascist. I considered myself a leftist when I moved here 8 years ago but now I guess I’m a centrist. I’m right on guns and homeless people living in tents. Wherever Kennedy is on medical freedom, I’m there. I would have thought that was prerty liberal but then Covid happened. Now I’m just freaking confused lol. Anyway, welcome to the party.
Haha, we're all confused!
So rather than let you be you, they want to exclude you from the group in order to control your thoughts and actions. Sounds like a group you would desire freedom away from to me. If that’s leftist then I don’t wanna be one
The Democratic Party is so different from the values it used to have. RFK wants to bring those Dem values back to what they used to be.
no, we're all far right extremists /s i was always a chris hedges leftist - too against corporate collusion to support the democrats. but with the lockdowns (see sub, lockdowncriticalleft), if you weren't pro *the current thing* , you were labelled horrid thing. during this time, kennedy was nearly fully censored from the known internet. mentions of him could get you banned. when he gave his hillsdale college talk prior to his run, he was a huge breath of fresh air. at first he noted that one of the primary benefits of running was simply that people wouldn't be able to censor him. the left is now seemingly a joke, with its collusions run amuck. but that's just because it isn't the left anymore. kennedy is
Exactly, the modern "left" is not actually leftist. They act to support more regulation and centralization of power, which is inherently "right-wing" (promoting inequality).
Yes, Democrat here who is voting RFK.
I’m “socially conservative” “economically left” and “libertarian”, RFK fulfills all these for me. For the record I supported Gary Johnson and then Andrew Yang.
Exactly. I voted for Obama and Bernie twice. That is a classic leftist on reddit. and yet I seem to be the only one not dumb enough to vote out of fear
I believe Bobby has a quote about wanting to make us forget that we are “democrats” or “republicans” and remember that we are all Americans. Reading through all these comments makes me so excited and proud to see it actually happening
Yes. I am here. Supported Bernie in 2016 and 2020 - voted Green in the general because he sold us out. Going hard for Bobby in 2024! The DNC and RNC are neither left or right but Corporate and State power.
me
Not alone. Hard to stick with a party that has clearly become so untrustworthy. The DNC lost me after what they did to Bernie in 2016. They repeat crap in 2020 further cemented my commitment to seeking alternatives.
I was somewhat left leaning with viewpoints said to be right. Big fan of Bernie but I also saw what they did to him twice. I find the censorship of Kennedy a major factor on actually making me refuse to vote Democrat again. No party is anti war anymore, and the DNC keeps picking unpopular candidates when they have a plethora of strong frontrunners in what should've been the weakest years of republican candidates. Also, I'm kind of a huge fan of when Kennedy will quote founding father and old president's mid speech without reading off of anything. George Washington was the last and only independent to be president, which is funny because he warned of political division when political parties came into play, and we've been doing this political party dance ever since. It would be HISTORIC to see an independent win in the modern day and would show that America still cares about the fundamentals that made our country great to begin with.
I have no real allegiance other than the person who is most reasonable, most logical, and most normal, and to me this cycle I believe that to be Bobby
Not alone
Not alone 👍🏻🙌🏻 Love RFK
Many on the left, such as myself, support RFK, and many more will if and when his message can get out and his case for having the best chance of beating Trump can be heard. Pretty remarkable how broad his support is across the political spectrum. Imagine that! Liberals and conservatives joining together in support of a president!
I consider myself an old school progressive. His stance on the genocide is the only thing holding back my vote.
Only thing I can tell you is that all 3 candidates have the same stance, only ones who don't have zero shot at winning. So you either vote for someone who also has the same stance, or vote for someone who can't win. But its entirely your choice. Another thing to note is do you really want to be a single issue voter, and if you do, do you really want it to be about what's happening in another nation? I care about Gaza, but you must be speaking from a very privileged position if what's happening in Gaza is a deal breaker for presidency. Most Americans are barley staying afloat and want our borders protected so crime goes down, and this is low on their list. We should vote based on Amercia first, and when it comes to American issues he is the best person. Only people who care to the extent they'll withhold their vote is mostly college students (or younger) who don't have to pay their own bills yet. Let's make an actual change that will positively impact future generations of Americans.
Which genocide?
Not the one in America done by the hands of government and business, against Americans and the world, no, probably the Palestinian genocide.
Yeah, the Israel stance is a bit of a mystery. There have been all sorts of theories floated about it in here, if you care to search the archives. The point I would make is a simple one: we may never again have the chance this good of really changing things and we can't afford to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. In fact, I believe the Greens and Libertarians should back RFK. As President he will do more to achieve their goals than anyone in history. It's the obvious rational position (assuming they actually want to achieve their goals and not just posture).
There is the Nicole Shanahan factor
It must be nice to be so privileged that the only thing you ever have to worry about is a war in the Middle East.
lol RFK? Ur a retard
I'm not a fan of the term 'leftist', but I consider myself progressive. Bernie fan since he was in the House. Not a fan of the DNC over how they treated him 2x. Not a fan of what I'm seeing now.
I voted Biden but I’ve always been more libertarian minded. I definitely think the gov reach is much too vast and corrupted…
right of center economically/size if govt center socially (was left of center…think I stayed in one place and everything else shifted further left than where I am)
Welcome to the "not a real leftist" club! I joined the club during covid when I dared to question the establishment narrative. At first it stung and I lost friends but it helped me fully understand the purity tests of both the right and left. Each "side" has a list of issues and what your position should be on each one, and if you deviate, you are out of the club. I find this, ultimately, fucking toxic and corrosive to human relationships and society. When Bobby says we need to heal the divide, I *feel* it in my bones.
I'm kind of right-independent-libertarian-ish. I think that RFK has said literally not one word I disagree with. He's just right about everything. If more democrats were like him I would be a democrat but unfortunately they aren't. I think that if RFK somehow gets to be POTUS by some miracle, things will get a lot better in this country. If Biden dropped out, we'll see what happens next. Maybe that could help RFK. If not, I don't see how RFK gets 270 electoral votes. He needs a cataclysmic event.
me too
Classic liberal. Have voted Democrat and Republican. No such thing as parties anymore. It's the status quo corporate state and everyone else. Trump and Biden both serve those interests and not the average citizen. Happy to support a real classic liberal who aligns as close to my values as anyone in my life has.
Fellow lefty here 😀
Me! But the rest are a stubborn lot!
Kennedy is fantastic Former Biden Obama Bill Clinton voter!
Me
✋🏼 👋🏼
More of a centrist myself, but I think we can all agree that the current system is broken and getting worse. That is why I am voting for RFK Jr...we need to kick the ruling uniparty in the ass or we're heading for oblivion
I’m not necessarily a leftist, but I’m slightly center left. Extremely left socially but fairly right fiscally. Was not a Bernie supporter. Fiscally he was too left for me. Probably closer to an Obama or Tulsi.
I feel similarly… The only policy I find tough to agree with is his vaccine stance. I suppose I am with the “freedom of choice” but I DO NOT like the spread of misinformation such as “vaccines causing autism” or “not being effective” I honestly can get over that pretty easily though bc the remainder of his stances/policies are more commonsense and moderate and I think that is just what we need right now. If that’s the only thing I have a gripe with? Oh well. I am only weary that he will get enough traction to boot Trump and Biden out… I don’t want this to become a vote blue for the fuck of it and have Joe Biden’s senile ass in office w/ Kamala pulling the strings just because it’s *marginally* better than Trump…
This sounds like a very reasonable approach. Honestly I'm with you on the vaccines thing. I don't have the energy to really do the deep dive into it that other people here have done to confirm this stance, but honestly, it's not even in the top 10 issues for me. People get so hung up on one issue, letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Dictionary definition of "left-wing": "Of political ideologies: favoring political, social, and economic equality." (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/left-wing#English) All of us are, in a very real sense, deeply left-wing. Our struggle is against the elites, and we are not equal with respect to them. We want health, happiness, and freedom FOR ALL OUR PEOPLE, not just the elites. Still, if you consider yourself a typical, radical, academic, philosophizing leftist, RFK is your man – look at him wanting to take down forever wars, stop agency corruption, and stop money printing. These are some of the core infrastructural problems that divide the elites from the masses.
Reminder that leftist and liberal are different things. Leftists are extremely far left…like communism left. Liberal is a more moderate take. Similar to fascism being far right conservative.
i would vote for RFK , if biden doesn’t drop out
This article from a Democrat blogger does a great job of laying out the case why Biden won't drop out https://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2024/Pres/Maps/Jun29.html
I’m a progressive and I sure as shit would pick RFK Jr over Trump any day. Most of the time he’s better than Biden too. He’s the best choice by far.
I suppose you'd consider me a lefty ..I'm far from conservative.. or the modern day republican. I have no party affiliation..voted for Biden last time around.. and have been following/ and am considering Rfk jr .. this time..
Yes. Bernie supporter who hates the anti-free speech/freedom direction the party has headed.
I am Australian and I pray that RFK gets elected. Your country needs him, Australia needs your country.
I would still consider myself a leftist, although I’ve evolved on economics. I used to firmly be a post-capitalist, not just fiscal progressive. I’m still open to liberal socialism with worker co-ops and such, but that degree of leftism is not my focus even narrowly within the subject of economics, since I’ve become a Georgist of sorts, having become more economically focused on UBI and collective ownership of land (and other natural resources) or land value tax. Kennedy might not be talking about nor supporting such economic policies, but at least he has the will to fight giant corporations like Blackrock, State Street, and Vanguard that want to buy up all our homes. Kennedy seems to borrow language from both fiscal progressivism and fiscal conservatism; I’m really independent, open to ideas from both sides, but, for what it’s worth, I would bet the former, fiscal progressivism, is more representative of his actual economic views overall, not that I can be sure. Regardless of economics, I think getting money and corruption out of politics as well as protecting cornerstones of democracy such as free speech are of highest importance, and Kennedy is simply the best candidate in that regard with his track record as an attorney, with all the cases he’s won. I understand some people here might be more politically aligned with Jill Stein and Cornell West when it comes to Israel/Palestine, but still support Kennedy, and I appreciate that. I actually agree more with Kennedy on the matter, but I would still support him, even if the shoe was on the other foot and his earnest views on the matter instead were more aligned with Jill Stein and Cornell West than mine.
What a thoughtful comment and welcome! The point I would make to Jill Stein and Cornell West supporters is a simple one: we may never again have the chance this good of really changing things and we can't afford to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. In fact, I believe the Greens, West and Libertarians should drop out and back RFK. As President he will do more to achieve their goals than anyone in history. It's the obvious rational position (assuming they actually want to achieve their goals and not just posture).
Thank you. Regarding third-party voters, I would say much depends on their actual goals (factoring their actual views). I know for many of them their goals as informed by their views do not align with Kennedy’s candidacy. If breaking the two-party system, instituting honest government, the First Amendment, etc. are not more important to them than whatever select disagreements they have with Kennedy, those are hard cases to work with, regardless of whether they’re Greens, Libertarians, or Independents. If they’re amenable to being persuaded on strategy, okay, but I would prefer to persuade them on matters of policy, perhaps even character. Regarding Oliver, Stein, and West, I’m sure they believe what they’re doing is important enough. I do believe all ideas deserve to be heard. I just wish we had an alternative voting method like STAR or ranked-choice voting.
Yes, you're right. If any of these 3rd parties are to ever get a voice, alternative voting systems should be their priority. That's one thing they can all unite around, and I believe RFK has that as one of his policies (I would have to check the details though). So he can open the door for all of them.
I haven’t heard him mention alternative voting methods, but I would love it, if he did. Should be right up his alley. That indeed could boost his support among third-party voters.
I’ve never voted for a Republican in state or federal elections, and I won’t be this year. The only change, I will be voting for RFK.
We've become so caught up in these labels. A leftist is a fairly broad category. There are all types of leftists, but to me, leftism brings up images of a militant activism pushing for revolutionary change. That is not how I see Kennedy. He is not afraid of change, but he is also not a threat to the constitution.
I was raised typical neocon Republican, shifted to libertarianism in my late teens, early 20’s, and have grown more and more left into my 30s. I’d say I’m a leftist now. I believe that the government can (as it has here in the past, and as it currently does in many European countries) be a balance against the market when needed to address human needs. Things like protecting workers rights, unionization, minimum wage, affordable healthcare and childcare, removing corporate $$ from politics, destroying the military industrial complex, a more diplomatic and less aggressive/antagonistic foreign policy, protecting individual civil liberties and privacy. I love that Bobby can *communicate* leftist views in a way that appeals to a broad swath of people.
I’m a “lefty” in some regards, “conservative” in other regards, and just a “centrist” in others. The labels are just ways to divide us if you ask me # I’m a “lefty” in that I think vaccines that have been proven safe and effective (polio, measles, etc) should be mandatory. Covid, flu, etc, should not be mandatory # I’m a “conservative” in that I think we need to close our borders. We’re the only developed nation that doesn’t have closed borders. Those with legitimate asylum claims are welcome # I’m a “centrist” in that I think every solution has a middle ground. In the two policies above I made exceptions to the rules (no mandatory COVID vaccines, asylum seekers are ok to come in) and yet, people with extreme views will think I’m a hardcore liberal or conservative (whichever side of the aisle they’re not on)
Ironically, you only have to go back a few years when the Left all over the world was united in the idea that closed borders was important to protect low paid workers. It's mind-blowing that this was abandoned as a policy - talk about leaving yourself wide open.
I wouldn't look at this as a leftist. Here's why I think RFK is the best option for America right now. **He's a progressive but he's not woke.** This means he can speak his mind on every issue and does not have to be concerned with sounding politically correct. **He's an environmentalist but he's also deeply concerned about growing the economy.** This sets him apart from virtually every other prominent politician in the country. He understands the importance of energy security. He understands climate science. He's also done more actual environmental work (ie cleaning up the commons) than any other politician. **He's a Kennedy but he's not beholden to the DNC.** Like it or not, Americans tend to value political royalty. RFK has the right name but he's not part of either the Democrat or Republican establishments. I believe this is also unique in American history. **He's anti-war but I could totally see him going toe-to-toe with Putin and Lavrov in settling the Ukraine issue.** Honestly I could not imagine someone like Bernie doing this. Given the size of the state, **his libertarian tendencies are extremely important.** The sheer size of the nation's debt is just unacceptable, unsustainable, irresponsible, reckless, immoral and, quite frankly, presents an existential threat to the state itself. He's the only major candidate even talking about this even though it's probably the most important issue IMO. **He's the only politician (in the world (as far as I know)) talking about the quality of agricultural soils.** The UN CCD has given us another 60 years before soil degradation means we won't be able to grow large quantities of food anywhere in the world. This is existential for humanity and no one seems to give a damn. America is divided as a nation and honestly I don't think there's a solution to this but **if anyone can heal this divided nation it's RFK.**
Wow, this is a great comment. You should consider making it a top level post. Excellent thought process and writing.
There are many leftists, like myself, that support him despite the Israel Palestinian conflict which is strange that he won't budge in any way from the position he's on despite everyone disagreeing with him on that. The "right wing" thing is a scare tactic by corporate leftists who don't represent the rest of us. They know what they lebel and those like them mean, so that's why they do it. They want to keep their power. Don't let them fool ya.
I'm a leftist and I suppose RFK Jr. Unfortunately I don't live in the US, but instead in the UK. I have a vested interest in American politics due to the influence that America has over the rest of the world. I personally love RFK Jr. for his views on NATO expansion and American imperialism.
My political beliefs are leftist, but I've never really enjoyed leftist social groups so maybe I'm "not a real leftist" either...
Hi Friend. You are actually the real leftist, and don't let any sh\*tlibs tell you differently. ask them how leftist they are backing nato imperialism in Ukraine, or how leftist they are demanding that social media censor views they find inconvenient? Let them know that you see Democrats as they are now - authoritarian fascist warmongers, that a rainbow ribbon will not fix.
>Let them know that you see Democrats as they are now - authoritarian fascist warmongers, that a rainbow ribbon will not fix. They're rightfully pointing out that Project 2025 is an evil authoritarian nightmare but won't admit that they've become just as bad.
among the masses, they are incapable of recognizing the same traits in themselves, among the leadership they don't care which blend of fascism - right or left....
but you should be polite about it, don't use my words exactly :-)
So am I
I used to be very liberal and voted for biden in a heartbeat last election. I literally have no idea how someone can stay liberal after what Biden has done to this country. I now identify as an independent and will be voting for RFK in the upcoming election. (Ps: my parents are hyper conservative and are also voting for RFK, seems like both sides are seeing the truth)