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RFK, Jr. makes a climate speech in Vermont -- and I was there: Eyewitness account suggests a formidable candidate, So what did the lefties do?
American Thinker ^ | 06/22/2023 | John Klar

Posted on 06/22/2023 7:00:39 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

The 2023 summer solstice was marked in the Green Mountains of Vermont by a somewhat incongruous visit by Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Addressing an audience of some 200 enthusiastic supporters on June 21 in Burlington, Mr. Kennedy’s subject for the evening centered on industrial pollution and his plans to improve energy efficiency through free markets.

But Vermont’s hills did not reverberate with approving liberal cheers for these sensible policy proposals: nary a Democrat was in attendance.

Bernie Sanders did not introduce the fast-rising Dem hopeful from Camelot; Peter Welch did not extend a red carpet. The event that platformed Kennedy was organized and hosted by the rather libertarian-leaning Ethan Allen Institute, an educational think tank focusing on free markets, individual liberty, and constitutional integrity.

Kennedy’s unconventional 2024 presidential campaign thus found a Vermont welcome in an unexpected forum.

The Ethan Allen Institute has maintained its non-partisan posture throughout three decades of policy analysis and research. A recent EAI event featured famed columnist George F. Will, and was largely attended by conservatives. A different cross-section of Vermonters gathered for RFK’s visit, hinting at the possibility of a growing alliance of populist support for an authentic maverick.

Speaking energetically in the low-ceilinged event room, Mr. Kennedy engaged the smilingly attentive crowd with a history of his legal battles against large industrial polluters challenging PCBs that tainted the Hudson River, and coal-burning plants that polluted the country with mercury. Mr. Kennedy’s passion and confident optimism held the room even for those who might disagree: there was no doubting the intensity of his sincerity.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2024; climate; nevertrumpers; rfkjr; robertfkennedyjr; speech
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1 posted on 06/22/2023 7:00:39 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
FROM THE EYEWITNESS TO RFK Jr.'s CLIMATE SPEECH:

Tellingly, RFK, Jr. did not pontificate about greenhouse gases, or condemn Republicans for climate change. He instead focused on the nonpartisan consensus that toxic chemicals are destroying the ecosystem, and the free market forces that must be harnessed to compel polluters to internalize the true environmental costs of their products. Kennedy made an accurate case that protecting environmental resources can be accomplished without sacrificing economic growth. The standing ovation that followed suggested his closing argument hit home.

The salient appeal of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is that he truly appeals to an American political middle. He calls out the woke totalitarianism that has infested culture and government, ensuring he is anathema to the Far Left. Yet he adheres to traditional liberal positions such as renewable energy manufacturing, and appeals to conservatives disenchanted with Donald Trump (and his infamous tweets!). And juxtaposed with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, Kennedy highlights the corrupt incompetence of the bumbling incumbents.
2 posted on 06/22/2023 7:02:14 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

RFK is also willing to engage with others...willing to listen, willing to persuade, willing to give and take.


3 posted on 06/22/2023 7:05:20 AM PDT by ConservativeDude
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To: SeekAndFind

RFK Jr has been a long time activist. He didn’t jump aboard the global warming bandwagon. He would be an improvement over Biden in this regard. But he’s still no conservative.


4 posted on 06/22/2023 7:06:56 AM PDT by hinckley buzzard ( Resist the narrative.)
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To: ConservativeDude

If you go back to 1960s Kennedy-democrats...about half of the platform would read like a general republican platform of 2023. This shows the amount of political slide to the left, and how RFK does not match up with the modern-day positions.


5 posted on 06/22/2023 7:07:54 AM PDT by pepsionice
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To: hinckley buzzard

Indeed.


6 posted on 06/22/2023 7:10:07 AM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: SeekAndFind
A recent EAI event featured famed columnist George F. Will

George Will is still alive and able to give speeches?

7 posted on 06/22/2023 7:10:13 AM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)
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To: SeekAndFind

But Vermont’s hills did not reverberate with approving liberal cheers for these sensible policy proposals: nary a Democrat was in attendance.


That means he’s going to pull primary votes from Trump. How many remains to be seen.


8 posted on 06/22/2023 7:12:04 AM PDT by lodi90
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To: SeekAndFind
A recent EAI event featured famed columnist George F. Will, and was largely attended by conservatives.

Somehow, I doubt that is true.....................

9 posted on 06/22/2023 7:12:24 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: SeekAndFind
there was no doubting the intensity of his sincerity

*************

He's still a member of a very liberal party whose support he needs. Not convinced about his 'sincerity'. At some point he will have to differentiate himself from the GOP. It will be interesting to watch.

10 posted on 06/22/2023 7:13:04 AM PDT by Starboard
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To: SeekAndFind

The dems are scared to death of RFK. Their latest tactic is articles covering his three marriages, with Wife #2 committing suicide, his compulsive “womanizing,” etc. They’re really playing dirty.


11 posted on 06/22/2023 7:13:32 AM PDT by Blurb2350 (posted from my 1500-watt blow dryer)
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To: pepsionice

The JFK Secret Society speech would make a crazy right wing extremist insurrectionist today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSyJaUxwP-E

This is a great listen—he called it.


12 posted on 06/22/2023 7:14:47 AM PDT by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Not trying to be sarcastic, this is meant as a legitimate question: Why does his voice sound the way it does? Did he have throat surgery at some point? I find him very difficult to listen to.


13 posted on 06/22/2023 7:15:24 AM PDT by GreenHornet
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To: ConservativeDude

“RFK is also willing to engage with others...willing to listen, willing to persuade, willing to give and take.”

************

As a candidate playing to persuadable voters.

Once in office, who knows?


14 posted on 06/22/2023 7:16:14 AM PDT by Starboard
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To: SeekAndFind

IMHO, there is significant overlap between the parties attacking Trump and the parties attacking RFK jr. Because both pose a threat to the tidy little arrangement centered in DC.


15 posted on 06/22/2023 7:16:39 AM PDT by Tench_Coxe (The woke were surprised by the reaction to the Bud Light fiasco. May there be many more surprises)
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To: SeekAndFind
One suspects some intrigue, here.

First, does anyone really believe that Mister Biden will (at the end of the day) actually run for a second term?

His public speaking abilities are in his past. Imagine Mister Biden, in a debate setting, trying to answer questions on...

- The economy, including inflation, jobs, and the disappearing middle class.

- The border, including increased crime and human trafficking.

- Greater than 150 deaths, every day, due to fentanyl overdoses.

- Crime, toleration of crime, lack of law enforcement support, rogue DAs.

- Promotion of non-binary lifestyles to kids, men competing in womens' sports, abandonment of our traditional families.

- Lack of support of our military, and woke policies harming military morale and readiness.

- Support for a non-ally (Ukraine) in an expensive quagmire that is really Europe's problem, not ours.

One could go on.

The point is that Mister Biden's admin has goofed up just about everything, and it's not defensible in an election.

One suspects that there might be a last-minute replacement in mind, sort of the ultimate October surprise.

And might RFK Jr just mess up any clever plans?

(All my guesses, we'll see.)

16 posted on 06/22/2023 7:29:00 AM PDT by Seaplaner (Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never...in nothing, great or small...Winston ChurchIill)
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To: GreenHornet

“Spasmodic dysphonia”

a rare brain disorder that affects vocal chords


17 posted on 06/22/2023 7:29:37 AM PDT by jjotto ( Blessed are You LORD, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked.)
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To: GreenHornet

He has a voice disorder called spasmodic dysphonia.


18 posted on 06/22/2023 7:35:03 AM PDT by CollegeRepublican
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To: SeekAndFind

I’m not opposed to environmentalism at all if by that, someone means wanting to preserve clean air and clean water without drowning companies in a morass of red tape or driving them out of business with crushingly high compliance costs.

We can have good economic growth while still curbing the worst pollution....ie the things most dangerous to humans. You just so rarely hear practical talk like that from Democrats since the Gaia Worshipping global socialist watermelons took over.


19 posted on 06/22/2023 7:40:35 AM PDT by FLT-bird
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To: SeekAndFind

“toxic chemicals are destroying the ecosystem,”

I’m totally on board that toxic chemicals, and in addition to them our enormous output of garbage, need attention.

Who know - maybe RFJ Jr. will be Trump’s running mate.


20 posted on 06/22/2023 7:42:24 AM PDT by cymbeline
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