RRobert F. Kennedy Jr.– the irony of a messy biography. He is an anti-aristocratic traitor whose last name is the best in politics. Once Barak Obama feared left-wing extremism when considering him for a Cabinet post in 2008. He has now been tapped to lead a key department in a right-wing administration. Kennedy, a notorious vaccine skeptic, was set to shape health policy under the president who oversaw Operation Warp Speed, the nation’s most successful vaccine development program.
These inconsistencies along with Kennedy’s colorful history Interaction with the animal kingdomThis made him the target of unrelenting ridicule in the media. I’m not interested in siding with Kennedy in these debates. He has said many things that are. clearly wrong– But Kennedy embodies trends. So much from media, politics, science, and society, all of which require careful attention to understand how America is changing. And what kind of people? Like Kennedy himself. who are ready to take advantage of those changes in the future
The first and most obvious phenomenon of Kennedy’s elevation to power was the long shadow cast by Covid. His popularity is echo of outbreak of anger Perception of government overreach Including the lockdown mask order Extension of school closure Vaccine requirements and what many people consider to be Deceptive and inconsistent application of these rules
(Read: RFK Jr. is at the wrong agency)
Kennedy’s outspoken stance on vaccine safety revealed—and even helped drive—the GOP’s defining anti-vaccine position. Until a few years ago Vaccine skepticism is non-partisan. It is related to the hippie approach to health. which mostly appeals to wealthy leftists. and with the doctrine of political freedom. which appealed more to conservatives. In Kennedy, these concerns were melted. He both exaggerated the risks of vaccine ingredients. And it frames opposition to vaccination policy as a defense of personal choice. President Joe Biden “violated one of the core principles of freedom” by ordering Kennedy’s vaccinations. say In a video posted to X earlier this year Those views align with Republicans, who have become increasingly distrustful of science and scientists. In the past few years–
Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism must be placed in a broader context to understand his political power. A lifelong anti-corporate crusader, Kennedy had few good things to say about nearly every type of technological invention. He made a histrionic sound. fear about nuclear reactors say that Wi-Fi may cause “brain leaks” recommend Chemicals in water sources may cause children to become transgender. I wonder loudly. If Prozac may have contributed to the school shooting, and Post Supports the so-called Chemtrails conspiracy, which holds that the government uses Contrails, or condensate trails, of airliners to distribute toxic chemicals. at the same time He is a big fan of pre-existing products and behaviors such as modern agriculture. That October Make a promise To end the FDA’s “aggressive crackdown” on “raw milk,” “clean foods,” “exercise” and “sunlight.”
This traditional romanticism is the essence of modern republicanism. To the extent that any single attitude unites the diverse coalition under Donald Trump is widespread distrust of the incumbent. Establishment and traditional organizations In a Pew Research survey, less than half of Republicans voted. speak They believe that higher education big business Technology, media, entertainment industry companies or labor union All have a positive impact on society. This is despite more than 60 percent of Democrats saying they trust news organizations, including CNN and The New York Timeshave Not a single media company Where more than 60 percent of Republicans say they trust, that includes Fox News.
One common explanation for the Democratic Party’s recent losses among young, non-white voters is that “Certificate Segregation” College-educated Americans move to the left. Meanwhile, less educated Americans move to the right. The rise of Kennedy reveals a similar but different phenomenon: the “discrimination between institutions and trusts” as vox Writer Eric Levitz point outyoung voters people who are not white And those who are less educated tend to trust major institutions less. They are more interested in “A paranoid vision of American life. and populist disdain for the country’s political system,” he writes, and this is precisely the group. Move away as quickly as possible. From the Democrat Party. Some people may say that the Democrats have become a bureaucratic party ruleIt focused on picket lines and appeals to democracy as the GOP became anti-establishment. parent– A deceptive outsider who promises to use his power to burn down the system.
KEnnedy is also at the forefront. of fitness politics Since joining the Trump campaign Kennedy launched a separate movement: MAHA, or “Make America Healthy Again,” said Brad Stulberg, a personal development writer and professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. told me that he saw MAHA as emblematic of an ongoing phenomenon. which he called “Practical Health”
While personal health is just a basic approach to diet and exercise, Stulberg defines practical health as A “masculine aesthetic” that combines distrust of FDA-approved treatments, enthusiasm for dietary supplements and clinging to manly strength messily especially Power that can be recorded with the front camera in the gym and posted to social media. Performance health is an overtly masculine issue, Stulberg tells me, and Kennedy is a champion, too. His workout videoRelentless criticism of the FDA Dependence on vitamins and supplements and his certification Testosterone replacement therapy–
Someone will be suspicious of a federally approved treatment that has gone through multiple rounds of clinical testing. But they are also fans of risky nutritional supplements and drug formulas that are infrequently tested. One possibility is a return to institutions: FDA and Big Pharma’s smelly treatments are automatically suspect. Another explanation is that supplements, vitamins, and anti-aging treatments sound like tools to help people who are already healthy become stronger. While pharmaceutical companies treat sick people According to this Nietzschean calculation, dietary supplements promote good health (i.e., good), while drugs are a corporate conspiracy to ensnare the weak (i.e., bad).
Although this is a simplistic worldview. But it may also appeal to some young men looking for a model of masculinity. “I think a lot of young men are attracted to this attitude towards fitness. And this attitude comes from people who are considered conservatives,” Stuhlberg said. follow Analysis of Voter Behavior By Pollster Patrick Ruffini Men under 45 moved 13 points toward Trump between the 2020 and 2024 elections (non-white men moved more than 20 points to the right). score) Stuhlberg said Kennedy showed how these ideas of militancy, masculinity, and conservatism could be integrated into America’s male-dominated party.
(Read: America Stopped Cooking With Wax for a Reason)
THis final outlook Where Kennedy is a clear example is the political domination of the elite that creates “Anti-privilege” is their political brand. Kennedy has modeled this approach for many years. He spent his entire life as a celebrity. But as long as he is in the public eye He played the role of an outsider in the inner circle. It combines a powerful name with a disdain for power. “I always felt that we were all involved in a great crusade,” he said once. writeAnd his lifelong crusade has transformed him from anti-corporate environmental lawyer to anti-government health crusader.
This pattern—elitist disparaging elites—describes some of Trump’s most influential supporters, including Elon Musk, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, and financier Bill Ackman. What’s remarkable about these numbers is not that They are rich people who support conservative candidates. That’s the story of a dog biting a person. It’s that they support Trump as anti-establishment, whether it’s Ackman opposing college and DEI bureaucracy, Musk opposing traditional media, or Andreessen opposing the Biden administration’s crypto policies. This, each person realizes, is that in the era of opposition to the incumbent. The best way to promote one’s own ideology is to adapt to the plight of ordinary people. and frame their opinions as a war against power.
Kennedy is quite smart. It positions itself at the confluence of the most important trends in American politics and society. This includes but is not limited to Post-COVID anger at government influence The polarization of vaccine skepticism The rise of anti-establishment activists in the GOP, the emergence of health representation as a branch of pro-male politics. and the triumph of anti-elitist aristocracy. His particular opinion may not merit support. But his political style deserves attention.
