In the 1960 election between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, Kennedy leaned into his youth and vigor. He released a famous ad with a really punchy song, and it completely changed the way political candidates campaigned and made commercials. It was such an iconic piece of advertising, it was even featured in Mad Men’s first season (set in 1960), with the ad men watching it and comparing it to Nixon’s ads. Here’s the ad:
Well, during last night’s Super Bowl, Robert Kennedy Jr.’s superpac paid $7 million to place this ad in the first half of the game:
Our momentum is growing. It’s time for an Independent President to heal the divide in our country. 🇺🇸#Kennedy24 pic.twitter.com/6rwXW3AwAp
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) February 12, 2024
The reaction was immediate – people were disgusted that an anti-vaxxer and Republican-adjacent ratf–ker would appropriate his dead uncle’s famous commercial. Yes, it was technically done by RFK Jr’s superpac and not his “independent campaign,” but as you can see, Robert tweeted it on his own account and he’s coordinating with his superpac (because anything goes). After the backlash, Robert released this statement:
I'm so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain. The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign. FEC rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff. I love you all. God…
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) February 12, 2024
“Without any involvement or approval from my campaign” – and that’s why he pinned it to his Twitter? Come on. As for his family, Caroline Kennedy hasn’t issued any new statements about this, but her son Jack Schlossberg is on the record trashing RFK Jr. and his lunatic campaign. The Shrivers – Eunice Kennedy married Sargent Shriver – are hopping mad though.
My cousin’s Super Bowl ad used our uncle’s faces- and my Mother’s. She would be appalled by his deadly health care views. Respect for science, vaccines, & health care equity were in her DNA. She strongly supported my health care work at @ONECampaign & @RED which he opposes.
— Bobby Shriver (@bobbyshriver) February 12, 2024
I agree with my brother @bobbyshriver simple as that. https://t.co/6zZiA6V2Uq
— Mark Shriver (@Mark_Shriver) February 12, 2024
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- Robert Kennedy Jr., Cheryl Hines at the 2018 HBO Emmy Party, Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood, CA 09-17-18,Image: 533990358, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Martin Sloan / Avalon
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- Press conference by Robert F. Kennedy Jr, founder of Children’s Health Defense, before the demonstration against the Green Pass . Milan, Italy 13 November 2021,Image: 643007662, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Nicola Marfisi / AGF Foto / Avalon
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- Press conference by Robert F. Kennedy Jr, founder of Children’s Health Defense, before the demonstration against the Green Pass . Milan, Italy 13 November 2021,Image: 643007695, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Nicola Marfisi / AGF Foto / Avalon
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- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. out in Noho one day after testifying in Congress over racist and Antisemitic comments on Covid-19. Featuring: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Where: New York, New York, United States When: 21 Jul 2023 Credit: Janet Mayer/startraksphoto.com
Yeah, seeing that ad last night pissed me off. “Let me just steal this ad from my dead uncle.” Gross. Especially since the platform this Kennedy is endorsing is nothing like JFK’s.
It made me want to vote for Nixon. That’s how mad I was. On the other hand, the purpose of an ad like that is to get people to talk about you and notice you. From that standpoint, I would say it was highly successful.
The ad did exactly what it was supposed to do get people talking. Even bad publicity helps him. He’s a gross human being and deserves no place in any public office. Shame on you too Cheryl Hines for staying married to this goober.
I can’t understand why she isn’t running for the hills, but then again, she did marry him after how he treated his first wife. It’s a real choice for them to set money on fire like this considering that his campaign & the PAC are under an FEC investigation. This is all mind boggling.
Money and the name. What else could he have to offer? (Though he’s doing a good job of shitting on the name.)
She married him after how he treated his first wife? She was complicit in that!
Totally agree on Cheryl Hines. Proves that they don’t reveal themselves in their public persona – just try and show themselves as someone fun.
How he treated his SECOND wife-Cheryl Hines is his third wife! He cheated non stop on the first one too. He is a totally vile, evil person. His own siblings have denounced his anti-vaxx, anti-science stances. He’s AWFUL.
I know Caroline is super irritated but she’s too elegant to publicly condemn him.
She’s also a government official (Ambassador to Australia) and may feel constrained by what she can say
Elegant people can, and should, stand up for what’s right. I’m not sure what elegance has to do with anything. (But I do agree that she is elegant. I basically copied her wedding dress for my wedding to my ex-husband back in the day!)
His entire argument for being qualified seems to be, “I’m a Kennedy.” And yet I’ve also heard him gripe about the elitest and entitled media/left. Sir, do you not hear what you are saying? He’s awful and clearly so is his wife.
This was clockwork orange-esque. Who thought this was a good idea.
I was so confused at this ad at first and thought it was for a movie about the 60s and then I was like nope a political ad, and then I was confused because I thought he was part of that group that wanted politics out of sports.
I wouldn’t expect anything less from a man who told his wife “it would be easier” if she just killed herself. You see she was getting in the way if his affair with Cheryl Hines.
I think of her often.
I think what happened to her is a cautionary-tale about getting involved with a man like him.
Everyone at our Super Bowl party yesterday, from liberals to conservatives, collectively groaned during this ad.
in Jacqueline BKO’s oral history,
she mentioned how gross it was when the Shriver kids
would sing a tasteless, yet popular song from that era.
It was done in Caroline’s voice and was about her daddy being the president.
JBKO didn’t like the song because it was tasteless and she felt disrespectful to her children.
The ad was paid for by a Super PAC that is almost entirely funded by Trump megadonor billionaire Tim Mellon.
A bit about Mellon:
• he called Social Security & Medicare “slavery redux”
• funds Greg Abbott’s fake border wall
• said welfare made Black people “belligerent”
Kennedy pinned the ad and started pushing it on social media BEFORE it appeared on TV which means he was colluding with the Super PAC which is illegal.
It’s good to see several political commentators have called him out on that.
His crazy eyes make him look like the undead.
Raise your hand if you remember what happened when Ralph Nader decided to hop in the race. Third-party candidates elect Republicans.