“One day after Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. agreed to comedian and podcaster Jimmy Dore’s proposal that he engage with The Grayzone’s editor-in-chief, Max Blumenthal, in a public dialogue on Israel-Palestine, Kennedy’s campaign nixed the discussion.”

  • DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    “Democratic candidate”

    No he’s not, Biden is the incumbent and they’re not going set precedent by having a primary, especially not for RFK "I’m being paid by the Republicans and Twitter signaling Nazis " Jr.

    The right wing is running two vote splitting candidates this year, so far, one is RFK Jr, the other is Dr. Cornell West, who has been much quieter about destroying his reputation than RFK Jr has..

    Be wary folks, a Trump win (or far too many other Republican candidates) potentially ends America’s democracy, vote wisely.

    • Jonna@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      RFK doesn’t have a reputation (or at least, not a good one to anyone not a conspiracist nutter) to destroy.

      Cornell West, in 2004 criticized Ralph Nader for running but with held praise from Kerry saying, “I disagree with brother Ralph, he is our brother and friend, but vote for Kerry even tho he is the enemy”. And now he’s doing the same thing. West remembers too well the frustrations of trying to pressure the Obama presidency into a progressive direction.

      We do need to escape the lesser evil trap. Every election the Democrats threatened us with Hitler and held us hostage. And every year that moved the Overton window further right until their threats became real.

      So I recognize West as an ally even tho I recommend voting for Biden in any state with a contested election.

      But simply voting for West won’t create an alternative. More must be done, and far more than just more down ballot left candidates. Organizing, strikes, protests, campaigns, alternative institutions, the gamut of a new culture and system.

      • EnderWi99in@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Biden is a centrist liberal, which is the representative worldview for the majority of the party and its voting base. Cornel West is representative of a very small faction of progressive voters which has been equally small for decades. Do whatever you want, but some (most) of us actually like Biden. So really all you’re doing is torpedoing your next closest ideological group in protest since yours is too small.

        • DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Just the fact that we’re not in WWIII and that Ruzzia hasn’t taken Ukraine and moved on to start shit with Poland and Romania proves that Biden is the right President for the times, he may be old AF but his administration has navigated some really complex problems while also being handed a huge treasonous mess from the previous disaster of the Trump administration.

          Also wtf is the alternative? A criminal conman mafioso wannabe who wants to end our democracy so he can become a dictator? Also this isn’t just what Trump wants, DeSantis wants it to, Haley and Scott and others want to help Trump accomplish it, the whole “Republican” party doesn’t deserve to be treated like a legitimate political party anymore because they have become a cult, or a “Qult”.

        • jimmydoreisalefty@lemmus.orgOP
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          1 year ago

          Scare mongering to sheep people to vote for Blue not matter who is losing its momentum.

          2016 and 2020 has shown many that the system is rigged and the blue/red gangs do not change anything for the wotking class, aside from crumbs. Splitting up the working class on cultural and identity politics has helped both parties by keeping us destracted and not seeing the bigger picture, which is class struggle, rich vs workers.

          MLK was not afraid to talk woth the KKK, Cornel West will also be talking to Pro-Trump voters instead of writing them off.

          Jim Crow Joe and Trump are not what people want, we now know how useless they were.

          We shall see how it goes in 2024. 3rd party voters will keep increasing until both parties go through big changes.

          The best way to start is now, for the long run and not the short term.

          Thank you for your feedback!

      • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        It’s true they aren’t running him. But there is a possibility he could be a spoiler. Though I think for West it’s about ideas, and trying to pull a solidly Right wing democrat towards the center right at least. If not to even acknowledge the center and left as well. And I support that.

        However things have gotten so dysfunctional and margins razor thin. Running as a 3rd party that would traditionally pull from the encumbant’s support right now is inviting fascism. If West was running as a Democrat during a primary. He’d likely have my interest and vote like Sanders did. But this? I generally have a pretty good opinion of West. But only a fool would run as the candidate for a party that not only can’t get anyone elected. But doesn’t even try. If the Greens had some sort of general presence in state and local politics it still wouldn’t make a lot of sense. But they don’t even have that.

  • plebonix@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Who, exactly on his staff is forbidding him from speaking to Max? That’s the story, they should be exposed.

    • jimmydoreisalefty@lemmus.orgOP
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      It is RFK Jr.'s Campaign Communications Director. She works for him though so he has the last say, guess he will use it as an excuse.

      During an August 1 phone call with Grayzone correspondent Liam Cosgrove, RFK Jr. campaign communications director, Stephanie Spear, declared: “[Kennedy’s] not debating Max Blumenthal… He’s not gonna debate anyone. He’s running for president.”